In the morning, the lawyers will give presentations to local high school students about the benefits and dangers of shopping online, and throughout the day they will provide visitors with detailed information about consumer rights in the European common market, including how to raise complaints about goods bought in the European Union.
“We provide free assistance to people in situations where goods they have ordered abroad and paid for are not delivered, or where the retailer is unable to deliver the goods or refuses to give a refund. We also deal with cases where a foreign vendor refuses to recognize a legitimate claim,” says Ondřej Tichota from the European Consumer Centre (ECC) at the Czech Trade Inspectorate. “We deal with cases amicably, in collaboration with partner centres in all EU countries, Norway and Iceland. Consumers provide us with copies of documents proving the purchase of the goods or services and correspondence with the merchant. Our lawyers decide whether the request is justified and forward the case to colleagues in the country in question, who then contact the vendor directly and notify him that he has not complied with applicable regulations. About 70% of these cases are resolved in favour of the consumer,” notes Ondřej Tichota. Most ECC cases concern online shopping and air travel, specifically refunds for cancelled or delayed flights or for damaged or delayed baggage. In cases connected, for example, with neighbouring Germany, there are typically problems with travel agencies and purchases of used cars.
Eurofestivals are organized by the Representation of the European Commission on the occasion of informal meetings of the ministers of European governments. The Czech ECC is funded by the European Commission and the Czech Trade Inspectorate. The public can contact the ECC via an electronic form at www.coi.cz/esc, by e-mail at esc@coi.cz or by phone on 296 366 155. The mailing address is Štěpánská 15, 120 00 Praha 2.
“We provide free assistance to people in situations where goods they have ordered abroad and paid for are not delivered, or where the retailer is unable to deliver the goods or refuses to give a refund. We also deal with cases where a foreign vendor refuses to recognize a legitimate claim,” says Ondřej Tichota from the European Consumer Centre (ECC) at the Czech Trade Inspectorate. “We deal with cases amicably, in collaboration with partner centres in all EU countries, Norway and Iceland. Consumers provide us with copies of documents proving the purchase of the goods or services and correspondence with the merchant. Our lawyers decide whether the request is justified and forward the case to colleagues in the country in question, who then contact the vendor directly and notify him that he has not complied with applicable regulations. About 70% of these cases are resolved in favour of the consumer,” notes Ondřej Tichota. Most ECC cases concern online shopping and air travel, specifically refunds for cancelled or delayed flights or for damaged or delayed baggage. In cases connected, for example, with neighbouring Germany, there are typically problems with travel agencies and purchases of used cars.
Eurofestivals are organized by the Representation of the European Commission on the occasion of informal meetings of the ministers of European governments. The Czech ECC is funded by the European Commission and the Czech Trade Inspectorate. The public can contact the ECC via an electronic form at www.coi.cz/esc, by e-mail at esc@coi.cz or by phone on 296 366 155. The mailing address is Štěpánská 15, 120 00 Praha 2.