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Rights & Rules

AK lawsuit against payment service Klarna

The Chamber of Labour registers countless complaints about the payment service Klarna and is now suing this Swedish bank, which grew strongly during the Corona pandemic. Klarna handles online transactions for purchases in online shops and enables payment on account. The ECC also has daily complaint calls about Klarna and is eagerly awaiting the verdict.

Strike: Airline has to refund says ECJ

A decision by the ECJ has once again clearly strengthened air passenger rights. If a flight is cancelled or significantly delayed due to an announced strike by airline staff, passengers may have a right to compensation.

Review of 1 year of legal assistance by ECC in Corona-related consumer cases

In 2020, victims turned more than ever to the European Consumer Centre (ECC) Austria, part of the Austrian Association for Consumer Information (VKI). We used this year's World Consumer Day (15 March) as an opportunity to take a retrospective look at our counselling activities in one year of Corona.

Brexit - travellers and consumers

In the referendum on 23 June 2016, 52 percent of Britons voted in favour of Brexit. On 24 December, the EU and the UK concluded a far-reaching trade and partnership agreement. What are the consequences for consumers in Europe? Here are some hints about the changes from the perspective of travellers and consumers

Worldwide travel warning except for 10 countries

As of midnight tonight, i.e. as of 00:00 on 19.12.2020, a travel warning issued by the Austrian Foreign Ministry applies to practically the entire world. 10 states are exempt from this. What does this mean for a planned trip for the holidays?

Parship loses lawsuit over excessive subscription revocation

Those who want to find new life partners through Parship could be confronted with high costs as soon as they change their mind and only use the service for a short time. European Court of Justice declares offsetting practice invalid.

European Order for Payment Procedure

The European order for payment procedure simplifies the process of litigation in cross-border cases for consumers. It was established on 12.12.2008 in all EU Member States, except for Denmark.

ECJ ruling against misleading air fares

Clarity about ancillary costs of airline tickets was sued for in Italy by consumer advocates. Ryanair must clearly display ancillary costs for airline tickets, the European Court of Justice has ruled.

Government cancels all events

The Coronavirus paralyses public life in spring to Easter. A public event ban was issued by the Austrian Government.

Fraud traps in social media

Consumers often fall prey to psychological stimuli that cause them to act impulsively and rashly. Read here about scams on social media and the new CPC Regulation, which improves the warning system and enforcement of consumer offences in the EU.

Transit plates in the EU

If you bought a new car in a foreign EU Member State and want to transit it to your home country, you need a transit plate. The ECC-Net gathered all necessary information about national regulations in a new brochure.

Brexit: Scam with small ads

Brexit is not just concerning international politicians. Fraudsters are now increasingly using the UK's exit from the EU for their schemes on the internet.

New rules in data protection

The European General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR, was implemented in Austria. We summarised the most important new rules for consumers.

Winter tire obligations in Europe

In time for the winter travel season, we present an overview over the different obligations regarding winter tires in Europe. The information was gathered and is provided by our Network of the European Consumer Centres (ECC-Net).

7 important questions about Geo-blocking

The Geo-blocking regulation comes into force EU-wide on December 3rd, 2018. She prohibits discrimination of consumers based on their nationality or place of residence when shopping cross-border – online or offline.

Airbnb: Changes of T&C

Airbnb has to change its Terms & Conditions on the European market as they don't comply with the current EU law.

Streaming across borders

Since 1. April 2018, a new regulation of the EU regarding "cross-border portability of online content services" is in force. It enables consumers to use their subscriptions for movies, music or sport streaming services abroad like at home.

EU: Price comparison of parcel delivery services

Whenever a parcel has to be sent cross-border, the price for its delivery would increase significantly - regardless of the actual distance. Many Europeans therefore avoid shopping in another country. The EU wants to change that and created new rules for parcel delivery services.

Modernisation of rail passenger rights

The European Commission is updating the European rules on rail passenger rights to better protect train travellers in case of delays, cancellations or discrimination.

Comparison websites are often misleading

While it becomes more and more common to book hotels and flights online, consumers are encountering a growing number of problems with online travel services. These services are now among the most frequent consumer complaints according to the European Consumer Centres.

The EU in 2016

20.03.2017 / Annual reports about the EU and RAPEX