Inadequate services or defective products must not be tolerated. Mallorca EU-wide consumer protection act. Here is a summary of filing complaints and consumer associations.
Mallorca last-Resident Franz Wenzel (name) was angry for months over his broken phone line. Although he had already more than ten times as expensive phone calls to the call center asked his phone company Orange to solve the problem, his suppliers did not respond. Eventually the Wenzel to a complaint at the Balearic Consumer Protection Authority and there was one employee's problems on the record. According to a letter of authority to the Orange phone company declined to additional fees, at least for the non-functioning telephone. After several weeks the line was finally repaired. Wenzel is glad to have taken the official appeals a reclamación. "It was a way to make more pressure, rather than continue to go sour in the queue for the call center," he says.
Complaints to the Balearic Consumer Agency can not only in trouble with the phone company to help solve the problems, but also in many other defective products and services. Often also contact consumers with problems with their energy suppliers, airlines and ferry companies, warranty periods, or insurance to the official site. About 8,000 complaints dealt with the Authority annually. Most of them with success for the consumer, as reported by department Diego González.
Typically, first, as described in the Wenzel case at the outset, the company concerned in writing requested to respond within a time limit. If that does not lead to success, there is usually an Arbitration (Arbitral junta) with a representative of the Balearic Government, a representative of a consumer association and a corporate representative of the sector. The majority decision of the panel is then binding. If the Company rejects such arbitration proceedings, there is a proceeding before the Commercial Court. Also there are cases free of a claim is less than 900 euros for the consumer. In cases of 900 euro must, however, a lawyer and a procurador (in Spain prescribed another client representative) will be paid.
Often, however, already leading the first step of a complaint, the letter from the Consumer Protection Authority to the concerned companies to success. It is important to be able to describe the event as inclusive as possible and confirm. "We can do anything with it, if someone says I've been cheated. It is important to understand the story as accurately as possible and all available documents such as invoices, to show, "says Gonzalez. The Department of Health and Consumer Affairs Ministry can assess also whether discontented consumers actually have a right to reimbursement of costs have. "Not all complaints are justified," says Gonzalez. Tourists, who can get angry about in Mallorca purchased products to complaints within Europe, including the Consumer Protection Authority in their home country. "Within the EU claims to be exchanged between the authorities. And so one can also claim a product or service in Germany in Mallorca, and vice versa, "says Gonzalez.
Soon the consumer service will be extended to the Balearic Islands: From 17 January to all the businesses on the islands of their customer complaint forms available. Dissatisfied consumers can also be free from consumer protection associations in the Balearic Islands (see right) to provide advice. When members of the Consumer Protection Association adopts (the yearly contribution is with the Association FACUA example, at 45 euros) the entire case. If it comes to a trial, then the legal fees are covered.
In ongoing work, the consumer associations in the Balearic Islands, with a lot of unscrupulous sellers of text messaging services. Hundreds of people currently receiving an SMS on their mobile phone with the offer of getting free from an answer a tune on their mobile phones. "They should be a clear message to those most immediately," said Alfonso Rodríguez Sánchez, the Chairman of the Consumer Association FACUA. Whoever answered the text message, then receives several text messages a day with senseless content, which are expensive settled. "The victims are then invoices 300 to 400 euros. "
Filing of complaints in Majorca:
Complaints about faulty products and services on the Balearic Islands by the Consumer Protection Authority of the State Government (i-phone 900-16 60 00, edited consultes@dgconsum.caib.es, www.consum.caib.es). The most direct way to the complaint, therefore, leads to the office of the Authority (Passeig des Born, 17, Palma Phone: 971-78 49 96, Mon - Fri 9 - 14 clock). German employees are working there too. In addition, complaints can be filed in almost all municipalities of the island at the respective Oficina Municipal del Consumidor (OMIC). In addition, the Casal dels Consumidor in Palmas district of Son Gotleu (see notes re.) Complaints to. Also at the airport, there are special computer terminals for complaints at the meeting point in the arrivals area. At the airport soon to open a branch of the Consumer Protection Authority. Then disgruntled passengers can complain there directly.
Consumer organizations:
In Mallorca, several consumer associations are active. Four of them (La Defensa, Consumidor 2.0,
FACUA, Unió de consumidores de Mallorca) offer their advice in the Casal dels Consumidor, a branch of the National Authority, in Palma's Son district Gotleu. The associations are also available individually.
Casal dels Consumidor
C /. Indalecio Prieto, 14
Palma
Tel: 971-25 79 91
Mon - Fri 8 - 15 Clock
Consumidor 2.0
Chairman Iñaki Muñoz Salas
C /. d'en Morei, 8, 1r 1a
Palma
Tel: 971-72 01 06
imsalas@disfam.net
Consumidor i Usuaris de les Illes Balears (FACUA-ISLANDS)
Chairman: Alfonso Rodríguez
C /. Puig des Teix, 14, local 4
Calvia
Tel: 971-69 90 43,
971-27 00 51
balears@facua.org
Asociacion de consumidores y Usuarios de Baleares "La Defensa"
Chairman: Bernat Ferrer Guàrdia
C /. Montenegro, 8, 1, Palma
Tel: 971-71 85 55
faavv@yahoo.es
Asociación Nuredduna, Mestresses de Casa, Consumidor i Usuaris de les Illes Balears
Chairman: Ascension Martín
C /. Vilanova, 8, 2n, Porta 1
Palma
Tel: 971-71 05 95
nureddunaconsumo@hotmail.com
Unión de consumidores de Baleares (UCM)
Chairman Catalina Real Mateo
C /. de la Rosa, 3, Palma
Tel: 645-88 01 07
ucmallorca@hotmail.com
catireal82@hotmail.com
Source: Mallorca Zeitung