During the week of February 12th to February 18th, 2024, the Service Juridique conducted a series of consultations with consumers seeking advice on various issues. A total of sixteen consultations were held, utilizing Telegram as the medium for communication.

In five instances, consumers sought guidance on issues related to failure to provide mandatory information. These inquiries involved scenarios where businesses had not disclosed required information about products or services. Consumers were advised on steps to formally request the neglected information and how to document their interactions for further action if their requests were not honored.

There were three consultations concerning food supplements. Consumers raised concerns about the authenticity and safety of dietary supplements they had purchased. They were counseled on how to verify the legitimacy of such products and the importance of purchasing from reputable sources. Additionally, they were informed about the official channels to report potentially harmful products.

Banking-related issues prompted four consultations. Consumers encountered problems with unclear fees and charges as well as difficulties in accessing account information. They were advised to request detailed statements from their financial institutions and to lodge formal complaints if their initial requests were not satisfactorily addressed.

Two cases involved unfair business practices (not specified), where consumers were unsure if certain business behaviors violated consumer rights. After a detailed review of each situation, consumers were guided on identifying specific aspects of the practices that could be deemed unfair and how to articulate these points if they decided to pursue formal complaints.

Two consultations addressed unfair practice (misleading information or statement). In these cases, consumers had received false or misleading statements from businesses. They were provided with information on how to gather evidence of the misleading statements and advised on communication strategies when addressing the issue with the offending companies.

Only one instance of unfair practice (cold calling) was reported. The consumer expressed distress over persistent unauthorized calls. They were instructed on utilizing available tools to block such communications and advised on the process of lodging a formal complaint to address the nuisance.

No consultations were held concerning unfair business practices (black listed) or GPDR violations this week. Additionally, none of the consultations resulted in cases where the issues were outside the scope of our focus as a consumer watchdog.

Overall, the week was productive in assisting consumers with a variety of concerns, highlighting the importance of clear communication and thorough documentation in resolving consumer protection issues.

This week counseling was provided by WhizzBang Viadrina.