The week from 2025-05-05 to 2025-05-11 saw a steady stream of consultations at the Service Juridique, with a range of consumer concerns addressed through our available communication channels, Mastodon and Reddit. Throughout the week, we handled a total of 19 consultations, each presenting unique challenges and inquiries from consumers across the EU.
A significant portion of the consultations, precisely eight cases, revolved around issues related to unfair business practices. Consumers reported various transactions where they felt the practices employed were potentially misleading or dishonest. Our team provided guidance on recognizing such practices and recommended documenting all communications and evidence, emphasizing the importance of maintaining detailed transaction records.
Concerning GDPR-related inquiries, we noted three instances where individuals sought advice on data protection and privacy issues. Consumers were advised to carefully review the privacy policies of entities they engaged with and exercise their rights to access and rectify their personal data as provided under the GDPR regulations.
Travelers’ rights in the context of air travel were addressed in four consultations. Consumers whose flights were delayed or canceled received counsel on their entitlements, such as compensation or assistance, under the EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation. We stressed the importance of keeping all travel documents and communication with airlines to support claims.
In the realm of food supplements, two consultations focused on concerns about product safety and misleading claims. We advised consumers to check for European Commission notifications and to consult healthcare professionals if uncertain about the veracity of health benefits claimed by such products.
We encountered two cases related to pseudo medicine/health products, which did not fall under prescribed or recognized healthcare. Consumers were warned of the risks associated with unverified health products and were encouraged to rely on treatments that are scientifically validated and government-approved.
Lastly, though less frequent, a single consultation brought up a health claim in food. The consumer was counseled on the criteria that health claims must meet under EU regulations and advised to report any misleading marketing strategies to relevant authorities.
Overall, our interactions over the week demonstrated a diverse array of consumer issues, and as always, we focused our efforts on equipping individuals with the knowledge and tools needed to protect their rights and interests as EU consumers.
This week counseling was provided by WhizzBang.
