During the week from 2025-05-12 to 2025-05-18, the Service Juridique engaged in a total of 18 consultations, addressing various consumer protection issues. The communication channels utilized for these consultations included phone, e-mail, telegram, and a few instances via mastodon.

The majority of consultations for this period were concerned with travelers’ rights related to train travel. In total, 10 consultations involved issues where consumers were seeking advice on how to manage disruptions in their train services or difficulties in obtaining refunds for canceled tickets. Consumers were advised to file a complaint directly with the train company and to submit claims for compensation under the EU Regulation 1371/2007 concerning rail passengers’ rights and obligations.

Another significant area of concern was unfair business practices, particularly involving businesses previously identified and blacklisted. There were 6 cases in which consumers raised issues about deceptive marketing practices and unfair contract terms. In these instances, the counsel provided guidance on how to formally dispute these unfair actions and suggested writing to the companies involved, citing relevant EU consumer protection laws such as Directive 2005/29/EC concerning unfair commercial practices.

In two cases, the consultations did not reach a fruitful resolution, as the issues presented fell outside the scope of our consumer protection remit. These included matters related to real estate rent and taxation, which do not fall within the jurisdiction of our agency. As such, no further action could be taken on these particular queries.

Throughout the consultations during this week, our team remained committed to providing clear and actionable advice to consumers, empowering them to stand up for their rights effectively within the purview of EU regulations.

This week counseling was provided by WhizzBang Maas-Rhein.