The European Consumer Centre in Spain (ECC-Spain) has just published a new edition of the Newsletter which includes information on the new General Product Safety Regulation that has started to apply to non-food products sold both online and offline. Among others, the objectives of the new rules are to ensure that products of the digital age comply with European safety standards.
In addition, the newsletter contains an alert to warn the public about fraudsters who are impersonating the ECC-Net network. In this case, the criminals contact victims who have previously been scammed by financial fraud by telephone or e-mail, claiming to be acting on behalf of the ECC-Net network. The European Consumer Centre in Spain clarifies that this is a new scam and that ECC-Net does not contact consumers to ask for payment or personal details. It also warns that the European Consumer Centres do not intervene in matters related to crime or scams and that, in these cases, it is necessary to report them to the police or the Guardia Civil.
It also reports on the 179 million euro sanction signed by the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030 for the abusive practices of five low cost airlines, as well as the sanctioning proceedings opened against a tourist flat rental platform for failing to remove thousands of advertisements for tourist flats with illegal advertising.
About the ECC-Spain Newsletter
This is a bimonthly publication which contains the latest news on consumer rights, new EU consumer rules, as well as recommendations and practical advice on European cross-border shopping. Published in digital format, it is available on the European Centre's website and is sent electronically to around 1,500 subscribers, institutions, consumer bodies and various decision-makers in the sector. The aim is to make citizens more aware of their rights as consumers and to enable them to enjoy all the benefits and protection offered by the European Single Market. Those who wish to receive it can do so by e-mail by registering as a subscriber at cec@consumo.gob.es