Two-fold increase in consumer complaints

Complaints filed with the European Consumers Centre in Malta skyrocketed last year, the number doubling over the previous year.

According to the latest report published in Brussels, the centre received 490 complaints and 524 requests for information in 2010. Just a year earlier, the Valletta-based office dealt with 251 complaints and 554 requests for information.

A spokesman for the Malta centre said citizens and many foreigners were becoming more accustomed to the centre and its work, leading to a surge in complaints.

“The majority of complaints involved online purchases, which are very popular in Malta. We try to give information to solve the issue and, where necessary, also intervene to make sure consumer rights are being upheld,” the spokesman said.

He said most complaints were about the transport sector, particularly air travel.

The centre last year took up various initiatives to make consumers more aware of their rights, including a campaign that had a number of success stories highlighting the effectiveness of the service. For example, one of the complaints involved a person who was unsatisfied with a tour he had booked with an Icelandic company. A complaint was made via the operator’s online form but no reply was received. After ECC Malta intervened, the complainant received a reply and €300 reimbursement.

Another consumer bought a mobile phone from the UK but the handset camera stopped working. She tried returning the item for repairs but did not get any feedback. After the centre intervened, the trader issued a refund for €114.98.

Complaints have also increased on a general EU level although not to the extent of Malta’s centre. According to the Commission, last year, the ECC network across the member states provided free help and advice in more than 71,000 cases, up by 15 per cent compared to 2009.

One in three complaints were about transport, of which almost 60 per cent involved air travel, partly due to last year’s extraordinary volcanic ash crisis. More than half of the complaints handled in the EU concerned online purchases.