Airline users lodge the most complaints

AIR travellers were responsible for the largest portion of complaints to the Dublin-based European consumer body the European Consumer Centre last year.

People fighting for passenger rights, protected by European Commission directives made 950 complaints in 2006 and accounted for 27% of issues lodged with the complaints office.

The office deals with consumer issues that cross European borders and its annual report is due to be printed in the coming days.

The report shows an increase in the number of people accessing its services. The centre said aggrieved air travellers made the largest number of complaints and 25% of these came from people whose luggage went missing.

The annual report also noted a 12% increase in concerns raised in relation to online credit card purchases, including website shopping.

The centre said since 2004 there has been a consistent number of problems with delivery, non-delivery and partial delivery of products bought on the internet and consumers needed more comprehensive information.

“In relation to problems with delivery, it is difficult to know whether the problems are due to incompetent customer service or deliberate breaching of the relevant legislation. Neither is acceptable.

“Enforcement has a part to play, as do web traders themselves in ensuring the law is not breached and showing consumers that they are providing a safe environment to shop in,” the report said.

There were 579 complaints in the “distance selling” category which covers all forms of internet sales.

However, 70% of these related specifically to online shopping with most of the problems arising from companies based in either Britain or Germany.

However, among air travellers the problems were at a more direct level, 21% related to cancelled flights.

The centre said although airlines were obliged to pay compensation in these cases most were able to duck out of responsibilities using a flexible definition of the rules.

“According to current legislation, airlines do not have to offer compensation if there were “extraordinary circumstances” that caused the cancellation and if the cancellation could not have been avoided even if all “reasonable measures” had been taken.

“Unfortunately the meaning of the terms are unclear in the legislation and so airlines are often free to use this explanation as a reason for not compensating passengers,” he said.

In 2006, 3,558 people contacted the office with 856 issues relating to cross border incidents and required direct intervention.

The office was able to secure €50,000 worth of compensation for people last year and this does not include the replacement products.