When something goes wrong when you’re abroad it can sometimes be difficult to know what your cross-border consumer rights are and get that information quickly? There can also be a language barrier problem when trying to convey those rights to a trader or simply ensure that you get the assistance you require. That’s where the ECC-Net Travel app can help as it aims to help consumers when they are travelling abroad.
The app, which is available for Android, iOS, and Windows, provides a range of useful information and advice on common problem areas encountered abroad.
‘ECC-Net: Travel’ app is designed to help consumers overcome difficult situations while on holidays by providing information in the consumer’s language as well as that of their destination country. At present, the app is available in a total of 25 languages – that is 23 of the official EU languages, as well as Icelandic and Norwegian**
Once the app has been installed, it works offline, meaning consumers do not need to be connected to the internet to access information on their rights. The ECC-Net Travel app covers nine topics which may be of relevance to consumers travelling away from home. These topics are:
- Retail purchases: This includes information on defective items and applicable rights where the consumer is dissatisfied with the purchase.
- Car rental: Covering such issues as supplementary charges, damage during the rental period, and what to do when the requested vehicle is not available.
- Air travel: Information on air passenger rights where flights are delayed, cancelled, or the passenger is denied boarding, as well as situations of lost or damaged luggage. It also provides a link to the Flight Rights Calculator.
- Rail travel: Information on rail passenger rights when a train taking a cross-border journey is delayed, cancelled or there is a missed connection.
- Bus/coach travel: Information for journeys with a distance of at least 250km where there is a delay, vehicle breakdown, or cancellation.
- Travel by sea: Information on rights where there is a delay or cancellation.
- Accommodation: Information on applicable rights where there is a price increase or supplement, the room is deemed not to match the standard price, or the room is unavailable.
- Health: Covering the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and access to medial treatment.
- Help/useful information: This includes information emergency numbers, the ODR platform, and contacts for your local European Consumer Centre, the relevant embassy, and Europe Direct.
The app is a joint initiative of the ECC-Net, with ECC Germany spearheading the project.
You can download the app by going to the relevant app store for your phone or tablet:
**At present, the app is not available in Irish (Gaeilge).
