Shopping – Right to safe, high-quality products that can be repaired, replaced, or returned if needed.
It’s an illusion.
Right to repair started in the US and has been implemented in various states, but still does not exist in Europe. They have been discussing a r2r bill in Europe for over 10 years now. And if you read what they have so far, it’s weak. You can’t even get a repair manual unless you are a licensed professional.
Cannot repair my washing machine because the Dutch manufacturer will not tell me the secret unlock code.
I had a Belgian product die under warranty. No protection. Manufacturer ignored my request for warranty service. Belgian regulators ignored my complaint that the manufacturer ignored me.
Travelling – Compensation for delays or cancellations.
Flixbus was a no-show. Complained to the regulator. No response.
Strange loopholes in EU law too. If the bus route is under 250km, there are no protections for delays or cancellations. You can be stranded in Amsterdam because the bus to Brussels ditched you, and because that trip is under 250km there are no useful passenger rights.
Banking – Secure payments and fair contracts.
Secure payments yes, but FATCA guarantees all contracts are unfair, which discriminate against people on the basis of their national origin.
If you want to do a cash transaction above ~€1k or so, prepare for hostile treatment. A friend asked to withdraw €5k (IIRC) of her own money and the bank called the police, who then brought her in for questioning.
ATMs are really thinning out amid Bill Gates war on cash, which is really taking hold in Europe. Instead of making banking enticing, they are treating cash with hostility to force banking on people.
Surfing – Protection of personal data and safeguards against scams.
Most gov services block Tor. The data protection authorities take no action on most GDPR complaints. Public libraries refuse wifi access to people without mobile phones (the people who need it most).
@EUCommission@ec.social-network.europa.eu it’s also great that you introduced regulations against big tech like #DMA and #DSA , but it’s time to also protect governments and the EU commission itself from big tech: Public Money, Public Code . Use opensource software instead of the trojan horses provided by Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and other US tech companies.
