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BEUC and 22 of its member organisations from 17 countries have filed a complaint on 12 September 2024 to the European Commission and the network of consumer protection Authorities (CPC-Network) to denounce several deceptive practices by leading video game companies (Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Mojang Studios, Roblox Corporation, Supercell and Ubisoft) marketing popular games (such as Fortnite, EA Sports FC 24, Minecraft, Clash of Clans and others) and affecting millions of European consumers.
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Half of all Europeans aged 6 to 64 play video games. Young people are particularly concerned, with around 3 in 4 children playing regularly. However, video games hide major issues for consumers. Harmful commercial practices are bursting into the sector: from loot boxes to deceptive designs, and from aggressive marketing to direct exhortation of children for in-game spending. One type of in-game purchase that is especially problematic to consumers, is the so-called in-game or in-app premium currency.
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Today, BEUC and 22 member organisations* from 17 countries submitted a complaint to EU authorities on the unfair practices of leading video game companies, behind games such as Fortnite, EA Sports FC 24, Minecraft and Clash of Clans. Our analysis concludes that traders breach EU consumer protection laws. We call on authorities to ensure that traders play by the rules and provide consumers with safe gaming environments.
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BEUC, representing the interests of consumers in 31 European countries, regrets the lack of clarity around the remedies that have led to the European Commission conditionally approving Lufthansa’s acquisition of joint control of ITA Airways.
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Today, the Spanish Ministry for Social Rights, Consumers and the 2030 Agenda has fined four airlines (Ryanair, Vueling, Easyjet and Volotea) for abusive practices including unfair pricing for hand luggage for a total amount of €150m. BEUC supports this decision, as consumers are frequently confused and angered by the different and opaque pricing approaches of airlines. It is one of the first times that a 2014 European Court of Justice ruling, stipulating hand luggage cannot be subject to additional charges as long it meets reasonable weight and size requirements, is being applied. However, it also shows consumer-friendly, EU standards on hand luggage are needed.
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Italian owners of Volkswagen cars fitted with defeat devices will finally get compensation. This is the outcome of a settlement agreed between BEUC’s Italian member Altroconsumo and Volkswagen, in the Italian Dieselgate case initiated in 2015. Volkswagen agreed to compensate 60,000 consumers for a total amount of €50 million.
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Today, the network of EU consumer protection authorities has announced that many airlines operating in the EU have misled consumers about the sustainability of their activities. They call on companies to abide by the rules. This announcement is a follow-up to the complaint the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) launched in June 2023 together with member organisations from 19 countries.
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Today, the EU Parliament formally adopted ambitious rules to help consumers repair their goods easily and make their products last longer. BEUC, who has supported and contributed to this important commitment from the outset, hails the votes as a consumer win.
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Passenger rights are a major achievement of the European Union, as they create common and harmonised rules guaranteeing strong rights for travellers. EU Passenger Rights covering all modes apply to more than 13 billion consumers every year . However, travel markets have evolved with the arrival of new actors such as online booking intermediaries. Recent times have highlighted shortcomings of current Passenger Rights regulations, most notably lax enforcement. The COVID-19 pandemic has also revealed legal gaps between traveller rights instruments, more specifically in the Passenger Rights Regulations and the Package Travel Directive , and the urgent need for reform. Lessons from the pandemic must be learnt to ensure that the EU better protects passengers and their rights and introduces greater fairness in the tourism value chain.