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WELCOME TO CROATIA! Enjoy your summer holiday and your rights that you have as a consumer because in the Republic of Croatia you are entitled to an equal level of protection of basic consumer rights as in other EU Member States. 1

Mini Tourist-Consumer Guide for Citizens of the EU, Norway and Iceland¹

¹ The European Consumer Centre Croatia as a part of the ECC-Net gives advice and provides information on cross-border shopping and in cooperation with other European Consumer Centres assist consumers – citizens of the EU, Norway and Iceland in solving cross-border complaints and disputes.

Dear guests, Protection of consumer rights is one of the basic values promoted by the European Union and these values belong to us too since the Croatian market is a part of the joint, internal market. The Croatian Consumer Protection Act and other regulations that within each sector regulate certain issues important for consumers are aligned with the EU rules in the area of consumer protection. As tourists–consumers, you realise equally high level of protection of your basic consumer rights like in any other EU Member State. Safety of products and services, protection of guests as consumers by ensuring service quality, standards, control of prices, issuing of invoices and other are values that are supported by the consumer protection system in the Republic of Croatia with an aim to protect economic interests of consumers on buying products and services, as much as possible. During summer, our attention is given to quality tourist season or to the protection of our guests. Croatia has a reliable and effective consumer protection system, including effective problem solving related to breaches of consumer rights.

Right to receive information and a bill for a paid product or a service

Right to a secure and a valid product, repair, replacement or a refund

A bill is issued to the consumer after any provided service or a purchase.

In the event of a defective product you have a right to complain within two years, i.e. a trader has to repair defective product or give you a valid replacement product.

As a consumer you have to pay VAT only once in the country in which you buy a product or a service. It is not allowed that you pay a higher price for a same product or a service only because you are a citizen of another EU Member State and it is not allowed that a provision of service is denied to you for the same reason.

When the repair or the replacement products are not provided within a reasonable time, you may ask a discount or a refund. In first six months after buying the product it will be considered that any material defect existed at the time of purchase of the product, unless the trader proves otherwise. After expiration of the six-month period you will have to provide evidence that a material defect existed at the time of purchase of the product. You have to file a complaint on a material defect to the trader within two months after you discovered the defect. Traders often offer their own additional warrantees that are already included in the price or they have to be extra paid; in particular, a warranty which is valid in the entire European Union, i.e. which enables that a product may be repaired in any of the EU Member States or a warranty of 3, 5 or more years. Additional warrantees are obligatory for traders, but they do not replace a minimum two-year warranty that you are entitled to.

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DO YOU NEED HELP OR AN ADVICE? If you have a complaint on a trader registered in the Republic of Croatia or you are dissatisfied with solving of your complaint and you are a citizen of the EU, Norway or Iceland,

Phone: +385 1 6109744

please contact European Consumer Centre Croatia:

Fax: +385 1 6109150 E-mail: [email protected]

Rights in the event of accommodation problems If you have booked a hotel accommodation in one of the EU Member States your rights and obligations are contained in the contract. The problems sometimes emerge upon arrival or during stay: the price of your room is higher than the one you agreed upon or the room is inadequate or is even unavailable. You do not have to accept this type of service. It is important to know that the room is inadequate if it does not suit the one which you booked. For example, you booked a room with a balcony and it is not there; the booked room has a shower although you requested a bathtub; you booked a room with a sea view but there isn’t one and similar. Accommodation price is higher than the one agreed upon reservation? You should insist on the agreed lower price. If this is not accepted, you may refuse accommodation and request a refund. If you have to accept a more expensive option of accommodation, you may request a refund of extra costs. If you accept the more expensive option, pay the accommodation, but also express your dissatisfaction with the situation. This way you will have an option to request the refund of the difference in accommodation price. The booked room is unavailable? You may ask for another room of the same category. If the room offered is of the lower category you may ask for a discount. If the hotel manager refused both options you may refuse the accommodation and request a refund. If you have to accept a more expensive room as an alternative, you may claim compensation for extra costs. The European Consumer Centre will gladly assist you. Special rules apply if you book accommodation within a package tour. It is necessary to report any inadequacy right away in writing and directly to a tourist guide, a tour operator or a travel agency in charge, if possible. Recommendation: take a photo of the indaquacy and ask from other passengers to sign a confirmation of the inadequacy concerned.

Rights in the event of a delayed flight and lost luggage The airline has to ensure that you arrive to your final destination and that you have an adequate care depending on the flight distance and length of delay. If your flight is delayed by 2 hours or more, you are entitled to a free meal and refreshments; within a reasonable correlation to the time of waiting, you are entitled to two free phone calls; if the flight is delayed by the next day you are also entitled to accommodation. In the event of a delay by 5 hours or more, in addition to the mentioned care, you are entitled to financial compensation for unused parts of the airline ticket, but only if you decide not to continue the journey. If your flight is delayed, you are also entitled to compensation of € 250 to 600, depending on the distance of the flight. Your luggage will be considered lost if it does not arrive within 21 days from the day when it should arrive or if the airline declared it lost. While you still are at the airport, you should fill in the form so that the airline would be informed about your problem and for the further search of your luggage. If the luggage does not arrive after 21 days, you should claim compensation from the airline.

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“ECC-Net: Travel App” A new mobile application helping European consumers when travelling abroad You bought a defective product on your vacation? Had troubles with a rented car or hotel accommodation? Your return flight was delayed? If your vacation turned out different than what you planned, you should know what to do in order to realise your rights. The application covers different topics: retail shopping, car rental, hotel accommodation, healthcare, air and rail transport, and coach and boat trips.

The free application:  Available in a language of the state where you spend your vacation  You may use it offline  It is available for mobile devices with iOS, Android and Microsoft Windows operating systems  ECC-Net: Travel App provides you with legal knowledge and a language support in 23 EU languages, including Norwegian and Icelandic languages

Download the free application at: •

Google Playstore (Android):

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id= eu.cec_zev.ECCNetTravel •

Apple app store (iOS)

https://itunes.apple.com/app/ecc-nettravel/id886668562 https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/ecc-nettravel/id886668562 •

Windows Store (Microsoft):

http://www.windowsphone.com/dede/store/app/ecc-net-travel/4dfcfb67-929440d5-9ac0- 644a7e734813

ECC-Net: Travel App is a joint project of all 30 ECC-Net members. The European Consumer Centre providing a free assistance and giving advice to consumers is located in each EU Member State, including Norway and Iceland.

“ECC-Net: Travel App”

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In addition to extraordinary natural treasure, Croatia is worldwide known by its cultural heritage, and we invite you to experience our top products …

homemade food traditional jewelry croatian gingerbread heart Innovations are part of our history. You maybe don’t know that:

lace from the ISland of Pag

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Franjo Kajfež, a Croatian chemist, invented valium

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Slavoljub Penkala, a Croatian engineer, invented and patented the first mechanical pencil in the world (early 20th century) Ivan Vukić, a naval officer, invented and constructed the world’s first torpedo (19th century) Faust Vrančić, a Croatian lexicographer, invented the parachute and the suspension bridge (16th century) The first tie (at that time a neckerchief, knotted in a very specific way) was a part of the traditional uniform of Croatian soldiers (17th century) The alternating current and wireless power transmission were invented by Nikola Tesla (early 20th century). Please remember that when you turn on your computer, the alternating current is produced by Tesla’s three-phase generator, transmitted by Tesla’s high-voltage transmission network, that Tesla’s coil produces voltage for the monitor and that the wireless mouse operates via radio waves first discovered by Tesla. The discovery of alternating current is the basis for production, transmission and the use of electric power and of the modern industry.

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fresh sardines from Adriatic Sea

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... and much more

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This changed the world.

The consumer protection policy is one of the policies carried out by the Ministry of the Economy of the Republic of Croatia aiming to build a modern competitive economy to ensure a sustainable growth and employment in the EU Single Market. Our mission is to raise GDP, to increase the level of production and employment based on creation of new industrial products, development of innovations, new technologies and value added services, increase in export and investment promotion. Welcome!

Dobro došli.