In Elche, claims against financial institutions and insurers rise by 50% annually as a result of inadequate information provided at the time of contracting, subpar service, or simply the customer’s failure to carefully read the conditions and believing the coverage does not align with what they agreed to.

Out of almost twenty sectors examined by the Oficina Municipal de Información al Consumidor (OMIC), banks and insurance businesses were among the five most unsatisfied, with 135 and 147 complaints against them, respectively, during 2024. The office head, Torcuato Saavedra, explains some details that cause insurers to misunderstand, like the requirement that the customer cancel a service at least one month prior to the policy’s expiration date. “Unfortunately, consumers are not always well informed or we don’t read everything when signing a contract and we don’t realise it,” he says.

Battle of the numbers

They caution you that the insurer will eventually demand payment of that premium for failing to provide legal notice if you chose to return the receipt instead. Conflicts between the two parties frequently occur here, and many people end up having two insurance plans for a year “because things weren’t done properly,” the technician says. The “number wars” between insurers and the dearth of information some businesses provide to entice customers are additional causes of complaints.

There were 1,971 enquiries and 1,438 complaints filed with the OMIC last year; these numbers are declining, having decreased by almost 20% from 2023. According to Saavedra, this tendency may be explained by the fact that consumers are growing more conscious while making purchases and businesses are getting more professional.

The most criticised are telephone providers.

With a total of 265 complaints last year, telephone companies continue to dominate the complaint landscape, as they have for years. Failure to comply with sales conditions is one of the primary causes. “Because what people don’t know is that when you port your phone number, you’re transferring both your landline and mobile numbers, but internet and television services aren’t ported, and the user has to request cancellation; the company can’t.” Previously, complaints were primarily about mobile phone contracts, but now landlines have issues with related services like internet and television.

Because of this, the office advises users to always ask for a copy and to carefully study contracts, “even if they are very tedious,”

The profile of the plaintiff

When commercial visits to homes were permitted, the elderly were the most common application profile because they felt betrayed at home. The population seeking protection from the OMIC is typically between the ages of 36 and 64, and the range has expanded with the advent of new technologies.

Internet-based purchasing

In a single year, 206 more complaints are categorised as “other goods” by this municipal agency. The office claims that the majority of these complaints centre on disagreements about internet transactions, which are likewise becoming more frequent. In order to make sure that the company they are transacting with on a marketplace is the one displayed on the screen and that it is based in Spain or the European Union, they advise customers to review the legal notice or privacy policy before making a purchase.

Festivity

In honour of World Consumer Rights Day, the OMIC and the Department of Consumer Affairs held an information booth in Plaza de Baix this Friday to provide the residents of Elche with free consumer advocacy, training, and advice.

The area’s edil, Inma Mora, accepted the work I do to address the needs and concerns of both consumers and establishments. Taking into consideration that this space, which has six professionals after being reinforced recently with two more technicians, provides consumers with pautas referring to the regulations in effect at the time of purchase or that must be followed by those products to ensure that the consumer has no issues.

Advice Saavedra explained that the focus of this year’s attention has been on helping merchants and distributing hojas of preceptive reclamations that must have all the establishments at the customers’ disposal.