What is a consumer issue?
The Consumer Code of Catalonia (Act 22/2010, of 20 July, on the Consumer Code of Catalonia) talks of consumer issues when the following conditions are met:
- There is a consumer relationship between the two parties (selling of goods and/or provision of services), in any of the following stages:
-
- Information
- Offer
- Promotion
- Advertising
- Marketing
- Use
- Sale of goods or provision of services
- Subsequent obligations
- The claimant is a natural person (“individual”), a non-profit association or a community of property owners.
- The claimant acts outside any business or professional activity.
- The party against which a claim is being made is not a natural person (except for freelancers).
The following are consumer issues
- Utility supplies (water, gas and electricity)
- Telephone services and internet access
- Tourist services
- Restaurant services
- Transport
- Home services
- Insurance
- Financial services
- Product purchases or repairs
The following are not consumer issues
- Labour disputes
- Civil rights
- Issues concerning relations between communities of property owners
- Relations with the public authorities
- When a consumer issue is involved in legal proceedings and/or may become a criminal matter, it cannot be handled by OMIC, as the Consumer Code of Catalonia has no jurisdiction over such cases
Practical examples
- If I do not agree with a hotel bill or the services provided, that IS a consumer issue.
- If I have had my possessions stolen from a hotel room or I have fallen over in the reception area and injured myself, that is NOT a consumer issue.
- If I am a taxi driver and my taxi is not properly repaired, that is NOT a consumer issue, because I am not the end user of this vehicle. If my own personal vehicle is not properly repaired, that IS a consumer issue.
- If a company demands payment of a debt and I do not agree with it, that IS a consumer issue, but, if I have already received a legal summons, it is NOT a consumer issue.
- If I move out of a rented flat and the owner does not return my deposit, that IS a consumer issue, though NOT every dispute that may arise under a lease is a consumer issue.
- If I have had an accident at work and I have a dispute with the company's insurance, that is NOT a consumer issue.
- If I have private healthcare insurance and I have a dispute over it, that IS a consumer issue.
- If I do not agree with the gym's invoice, even if it is a municipal gym, that IS a consumer issue, though if I do not agree with the price of a green area parking space, that is NOT a consumer issue.
- If I am having building work done on my property and it is not being done correctly, that IS a consumer issue. If the neighbour above plays music too loudly, that is NOT a consumer issue.





Links and related material
Catalan Data Protection Authority website
Catalan Food Safety Agency website
Catalan Consumer Agency website
Spanish Data Protection Agency website
Bank of Spain. Customers website
National Market Competition website
Comisióm Nacional del Mercado de Valores website
Catalan Audiovisual Council website
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Department website. Barcelona Council
Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition website
Catalan Energy Institute website
Consumer Arbitration Board website. Barcelona Council
Red Eléctrica de España website
Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Information Society website
Phone Complaints to the Secretary of State website: Telecommunications Users
The Ombudsman Service of Barcelona website
Association of Internet Users website
Consumer Information Data Base (Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition)
Health Users Coordination website
"The food must not be thrown away: think, buy, cook and eat" (Barcelona Council)