Jurisprudenţă

  • Detalii privind cazul
    • ID național: Court of Appeal, Constanta, Section II for civil, administrative, and fiscal law, Judgement no 209/2021
    • Statul membru: România
    • Denumire comună:N/A
    • Tipul de decizie: Decizie a Curții care face obiectul unui recurs
    • Data deciziei: 26/04/2021
    • Instanţa: CURTEA DE APEL CONSTANTA, SECŢIA A II-A CIVILĂ, DE CONTENCIOS ADMINISTRATIV ŞI FISCAL
    • Obiect:
    • Reclamantul:
    • Pârâtul:
    • Cuvinte-cheie: risk, proof of loss, withdrawal right, refund
  • Articole din directivă
    Consumer Rights Directive, Chapter 3, Article 14, 2. Consumer Rights Directive, Chapter 3, Article 14, 3.
  • Notă preliminară

    ECLI:RO:CACTA:2021:013

    A trader obliged to reimburse the consumer after they have exercised their withdrawal right cannot merely invoke an eventual loss of quality of the unsealed product in order to obtain automatically a reduction of this sum, but must resort to the corresponding procedural technics for this (a counterclaim) and to prove by appropriate evidence in court the diminished value resulting from the handling of the product.

  • Fapte

    After buying a TV set, the consumer withdrew from the distance contract, alleging that the package was deteriorated, and the TV was unsealed. The trader refused the reimbursement of price and the consumer brought court proceedings, with favourable results both in first instance and in appeal. The trader launched a recourse on points of law, criticising the interpretation made by the court as regards art. 9 and 14 of the GEO 34/2014.

  • Chestiune juridică

    Whether the reduction of the sums that the trader has to pay when the consumer withdraws from the contract is done automatically when he affirms a loss of value following the handling of the goods.

  • Hotărârea

    When exercising its withdrawal right, the consumer is not obliged to give a justification or to bear other costs (different than those specially mentioned by the legal provisions). According to art. 14(3) GEO 34/2014, the consumer may be obliged to bear the risk of a diminished value resulting from the handling of the goods, other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods, if the professional has proven it in adequate manner. The two issues (the reimbursement of the price and the obligation of the consumer to bear a part of the costs related to the diminishing value of the product) are separate and their valorisation during the legal proceedings can be done only in the respect of the procedural forms prescribed by the Civil Procedure Code. Since the consumer requested in court the reimbursement of the price following the exercise of his withdrawal right and proved his entitlement, when the trader wants to obtain a reduction of this sum it is necessary for him to introduce a counterclaim, to prove its own right to reparation (following the diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling) and eventually to invoke a set off. It is not allowed for the trader to evaluate the devaluation of the goods as result of its use by a simple response to a claim made by the consumer (and disregarding the procedural provisions on counterclaims). Since the court was not seized with a counterclaim regarding the trader’s right in relation with the consumer, the claim addressed by the latter cannot be rejected merely because the trader would hypothetically be entitled to the payment of a sum corresponding to the reparation of the good following its handling. The existence of eventual reciprocal claims does not determine automatically the rejection of the one that was adequately proved in front of the court (while the other was merely affirmed, but not properly established).

    Text integral: Text integral

  • Cazuri conexe

    Nu există rezultate disponibile

  • Doctrină

    Nu există rezultate disponibile

  • Rezultat

    The Court rejects the appeal on points of law launched by the trader and upheld the contested judgement recognising the consumer’s right to the reimbursement of the full price paid, after withdrawal. The criticisms related to the misinterpretation of art. 14(30 GE)34/2014 were rejected. The judgement is final.