Case law

  • Case Details
    • National ID: Usl-5133/13-10
    • Member State: Croatia
    • Common Name:link
    • Decision type: Administrative decision, first degree
    • Decision date: 13/01/2016
    • Court: Administrative Court in Zagreb
    • Subject:
    • Plaintiff: OT-OPTIMA TELEKOM d.d.
    • Defendant: Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries
    • Keywords: distance contracting, means of distance communication
  • Directive Articles
    Consumer Rights Directive, link
  • Headnote
    The contract concluded between a consumer and a trader by using a means of distance communication is valid if all legal requirements provided in the Consumer Protection Act are met, including the confirmation of the contract using a means of distance communication in writing, or in another, durable medium.
  • Facts
    On 19 January 2011 the Interested Party, who was at the time the user of the public voice service of the plaintiff, OT-OPTIMA TELEKOM d.d. (i.e. the consumer) made a telephone call to the plaintiff’s Customer Service requesting the activation of an internet service.

    By the Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries Decision dated 13 May 2013, Class: UP/I-344-08/12-01/1870 Registration number: 376-05/MB-13-4 (DB), the defendant adopted the complaint of the Interested Party in relation to an invoice issued by the plaintiff for the month of June 2012, and ordered the plaintiff to issue a new invoice to the Interested Party for the month of June 2012 and to enable the Interested Party to terminate their contract, without paying an early termination fee, and in case the invoice had already been paid, to return to the Interested Party the over-charged amount of money, all within 15 days from the receipt of the respective decision.

    The plaintiff filed a claim against such Decision of the defendant before the Administrative Court in Zagreb.
  • Legal issue
    The Administrative Court in Zagreb denied the plaintiff’s claim for the cancellation of the decision of the Croatian Post and Electronic Communications Agency, Class: UP/I-344-08/12-01/1870 Registration number: 376-05/MB-13-4 (DB) dated 13 May 2013.

    The court established that the contract had not been concluded, since the conditions for the conclusion of the contract by using a means of distance communication had not been satisfied. The court stated that pursuant to the Article 44(1) of the Croatian Consumer Act (Official Gazette no. 79/07, 125/07, 79/09, 89/09 and 78/12) after the conclusion of the contract by using a means of distance communication, the consumer must receive the notice on the confirmation of the contract concluded using a means of distance communication in writing, or in another, durable medium available to the consumer, within a reasonable period, and no later than the time of delivery of goods respectively on the first day of the provision of service, unless the confirmation notice in the respective form had been delivered prior to the conclusion of the contract. The notice on the confirmation of the contract concluded using a means of distance communication has to entail all information stipulated under the Consumer Protection Act.

    Furthermore, the court stated that in cases where the issuance of the confirmation notice is required, the burden of proof of issuance of such notice is with the trader. Pursuant to Article 44(4) of the applicable Consumer Protection Act.
  • Decision

    Has the contract been concluded if the consumer does not receive a notice of confirmation of the concluded contract using a means of distance communication in writing, or in another, durable medium available to the consumer?

    URL: N/A

    Full text: Full text

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  • Result
    To claim the validity of a contract between the trader and the consumer by using a means of distance communication, all legal requirements provided in the Consumer Protection Act must be met, including the confirmation of the contract using a means of distance communication in writing, or in another, durable medium.