Rospotrebnadzor to help holidaymakers
20 December 2010 (09:17)
The Urals’ citizens whose consumer rights have been infringed by the recent shark attacks in Egypt can count on a 100% reimbursement of their tour: Sverdlovsk Region’s division of Rospotrebnadzor (the state consumer rights watchdog) is willing to consult them on how to apply for compensation, the agency reports.
A few shark attacks were registered on the beaches of Sharm El Sheikh in late November and early December; some of the victims were actually Russian citizens. A traveler from Germany whose hand had been bitten off by a shark died on December 5. Russia’s chief public health officer Gennady Onischenko responded by sending out letters to Rospotrebnadzor’s local divisions to inform them that Russian citizens who had booked their trips but decided not to go to Egypt are entitled to a full refund.
Onischenko’s claim is based on Tourist Activity in the Russian Federation Federal Act 132 which states that the state regulates tourist activity by protecting the travelers’ rights and interests and by providing for their security, among other things.
This means that if the Ural travelers decide their life and health might be jeopardized by a trip abroad they can apply to the local division of Rospotrebnadzor. The agency’s employees will consult the travelers and will help them cancel the agreement they had signed with a travel agent, in court if necessary. For one, the agency can provide full information about the travelers’ rights stated in Article 14 of the Federal Act 132 (including the right to cancel an agreement prior to the trip because of some life-threatening circumstances). Travelers also need to know that in this case they are entitled to a full refund; if their trip has already begun, they are entitled to a portion of the money back, with the amount depending on the cost of the services already rendered.
A few shark attacks were registered on the beaches of Sharm El Sheikh in late November and early December; some of the victims were actually Russian citizens. A traveler from Germany whose hand had been bitten off by a shark died on December 5. Russia’s chief public health officer Gennady Onischenko responded by sending out letters to Rospotrebnadzor’s local divisions to inform them that Russian citizens who had booked their trips but decided not to go to Egypt are entitled to a full refund.
Onischenko’s claim is based on Tourist Activity in the Russian Federation Federal Act 132 which states that the state regulates tourist activity by protecting the travelers’ rights and interests and by providing for their security, among other things.
This means that if the Ural travelers decide their life and health might be jeopardized by a trip abroad they can apply to the local division of Rospotrebnadzor. The agency’s employees will consult the travelers and will help them cancel the agreement they had signed with a travel agent, in court if necessary. For one, the agency can provide full information about the travelers’ rights stated in Article 14 of the Federal Act 132 (including the right to cancel an agreement prior to the trip because of some life-threatening circumstances). Travelers also need to know that in this case they are entitled to a full refund; if their trip has already begun, they are entitled to a portion of the money back, with the amount depending on the cost of the services already rendered.
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