An Irish consumer bought an espresso machine over the Internet. But it was faulty from the outset. "Following the instructions, I filled the machine with water for the first use. When it heated, the water overflowed, indicating a malfunction," he explained.
When the purchaser complained to the company in Italy, it advised him to contact a UK service centre where he could send the machine for repair. It also told him that he would be responsible for the cost of transport and repair, since the machine guarantee was valid only in Italy.
The Irish ECC contacted its counterpart in Italy, which contacted the company. The company agreed to repair the coffee machine and to reimburse the consumer for the postage cost of 45 euros.