Pilar Martinez

OMIC is Consumer Protection

As we start out on a new year, we can expect to get the usual variety of petty problems sometimes created by companies and businesses large and small with whom we trade. The idea that we can complain or actually do something about it sometimes escapes people who because of language or fear, fail to remonstrate with companies that give bad products or service.

The UK equivalent of the Consumer Protection Agency is known in Spain as the Oficina Municipal de Información al Consumidor or OMIC.  Just like their UK counterpart, OMIC is there to be an arbitrator between customer or client and a business or company.  The offices are far more prolific that you would perhaps imagine!  Whether this is because there are a lot of complaints or faulty items in circulation can only be guessed.  Suffice to say, you can expect a sympathetic era in one of their offices.

One of the most complained about companies, according to the number of phone calls we at the Round Town News received last year was Telefonica.  This being the case, OMIC is considered the best way of tackling this mega company who seem, at least to many of our readers, to be particularly insensitive to say the least.

Few local administrations keep accurate statistics but one that appears to do so is Finestrat.  The councillor for Commerce in Finestrat, Consumer Protection, has recognised the positive activity carried out by OMIC during this last year. According to Martinez, “The effects are very rewarding because the office has consolidated the approach of citizens and this in turn has improved the rate of resolution of its complaints.”

During the year 2007 to 2008 the Finestrat office dealt with 152 people, of this number, the office was able to bring 90 per cent of these cases to a successful conclusion.  Martinez concluded, “They have demonstrated the commitment of the business with the quality of the service towards the clients and with the directives that mark the social responsibility in the company especially when we consider the large and diverse number (400) of companies in our area of responsibility.”

She went on to say, “These complaints have been solved satisfactorily under the guidance of Isabel Llorca, and by the excellent work of her team during 2009.   If you live in Finestrat your office is in the Plaça de Poble, Nº4, and is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 3pm except Wednesdays.  If you need to speak to OMIC in your own area you will find the address in Yellow Pages (Paginas Amarillo) or ask at the Town Hall.

Best of all the service is free!