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Visa debacle in court
By Angela Xu |
January 22, 2009, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A WOMAN is seeking compensation from a local ticket agent of the European Railway Group because the agent hadn't warned her of visa problems.
The Putuo District People's Court heard the case yesterday without giving a verdict.
Zhou Liping, 53, wants Shanghai Europe Express P&C Ltd to return the ticket fee of 145 euros (US$189), pay her extra travel costs of 119.18 euros and 7,040 yuan (US$1,029) in other losses, including compensation for mental anguish.
Zhou saw on the European Railway Group Website that a ticket from Venice to Budapest on September 27, 2008, was available. She bought the 145-euro ticket through the ticket agency.
Zhou boarded the train in Venice but early next morning it stopped in Croatia and she was woken up by a policeman demanding her passport which he took away without explanation.
"I was shocked by the sudden action and ran after the policeman on to the cold platform in thin pajamas to ask for the reason," Zhou told the court.
The policeman told her Croatia wasn't a signatory to the Schengen Convention that allows people to travel between member countries without additional visas.
Because she didn't have the proper visa she had entered Croatia illegally, the policeman said. In addition to the delay, the incident cost her additional travel costs of 119.18 euros and made her suffer the humiliation of being viewed as a stowaway, she said.
Zhou called Jiang Lin at the ticket agency to complain when she returned to Shanghai last October. Jiang apologized and promised a refund and compensation, Zhou said.
But the next day Jiang said they would only repay the ticket cost.
The defendant agreed to refund the ticket price but refused to offer any other compensation at the hearing.
Agency Manager Li Dazhi said the Website reminded customers to hold current passports and visas.
Li also denied that Jiang was its employee.
The Putuo District People's Court heard the case yesterday without giving a verdict.
Zhou Liping, 53, wants Shanghai Europe Express P&C Ltd to return the ticket fee of 145 euros (US$189), pay her extra travel costs of 119.18 euros and 7,040 yuan (US$1,029) in other losses, including compensation for mental anguish.
Zhou saw on the European Railway Group Website that a ticket from Venice to Budapest on September 27, 2008, was available. She bought the 145-euro ticket through the ticket agency.
Zhou boarded the train in Venice but early next morning it stopped in Croatia and she was woken up by a policeman demanding her passport which he took away without explanation.
"I was shocked by the sudden action and ran after the policeman on to the cold platform in thin pajamas to ask for the reason," Zhou told the court.
The policeman told her Croatia wasn't a signatory to the Schengen Convention that allows people to travel between member countries without additional visas.
Because she didn't have the proper visa she had entered Croatia illegally, the policeman said. In addition to the delay, the incident cost her additional travel costs of 119.18 euros and made her suffer the humiliation of being viewed as a stowaway, she said.
Zhou called Jiang Lin at the ticket agency to complain when she returned to Shanghai last October. Jiang apologized and promised a refund and compensation, Zhou said.
But the next day Jiang said they would only repay the ticket cost.
The defendant agreed to refund the ticket price but refused to offer any other compensation at the hearing.
Agency Manager Li Dazhi said the Website reminded customers to hold current passports and visas.
Li also denied that Jiang was its employee.
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