I used to be a student in Italy, while I was there i entered into a contract with a gym that locks you into a yearly contract for the upcoming year where you pay every month. However, I recently finished my studies and moved back to my home country (ireland) where I am currently looking for work. I have tried many times (both in person and over email) to cancel my subscription with this gym as I am no longer in italy but they refuse to cancel my subscription as i need proof of employment at my new address - But I am unemployed.

I offered to give different proof of my address/moving country but they have refused it. I have currently blocked them from my card as I literally do not have the money to spare to pay for a gym in a different country because I need to eat. They have told me they have sold my debt to a devt collecter. Any advice would be appreciated.

Hi everyone,

I’m a French citizen and a non-resident of Croatia. On 19 October, I was travelling by bus from Bosnia and Herzegovina into Croatia when border police stopped me and ask if I had anything on me or luggages.

I gave them directly the small quantity of flower and resin that I had bought from a shop (in Copenhagen, Dk)as CBD. The products did not come with proper labelled packaging or a lab certificate, so I cannot independently confirm their THC content.

Here is what happened:

. The police confiscated both products. The paperwork records 0.4 g of cannabis flower and 0.7 g of hashish, so 1.1 g in total.

• From what I could see, they appeared to put samples of both products into the same small test tube. I was not given a THC percentage for either product or a written test report.

• They offered me the possibility of paying immediately, but I declined because I did not fully understand the procedure.

• They then issued a “prekršajni nalog” showing a €663.61 fine plus €66.36 in procedural costs.

• The order mentions that paying two-thirds of the fine within the stated deadline counts as full payment of the fine.

• I signed the seizure receipt and the section acknowledging receipt of the order.

• The paperwork says I have eight days from service to lodge an objection. (From yesterday - October 19th)

I understand that buying something as “CBD” does not automatically establish that it was legal to bring into Croatia. I’m trying to understand the evidence, the procedure and my lawful options before the deadline expires.

My questions are:

1. Has anyone experienced a similar situation at the Croatian border, particularly with products sold as CBD?

2. How can I obtain the full case file, including the preliminary test records and any laboratory analysis? Can I request copies remotely?

3. Is a laboratory analysis normally carried out in cases like this? If the products were tested together, how is each product identified separately?

4. Does declining immediate payment affect the possibility of paying two-thirds later, or does the written order determine this?

5. What are the actual legal consequences of leaving this fine unpaid as a non-resident? I have read about possible enforcement abroad and conversion into imprisonment, but I would like reliable clarification rather than speculation.

6. Can anyone recommend a Croatian lawyer who handles misdemeanour/drug-possession cases, ideally near Vrgorac or Split, and offers an affordable consultation or pro bono assistance?

I’m not looking for ways to evade the authorities. I want to understand whether I should challenge the classification of the products or settle the fine, and how to do so correctly.

Any first-hand experiences, official sources or lawyer recommendations would be appreciated. Please distinguish personal experience from legal advice.

Thank you very much for you time and help 🙏🏼

First of all, I should clarify that I am a French citizen and the person accompanying me on vacation is also of French nationality. We were on vacation together and the beginning of the trip went well, until I experienced an intense panic attack. At the time, my only coping mechanism for anxiety was masturbation (an issue I am now addressing with specialists following this incident).

So, in the Airbnb, I began doing this under the blanket. My friend noticed it: he did not actually see the act itself, but he felt the vibrations of the bed. Realizing my monumental mistake, I panicked even more and apologized repeatedly. Despite this, he decided to leave immediately and return to France without finishing the trip with me. I briefly tried to block the door of the Airbnb to try and talk to him, but he wouldn't hear it. He probably (though I am not entirely sure) started recording me on video so that I would let him leave, which I did right away.

I was at rock bottom and genuinely wanted to end my life after committing such an act... I sent a message to a friend who told me to hold on and that ending my life was not the solution. That same evening, I also called my mother, who told me the same thing, and another friend who advised me to seek professional treatment. That is exactly what I am doing now, because my behavior was intolerable and I no longer want to be like that.

I want to make it clear that I do not want to deny anything. I want to fully confess to what happened and take complete accountability for my actions.

My question now is: what legal risks do I face? I have learned through mutual friends that a formal complaint was allegedly filed in France, including the video and screenshots of my text message confessions (messages that my mother had deleted from my phone when I went to join her later in my trip). I am scheduled to meet with a lawyer in France soon to understand what to expect if I plead guilty and fully take accountability for my actions without denying the facts.

I’m a non EU student who came to Hungary (and the EU) for the first time last month. On my 3rd day, my new roommate harassed me by making advances on me, ultimately getting drunk and crossing physical contact - the worst he did was picking me up while I was sitting down, chair included, and leave me in his bedroom due to me refusing to go inside. I contacted the rental company (I got them through Unimap which is an official partner of my Uni) and asked them to relocate me and explained in detail what happened, however they glossed over the fact I had gotten harassed and they just said ‘sure, here’s a place [insert much more expensive room] let me know if it works for you. Also, we will have to keep your deposit until we find you a replacement’ and because I had just arrived, I did not have the financial means to spend more than €1000 again on rent without the deposit. I told them I’d have to stay here but to please do something about my roommate and they ignored my mail till this day. I told the landlord - he got back to my roommate and due to that, my roommate began bullying me and even grabbed me by my arm to turn me around forcefully and told me ‘you have never met a man from azerbaijan’ and told me that if he were a female he’d leave immediately. Him and my other roommate, both are from the same country so they became essentially besties, began bullying me by being loud at night (1-2-3 am on the weekdays), leaving the common areas with piles of trash and closing the door to the kitchen and living room. I went to Students Services today because this has taken a toll on me (I got an eczema flare up from all the stress) and my University got into contact with Unimap. Unimap tells me they do not manage the rentals, of course, but that they have contacted the company to work on the deposit issue. My landlord then calls me and tells me ‘he doesn’t think much will come out of this’ because Unimap has no legal power. I asked him why he hasn’t punished them if the lease said that if we break the Code of Conduct there’ll be repercussions and he said ‘well because the lease isn’t above the law’ so now i’m like… cool, so i’m essentially helpless in this situation even though i’m the victim? I truly do not know what to do, I already confronted them yesterday for the first time in a hostile way due to them being loud at 1 am (I had an exam at 7 am). I’m guessing they are trying to push me to leave. What can I honestly do in this situation? I found another place and will be visiting it tomorrow but I want my deposit back to make the move possible

Location: the Netherlands.

Married in 2019 in Alabama, United States.

Currently living in the Netherlands.

My question is regarding what resources are available to determine fair division of assets, both in the US and the Netherlands.

I am F(29) American divorcing in the Netherlands with a 5 yo child. My soon-to-be ex (M(32), also American) and I are separating amicably (we married as rigidly fundamentalist christians and have both left the church and become far freer in the span of our marriage, it is more out of a recognition that we don't truly fit together than any animosity).

We have been married for 7.5 years, got married in Alabama, and moved to NL 4 weeks after becoming legally married (2 weeks after our wedding). We moved here for my partner's job/PhD. We never owned property or lived in the US while married (just visited family briefly), and have never stayed in the US for longer than 9 weeks in a row (which only happened once--we got covid while visiting family and had to extend our 6-week visit by 3 weeks). I am from Alabama, he's from Florida, and currently our legal address in the US is in Florida (where he is from).

We purchased a home in the Netherlands together and plan to sell it and move to Rotterdam so that we live closer to his job (currently a 1.5-2 hour commute) so that we can parent our daughter equally.

In the US, we have a joint investment account (Joint WROS) with about 200k USD and a Roth IRA with 13k. The joint WROS is "his" and the Roth IRA is "mine" but both are joint accounts (the investment account is Fidelity, Roth is Edward Jones), our daughter is the beneficiary on both accounts. The money in the Fidelity account originated from gifts my husband's parents gave him and settlements from two court cases: my husband was injured as a 4-year-old and his father had a traumatic brain injury when my ex was 12. "My" money came from a trust from my grandmother which she set up before her death, was about 8k USD when I was 18 and has been in the Edward Jones account (untouched and simply managed by a financial advisor; except when I bought a plane ticket for my mother-in-law to come visit us, originally I took the money out with the intention for my mother to come visit after I gave birth, but my mom would not come... She was caring for my grandmother at the time and very fearful of flying).

In the 7 years of our marriage, my husband has worked and completed his PhD. I have been the primary caregiver/default parent of our child, have worked mostly minimum-wage jobs, built a sole proprietorship as a birth and postpartum doula, and had two severe depressive episodes (shortly after we moved and then a postpartum depression). I also suffer from migraines. We have lost 5 family members and I've had 2 miscarriages. Needless to say, we have supported each other through some of the more challenging and painful moments life brings.

Last year, I suffered a "light" concussion. The recovery was slow because I had not organized my business in such a way that I could take long-term sick leave (and honestly was still in the building phase--first three years of my business I did everything by bike while living in a village. Finally, when I had a car and could take a reasonable client load, I had the concussion...), so I hardly rested and continued working until it became apparent that I could not continue pushing myself (severe overuse-injuries in my hands and arms). I stopped my business, rested, took a job delivering mail by bike to build back my endurance and give space for reflection. I think this period is what brought the clarity that led to the end of our marriage.

Anyway, this is a long post already, but the point is that now I am in the position of looking for a regular job with a sustainable income for the first time in my life. I have only ever had minimum-wage jobs (or a little more than minimum wage) and my business was just profitable for the first time in the final year I ran it. My soon-to-be ex has an excellent job which he loves and has a good salary. I desperately want to study again (it was always the idea that once my partner finished his PhD it would be "my turn" to study), but first I have to get some stability and make a secure home for my daughter.

My soon-to-be ex thinks that all the money in the Fidelity account is his and should remain so (even though it's a joint WROS account with my name on it since we got married). He thinks it would be greedy and inappropriate of me to claim anything else. While I don't want a cent of his money, I do want our daughter to have two stable, loving homes to move between once our divorce is finalized. If I am living in a rental with a starting salary (I am not sure if this is even possible), I will be in a vulnerable position (I think) for quite a few years.

I think with the sale of our house here in the Netherlands, some of the money in the investment account in the US, and borrowing money from family, I would be able to buy a tiny apartment in Rotterdam-area so that we live close to one another and close enough to my ex's work that we can be equal parents. But if all the Fidelity money goes to my ex, I will be in the position of searching for a rental while not even having a permanent contract. I do not even have permanent residency right now (he does, and I am dependent on his visa). Our life is here, my life is here: our daughter was born here, our friends are here, and I have invested years into learning the language, navigating a new culture, and promoting his educational attainment and professional achievement.

I don't want to be unfair or take anything away from him. I want him to flourish, to have a wonderful life. I love him, he's a great dad and I'm so glad our daughter exists, I just don't want to be his wife or life partner.

How would I find out if I have any right to any of the money in the US? What is fair? What is legal? What is just? And how can I navigate this in a way that keeps it amicable? We don't want to burn each other's lives down. Any advice or resources are welcome. Thank you in advance!

Location: Slovakia. my dad is a psycho abuser. and my mom is as well. i think the judge probably only knows at this point that my dad tried to kill me. my mom is threatening to tell the judge that she wants to hand over custody to my dad. yes she threatened me like that. the judge already knows about the accusations of sexual assault i put on him. i genuinely hope the judge will not give my dad full custody if my mom agrees with it. the scary part is that my dad already technically has full custody but my mom put a appeal against it. so that means my mom is threatening to cancel the appeal and basically tell the judge that she doesn't want to take care of me. i am 15f. i tried posting this in legal advice but they only allow usa and canada,

let's say v3 to be specific if that's useful.

Is there precedent ? Any speculation of how it would go ?

I'm Tunisian, living in Malta on an EU spouse residence card. My husband (Norwegian) is leaving Malta and ending things, so I'll lose my right to stay. We've been married less than 3 years.
I have a job here until June 2027, and going back to Tunisia isn't safe for me as a gay man.
Has anyone been in a similar situation? Did you switch to a work permit, apply for asylum, or something else? Any experience or advice would mean a lot. Thank you 🙏

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping someone familiar with Polish VAT rules or car exports can help me recover €2,100 from a Polish dealership.
In November 2025, my brother bought a VW for export to Algeria. The dealer charged €9,000 + €2,100 VAT security deposit, so I transferred €11,100 in total.
Here’s the timeline:

- November 2025: The dealer issued an invoice for €9,000 with 0% VAT, despite collecting €11,100. They explained: “Kaucja za VAT będzie wynosić 2100€” (€2,100 VAT deposit).
- December 2025: They confirmed in writing: “Kaucja jest zwrotna po wywozie pojazdu poza UE” (the deposit is refundable after export outside the EU). They also explained: “Nie możemy wystawić faktury brutto, ponieważ kaucja jest środkiem zwrotnym” (they couldn’t issue a VAT-inclusive invoice because the deposit was refundable).
- January 2026: The vehicle was exported via France to Algeria and cleared customs, less than three months after purchase.
- March–September: We repeatedly followed up and submitted the requested export documents, including EX1.
- October 2026: The dealer finally confirmed: “Sprawdziliśmy wszystkie dokumenty, wszystko jak najbardziej pasuje, pieniądze będą na waszym koncie do 7 dni” (all documents checked and accepted, refund within seven days).

Then, the very next day, they reversed their decision, stating:

“Termin 3 miesięcy na jej rozliczenie już dawno minął, a podatek VAT został przez nas opłacony. W związku z tym nie ma już możliwości zwrotu tej kwoty.”
Translation: The three-month deadline for settling the deposit has passed, VAT has already been paid, and they can no longer refund it.

My questions:

- Is there actually a 3-month deadline under Polish VAT law for providing export documents or reclaiming VAT on a car exported outside the EU? Or could this be an internal dealership policy?

- If the dealer already paid VAT to the Polish tax office, can they still amend their VAT return after receiving export documents and refund me?
Given that the invoice shows 0% VAT and the €2,100 was separately classified as refundable security, does that change how the refund should be handled?

- What’s the most practical way to recover the €2,100 now? Should I contact a Polish tax adviser, send a formal payment demand (wezwanie do zapłaty), or pursue another procedure?
I’m based in the Netherlands and can travel to Poland if necessary, but I’d prefer to resolve this without spending thousands on legal fees.
I’m not looking to name and shame the dealership. I just want my money back.

If anyone has dealt with a similar situation, particularly a late VAT refund after exporting a car from Poland, I’d really appreciate hearing what worked.

Thanks!

Help!! Dealing with legal issues with estate agent in Spain!!! (Does anyone know a lawyer??)

Situation:

My friends and I were trying to rent an apartment in Valencia (we are from the US and the UK), but the estate agent and landlord demanded we register for renter’s insurance in order to rent the apartment (in place of having guarantors). We agreed to it, signed a reservation document, and paid the agency fee (since it’s less than a year contract). We said we needed the apartment by October 1st and started this process more than a week before. The estate agent needed guarantor information anyway in order to get the insurance, we gave her everything we had, and got rejected by 2 insurance companies. By this point, it was a day or two before the 1st and we needed an apartment to live in. The estate agent kept asking for proof of a pension from one of our parents, but he doesn’t have a pension or 401k and is retired (living off of savings). She keeps asking for the same documents over and over again and we keep explaining we don’t have them because they don’t exist in our situation. The 1st came and went, we kept asking for updates on insurance, she said she was still waiting, so we signed onto a different apartment. Now we are trying to get our money back from the agency fee, but we can’t voluntarily back out or we lose our money. 

Does anyone have any legal advice or know what we can do or know if we are even liable to get our money back??? Any thoughts/advice is appreciated

We're a UK company and we've found a candidate in Germany we'd like to bring on full-time, but we don't have a German entity (yet) and won't be setting one up for another year or two given where we are, since this would only be our 2nd hire in Germany.

Most threads about Germany hires point to using an employer of record, and we've been looking at a few that cover it (Deel, Workmotion and Remote being the main ones we're vetting), but before we commit, I want to understand the actual legal framework.

Specifically whether this is a recognised arrangement under German labour law and what employment obligations, notice periods, social contributions, termination rights, would still sit with us even through that structure?

Happy to hear if there's a simpler route we're missing.

Hello everyone! I’m an American citizen looking for some guidance regarding Italian law and obtaining police or court records.
I have an ongoing child custody situation in Germany involving my 10-year-old son. His father, who currently has legal custody in Germany, was reportedly arrested in Italy for domestic violence against his current partner while visiting there.
I’m trying to find out whether I can obtain official documentation of the reported arrest, police involvement, or any criminal proceedings in Italy.
I would like to gather and verify this information before deciding whether to pursue any legal action in Germany. I’m not looking to start a case in Italy.
Does anyone know if an American citizen can request these records, or whether an Italian attorney could obtain them on my behalf? I’m also interested in recommendations for English-speaking Italian attorneys who handle these types of requests.
Any advice, resources, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hi everyone!

About a month ago, I placed a €60 bid on a shirt on a match worn football shirt and ended up winning the auction. However, when I saw the final amount, including the buyer's premium, taxes and shipping costs, I decided it wasn't worth it and didn't complete the payment.

Recently, I received a letter from them itself, a company based in the Netherlands, demanding payment of €115.83. The letter gives me 14 days to pay and warns that if I don't, they may claim additional collection costs and interest, and potentially take legal action.

I contacted their customer support to explain the situation and ask whether they could cancel the order. They replied that winning bids are legally binding, that they cannot cancel the order, and that customers are responsible for checking all costs before placing a bid.

I'd like to understand what my options are, particularly under Portuguese and EU law:

Can they realistically take legal action against me in Portugal over this amount?

If I refuse to pay, what are the realistic consequences? Can they add further fees or take me to court?

Does the fact that the company is based in the Netherlands make any difference?

Is there any way to dispute the claim or negotiate a cancellation?

Has anyone had a similar experience with them or another online auction platform?

I understand that I won the auction and should have checked the costs before bidding. I'm not trying to deny that, but I also don't want to pay over €100 for a purchase I ultimately decided not to go through with without first understanding my options.

I'd especially appreciate advice from anyone familiar with Portuguese or EU consumer protection law, or anyone who has dealt with a similar situation.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for advice on how to resolve a dispute with Vinted and hopefully recover €265 that I have lost following a damaged delivery.

I sold a graded Pokémon card for €265. The parcel was damaged during transit, and the delivery company subsequently informed me that it was damaged and would not be redelivered.

Vinted cancelled the transaction, refunded the buyer and refused to compensate me, claiming that my packaging was insufficient. I've appealed several times, but support keeps telling me that the decision is final.

The part I strongly disagree with is their claim that I didn't package the item properly.

This is how I packaged the slab:

• I placed the graded slab inside a black padded envelope.
• I put the padded envelope inside a cardboard box.
• I added approximately 50 g or more of black shredded paper inside the box to cushion the contents and help prevent movement.
• I securely sealed the cardboard box with tape.
• I placed the entire box inside an additional plastic shipping bag for extra protection.

I also have video evidence showing how I packaged the item before dispatch.

Despite this, Vinted claims that the packaging was insufficient. They have referred to requirements such as a heavy-duty corrugated box, reinforced tape along the seams and internal immobilisation, but I have asked them to identify the exact published policy that requires this specific packaging procedure for graded Pokémon slabs.

The photographs of the damaged parcel show significant tearing and damage to the cardboard box. I understand that packaging can always be improved, but I don't believe the damage alone proves that I packaged the item incorrectly.

I've also provided evidence from the delivery company confirming the damage, but Vinted continues to refuse compensation.

€265 is a lot of money to me, and I genuinely depend on the money I receive from my sales. I don't think it's fair to lose this amount without a proper assessment of the evidence.

I'm now looking at submitting a formal complaint in Portugal and exploring other ways to dispute the decision.

I'd really appreciate advice from anyone who has experienced something similar.

1. Has anyone successfully appealed a Vinted decision involving a damaged parcel and received compensation?
2. Is there a specific Vinted policy requiring a particular packaging method for graded cards or slabs?
3. Has anyone escalated a dispute through the Portuguese Livro de Reclamações or another formal complaints process and had a positive outcome?
4. Is there another route I can take to recover the €265 if Vinted refuses to reconsider?
5. Would you recommend pursuing the delivery company as well?

I can provide photographs of the damaged parcel and evidence of the packaging if needed.

I'm not looking to cause trouble; I just want to understand my options and recover money that I believe I should not have lost.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer useful advice.

Hi, my mum passed away living in Corfu 2 weeks ago. She rented a flat out there, with the tenancy commencing on the 1st January this year. She was born in the UK. I'm a UK citizen and have always lived in England.

I received this email from the landlord's lawyer:

As your mother's sole heir, you have succeeded to the leasehold rights and obligations arising from the aforementioned lease; consequently, you are liable for the payment of the monthly rent and the costs associated with water, electricity, and other utility bills chargeable to the apartment.

Please let me know if you wish to continue the aforementioned lease; in that event, I call upon you to pay the monthly rent on time and to immediately attend to the security of the apartment.

Should you not wish to continue the lease, please reply to this email address stating that you do not wish to continue the lease; that you are terminating and dissolving the aforementioned lease; that you do not wish to retrieve the items and equipment belonging to your mother from the apartment; and that you grant the landlord, [name], the right to enter the apartment and dispose of said items and equipment at a landfill.

Please be advised that, in this event, my client will have no claim against you. 

I have no desire or need to rent this flat, so that's easy. However, I do wish to see her possessions and take some keepsakes. If she had photo albums, I'd like to claim those. I'm not fussed about anything else. I have absolutely no idea if she had a will, and I don't know how to find out.

The lawyer has seemingly conjoined both "retrieve the items" with "pay for the flat and the bills".

Is this really an "all or nothing" situation? If I want to retrieve photos and a couple keepsakes, do I also have to accept responsibility for the flat?

Any advice welcome, thankyou so much.

18/10 Edit: Thankyou for the responses. After taking some time to think, I've decided to go view the apartment this week to see if there are any of my own belongings, or any photographs. I was very clear in my response to the attorney that I'm not accepting or denying a will at this time - the reason for this is that my mum fled the UK due to debts many years ago, and I'm not certain what the Greek law's stance is on accepting an inheritance when it comes to accepting debts, as I imagine it's quite likely she continued to live beyond her means. I've made it clear that I'm not interested in taking on or continuing the lease, and the Landlord seems agreeable to this.

This has been going on for about two years now.

I've written to local lawyers, and the ones who replied agreed the case was clear, but advised me that it would cost me more to fight it than to pay it.. but i don't want to pay over a thousand euro's when i did nothing wrong.

1. The original fee came because i lost my bank card and got a replacement. There were a few tolls where my direct debit failed.
2. I contacted them when i noticed, within the same month and they said not to worry, there's no fines yet, just pay it now - But they told me they only accept MBway payments, a system i don't have access to (because my Portuguese bank refuses to update my address so i stopped using it).
3. I insisted there must be another way to pay. They refused Iban, but said i could go to 'their offices' and pay directly. I drove to both that i was given (220km). Neither was an office they were motorway service stations who had no idea. Clearly the customer support i was talking to were a hired third party in another country and had no idea, so they just opened google maps and told me to drive there.
4. They gave me instructions how to pay directly at an ATM. These were both incorrect.
5. I carried on calling demanding to be able to pay my tolls (around 30 euro). Note, i had another vehicle at the same time as was paying them monthly via direct debit for that one. It just wasn't used on a motorway during the period my bank card was changing.
6. I received a fine and payment notice from Financas. These quickly exploded in value while i was attempting to appeal the fines as i was trying extremely hard to pay the tolls and the Via Verde were refusing to accept my money.

Since then i've written to Via Verde asking them to resolve this as i was actively trying to pay, very hard, and they should have never sent the debt to Financas.

They replied (after a lot of pushing) that it is none of their business as they sold the debt to a third party debt collection company.

That was the first time i heard anything about this third party debt collection company. I was in regular contact with their customer services team at exactly the time they sold my debt, and afterwards, trying to pay the missed tolls, without them ever mentioning it to me.

I submitted a freedom of information request to recover their recordings of my phone calls with their agents. There were 12 calls listed on my phone.

They confirmed all of these, but claim to only have a recording of the first one. 'Coincidentally' the only one which occurred before the date the debt was sold to the other company (and before this all correspondence was email).

I have this phone call. It confirms my story completely. It is me asking to pay. Explaining why i can't use MBway, and suggesting multiple alternatives. Including IBAN, an online credit card payment system, sending a check, setting up a new payment contract on their app.

The phone call ends with their agent telling me to go in person to the 'Via Verde Offices' and assuring me i could pay there. Again these were around 100km one direction, 120km the other. I drive to both and took photos and made records. They were nothing to do with the toll system and could not take payments.

I feel the law should protect me here. It was a tiny payment and i tried far beyond what is reasonable to make the payment before any fine was issued. Via Verde failed to make paying possible. Although a few months ago i needed to make a payment for my other vehicle and they suggested IBAN, which i used.. so i'm not sure they couldn't take the payment at the time. I think the customer service team they outsourced to had almost no training or connection to the company.

I have collected evidence which supports what happened completely (including having records of the length of the phone calls they 'lost' where the customer service agents were suggesting other ways to pay AFTER they'd already sold the debt. I have emails i sent them referring to these lost conversations and supporting what was said, and that they did not inform me the debt had been sold).

Why isn't there anyone i can contact who can look at this and say 'that's ridiculous'. Why are lawyers advising me that going to court is the only option and will cost me more than paying the thousand + euro fines?!

Financas has also blocked me receiving international shipments and confiscated then sold my property over these unpaid and unjust fines.

Hi everyone,

I'm British and getting married in Crete, Greece, in May 2027. We've run into an unusual situation with our wedding planner, and I'm hoping someone familiar with Greek immigration or employment law can help clarify things.

One of our wedding guests, who is also an usher, has offered to DJ at our wedding as a favour.

For context:

• He's a British citizen travelling to Greece as a wedding guest.
• He's an experienced DJ and has been DJing for over 20 years.
• He will not be paid anything whatsoever.
• There is no employment contract, services agreement, invoice or commercial arrangement.
• He's bringing his own DJ controller and laptop.
• We're looking to hire the speakers, subwoofer, lighting and other equipment from a local Greek equipment rental company.
• It's a private wedding, not a public event or ticketed performance.

Our wedding planner recently introduced us to the equipment rental company by email and mentioned that the company had asked about the DJ's work permit and insurance.

I replied to both parties explaining that our DJ is an unpaid guest and usher, rather than someone we're employing. I also asked which specific permit and insurance would be required in those circumstances.

Our wedding planner then replied:

"[ushers name] still has to have the permits/insurance - it's the law in Greece."

However, the equipment rental company hasn't yet responded directly to my questions, so I don't know whether this is a legal requirement, their own rental/insurance policy, or a misunderstanding.

I've reviewed the rental company's publicly available terms and conditions but couldn't find anything stating that an unpaid guest operating hired equipment must hold a work permit or professional DJ insurance.

What I've researched so far

I understand that, following Brexit, British nationals are considered third-country nationals and that Greece has specific immigration requirements for musicians and artistic performers undertaking work.

I also found guidance from the Greek Embassy concerning a temporary exemption for certain British artistic performers attending a single event without dependent employment in Greece. That exemption referred to work-accident insurance, although the published guidance indicated it was valid only until 31 December 2025.

What I haven't been able to establish is whether an unpaid guest playing music at a private friend's wedding would legally be considered to be undertaking work or providing professional artistic services for immigration purposes.

I contacted the Greek Consulate where I live, which referred me to the Embassy in London. I emailed the London Consular Office earlier this month and also attempted to telephone them, but after eight days I still haven't received a response.

My questions are:

1. Under Greek immigration law, would an unpaid British wedding guest DJing at a private wedding be considered to be working, despite receiving no payment and having no contract?
2. Would he legally require a work visa or permit? If so, which one?
3. Is there a statutory requirement for professional liability or work-accident insurance in these circumstances?
4. Could this instead be a condition of the equipment rental company's insurance policy, rather than a requirement imposed by Greek law?
5. Can anyone point me towards relevant Greek legislation or official guidance that addresses unpaid performances at private events?

I'm not trying to avoid any legitimate legal or insurance requirements. If something is mandatory, we're happy to comply.

I simply want to establish whether Greek law actually treats an unpaid wedding guest helping with the music as someone undertaking work.

I'd really appreciate any guidance, particularly from anyone familiar with Greek immigration law or who has encountered a similar situation.

Thanks in advance!

He’s British and he has British children (born and raised in the UK up to like 2 years ago). They now live in Zurich and would like to separate from his partner, and would also like to keep primary custody of them. They moved to Switzerland for his partner’s job. Any advice on what he could do? Or recommendation of family solicitors.

Need help for my visa application. I am a Filipina married in the Philippines with a Dutch national, and I applied for Family of eu member visa with foreign marriage certificate, apostille, and Spanish translated, but 4 weeks of application they wrote an email that we need the marriage recognized in EU in 10 days or else visa application is forfeited.

Given that my husband has rights under Directive 2004/38/CE, is it okay to get back to them and mention that we do not necessarily need our foreign marriage recognized in EU?

Please really need help urgently.

This is an international 100% remote company. I feel like they take advantage of their “fully remote all-over-the-world” thing, so almost all of their employees are contractors with a Deel contract (500+ employees in the company at the moment) and a fixed salary.

I know some of my coworkers have taken maternity leave, but not sure if it is legal for them to fire me if I get pregnant (I’m currently trying, not yet pregnant.)

The company is based on Ireland, but as I said most of their employees are all over the world. Do I have any legal protection? When should I disclose a pregnancy if I ever get pregnant?

Location: Chile (officially on contract in Spain though, cuz I used to live there)

I'm a Turkish citizen living in Berlin. My student visa expires on October 14, and I applied for a job-seeker residence permit on October 9, before my visa expired.

I received an application confirmation (Antragsbestätigung und Fiktionswirkung), stating that my current residence status remains valid until a decision is made.

I'm planning to leave Germany permanently on October 26, but I haven't received an appointment from the Ausländerbehörde yet.

I'm worried about having problems at passport control or being flagged for overstaying because my visa will have expired.

Hi! I’m 21 from Italy, wanting to start commissioning my artworks on a public platform that allows for PayPal to be linked, but only if my account is a business one. For that I need of course a traceable identity, which means that it’s either a public business or putting my full legal name on the receipt. I’m uneasy with the latter option, so I started looking up if my lovely country has anything close to a DBA, which I saw as an option on the PayPal filling form, but came up empty handed. Anyone knows anything similar to that? A legal pseudonym that I can acquire so it can still be traced back to me for taxes and all that annoying stuff, without putting my full legal name online? Thank you so much.

I’m an Italian tourist. The theft happened at a hostel in Valencia, Spain.

After checking out, we left two backpacks locked in a locker provided by the accommodation at around 10:40. When we returned between 18:00 and 18:30, we found the locker open and with clear signs of forced entry: the lock was loose, as if it had been unscrewed.

Both backpacks and many personal belongings were stolen. The jackets inside had been thrown onto the sofas. There was no staff at reception at the time, and because we had to catch a flight, we could not file a police report on site.

There are CCTV cameras above the lockers. We immediately sent a formal email asking the property to preserve the footage, access logs, keys/codes and any information about who had access to the lockers. Their initial response was that the hostel is “not responsible”.

The backpacks contained personal belongings with an estimated value of around €1,210, including prescription glasses, a hair straightener, camera accessories, house and car keys, clothes, chargers and a battery charging station. I will need to replace the keys and may need to change the lock cylinder at home.

I intend to file a police report as soon as possible and I am considering a formal complaint against the hostel.

Questions:

In Spain, can another person file a criminal complaint on my behalf? Do they need a special power of attorney, or is a written authorisation enough?

Can the hostel be held liable for theft with forced entry from a locker provided by the property, even if we did not formally hand the backpacks over at reception?

What evidence should I collect to support a compensation claim?

Should I wait for the hostel’s response before posting a negative review on Booking.com?

Thanks to anyone who can advise.