Tips for Using Beauty and Health Care Services in Estonia

• Before choosing a beauty parlour or health clinic, the consumer should first try to learn as much as possible about the service provider. You should definitely compare the price lists of different beauty parlours or clinics as the prices charged for the same services may differ considerably between the different service providers. Before deciding in favour of more expensive services, you should consult with your friends/acquaintances and learn about their experiences with one or another Estonian company. We also recommend searching the Internet (Google, etc) to get as much information on the company as possible, for example, visiting Internet forums to ask as many people as possible to share their experiences.
  
  
• Before purchasing the service you should first check whether the service provider has been registered in the Register of Economic Activities (http://mtr.mkm.ee/) and that the health care service provider has been granted a special activity license (special register - http://w2.tervishoiuamet.ee/mveeb/).
  
  
• After having chosen a suitable company, the consumer should first check out the prices of services. According to the Consumer Protection Act in force in Estonia, traders are required to inform consumers of the sales price of services when offering services to consumers, or immediately before a service are rendered. The sales price of services is the final price to be paid by the consumer which must include all the taxes and charges.
  
  As provided by law, the price list of available services must be exhibited in a location visible to the consumer.
  
• Before purchasing a service, the consumer should ask the service provider as many questions as possible about the characteristics and possible side-effects of the service. As provided by the Consumer Protection Act, consumers have a right to obtain necessary and truthful information on the goods and services offered in order to make a conscious choice, and timely information on any risks relating to the goods or services.
  
  It is important that the consumer can rely upon the service provider's opinion regarding the success of beauty procedures. Should the service provider inform the consumer of possible risks, and also of the chance that the service provision will not necessarily be successful (for example, giving a perm may fail because of the specifics and condition of the consumer's hair), you should trust the service provider.
  
• Upon paying for the services, you should ask the trader to provide a receipt as evidence of the purchase of services in the event of later problems. A document certifying the purchase of the goods or services must set out at least the following:
  
  1) the name or business name of the trader and the address of the place of business;
  2) the date of the sale;
  3) the price of each of the goods or each service and the total amount paid.
  

HEALTH CARE SERVICES 

Health care services include, for example, dental care services, different surgical procedures , etc. A specific list of health care services has been established with the Regulation of the Minister of Social Affairs of Estonia, "Establishment of a List of Health Care Services". For more specific information see: http://www.legaltext.ee/et/andmebaas/ava.asp?m=022 .

As provided by this regulation, health care services shall be:

1) Diagnostical and treatment-related health care services listed in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems Tenth Revision (ICD-10)) (for more specific information see - http://www.who.int/classifications/apps/icd/icd10online/ ).
2) Surgical procedures specified in the Classification of Surgical Procedures by Nordic Medico-Statistical Committee (NOMESCO NCSP)) (for more specific information see - http://www.nordclass.uu.se/verksam/Ncsp1_10.pdf).

In Estonia, the quality of medical care is assured when the provider of the medical care services has been registered in a national register (http://w2.tervishoiuamet.ee/mveeb/) on the terms and conditions provided by the Health Care Services Organisation Act (http://www.legaltext.ee/et/andmebaas/ava.asp?m=022) and has been issued an activity permit, specified in the Health Care Services Organisation Act.

Therefore, anyone seeing a doctor should first be convinced or ask whether the health care service provider has been registered in the Health Care Board (http://www.tervishoiuamet.ee) (for example, as a dentist when providing dental care services; plastic and reconstructive surgeon when providing corrective surgery services) and whether the service provider has been granted an activity permit in the given speciality. One should definitely check whether the services rendered and marked on the activity permit coincide.

In Estonia, the relations, rights and duties of a doctor and a patient upon the provision of health care services are regulated under Chapter 41 of the Law of Obligations Act. For more information see http://www.legaltext.ee/text/en/X30085K2.htm.

Lodging a Complaint

Generally, consumers are satisfied with health care services rendered. Unfortunately, there may be situations when consumers are disappointed with the services as they donÂ’t give the expected results or cause complications. The first step to be made in the event of problems would be to approach the service provider to try to find a solution satisfactory for both parties.

Neither the provision of expert evaluation concerning the quality of health care services provided nor the settlement of disputes in this area is within the authority of the Consumer Protection Board or ECC of Estonia. Should the patient and the health care service provider fail to come to an understanding, the patient may file a written complaint with the Supervision Department of the Health Care Board (www.tervishoiuamet.ee).

If a more accurate establishment of the circumstances is required, (in other words, the expertise of the service) the case will be handled by the standing expert committee on the quality of health care of the Health Care Board in consulting rights, address Gonsiori 29, 15157 Tallinn.

For the expert committee on the quality of health care services to process the complaint of the individual who purchased the health care services, the individual should file a written complaint with the committee, in it setting out the reasons for the dissatisfaction with the purchase of the services, complete with information regarding the medical institution/doctors and the time of the event, as accurately as possible. Should the patient hold relevant medical documents that are not in the possession of doctors or medical institutions (X-rays, for example), these should be also attached to the complaint (these materials will be later returned by the Committee). The individual filing the complaint must provide his/her contact data, including telephone number, postal address, etc.

The Committee is a standing advisory committee that will provide independent expert opinion regarding the quality of health care services rendered to the patient. Proceedings conducted by the committee are document-based: the decision shall be made on the basis of documents, which detail the provision of the health care services, explanations given by health care workers and the expert opinion requested from a specialist. The decision of the Committee represents an expert opinion and won't give rise to any rights or responsibilities to either the patient or the doctor; the patient can't contest the decision. Nevertheless, the Health Care Board may use the decision of the Committee to initiate a proceeding in the disputed case. Also, an individual can also initiate a law suit to settle the dispute.

BEAUTY SERVICES

Beauty services include, for example, haircuts, tanning services, manicure, etc. Should a consumer have problems  regarding the beauty services purchased, he/she should first approach the provider of the services. Should the parties fail to settle the dispute verbally, a written complaint should be filed.

The complaint should set out:

1) name and contact data of a consumer;
2) date for filing complaint;
3) defect found in good or service;
4) desired solution suggested by consumer.

The trader is required to receive the complaint and respond to the consumer in writing within 15 days. The consumer is entitled to ask for written notation, proving the receipt of the complaint, from the trader. Should the trader refuse the settle the dispute or the consumer refuses to accept the settlement suggested by the trader, feeling that his/her rights have been violated, he/she may notify the ECC Estonia and, if required, make a complaint to the Consumer Complaint Committee, acting as Alternative Dispute Resolution Body.

The following information should be provided in a complaint filed with ECC:

1) name, address and other contact data of consumer;
2) business or some other name of the trader and address of its place of business;
3) substance of the complaint and a clearly stated claim of the consumer filing the complaint, complete with circumstances justifying the case.

The following materials should be attached to the complaint:
1) documentary evidence, including a copy of a document certifying the purchase of the goods or services;
2) copies of the complaint filed with the trader and the response received.

ECC Estonia shall establish the circumstances relevant for the settlement of the dispute and may contact both the consumer who filed the complaint and the trader mentioned in the complaint to achieve a settlement. Should the consumer and trader fail to reach a settlement, ECC Estonia will forward the complaint and the attached materials to the Consumer Complaint Committee.

The Consumer Complaint Committee is an independent institution, which resolves disputes between consumers and traders. The authority of the committee extends to resolving disputes arising from contracts signed between traders and consumers that the parties have failed to settle by negotiations and when the disputes concern a good or service valued at 300 EEK or more.

You can read more about the Committee at: http://www.consumer.ee/?id=1478