Austrian man wins 10-year court battle after being overcharged €2.50 to go to swimming pool
Germany’s highest constitutional court said the spa pool had no right to exclude the man from a special discount aimed at locals
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An Austrian man has triumphed in a decade-long legal battle at Germany’s highest constitutional court, winning a case in which he claimed he was overcharged entry to a spa swimming pool by €2.50 (£2.14).
The incident occurred at a spa in Berchtesgaden in the German Bavarian Alps, The Local reports.
The spa had reportedly introduced a special offer that gave a third off the entry price for visitors coming from five particular German municipalities.
But the man, who had travelled from Salzburg in Austria, not from one of the municipalities covered in the special offer, was told he would have to pay the full charge – €2.50 more.
Disgruntled at not being treated equally, the man took the case to court, initially having his claim rejected.
But over ten years, the Austrian took his case all the way up to Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court – the highest in the country – arguing that he should not have had to pay the extra €2.50 to access the spa pool.
After a decade arguing his case, the Federal Constitutional Court has ruled in the man’s favour.
The court said that the rejection of his claim by lower courts could not be understood from “any perspective”, according to The Local.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the court said although a business can favour locals, they need a good reason to do so.
As the pool was apparently attempting to attract visitors from far away, they did not have the right to exclude the Austrian man from the €2.50 discount deal.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments