Goods and services must be provided equally to everyone without any discrimination. The prohibition of discrimination applies to all providers of goods and services whether they belong to the state or a municipality or are privately owned.
You must not be denied goods or services only because you belong to a certain race, nationality, religion or some other objective characteristics.
Goods and services
Goods and services include buying and selling things in shops, markets and other outlets, or going to restaurants, cafes, bars, hotels and entertainment venues such as clubs, cinemas, theatres or sporting venues, such as gyms, swimming pools, etc. This also includes access to services provided by banks, insurance companies, and other types of service providers.
Scope
Discrimination in the provision of goods and services can include cases where a service provider refuses to sell goods or provide a service. Discrimination in this context may also include degrading or insulting remarks, the offer of different contract terms, such as a higher price only because you are of a certain age, race, or sexual orientation or have other objective characteristics that are prohibited grounds of discrimination.
example A cinema must not deny you entry because you are in a wheelchair. A club must not introduce a different ticket price because you are a male as it will violate the prohibition of discrimination.
In Estonia, the Equal Treatment Act and Gender Equality Act apply also to the area of access to goods and services, in combination providing protection from discrimination on the grounds of sex or gender, and race or ethnic origin. In addition, the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia prohibits discrimination in general regardless of the ground. In certain cases, providers of goods and services can choose specific types of clients by applying the exception of genuine requirement.
What human rights violation may there be?
The prohibition of discrimination will be violated if you have been denied goods or services or received them in poor quality only because you belong to a certain race or nationality, or you are a person with a disability or possess other characteristics that are prohibited grounds of discrimination.
How to complain
If you believe that you may have been discriminated against by a private seller of goods or a service provider, you may file a complaint to the Consumer Disputes Committee or to the Financial Supervision Authority when it concerns banks, insurance companies etc. One can file a complaint also to the civil court.
If you believe that you have been discriminated against by a state or municipal seller of goods or a service provider, you may also submit a complaint to a higher institution, and afterwards, to the administrative court.
Additionally, there is a possibility to turn to the Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner or to the Chancellor of Justice for their opinion.
Read more about how to complain.