Thursday, 25 October 2012

European online marketplace

The European Consumer Centre Network (ECC-Net) published a new report on cross-border e-commerce and consumers' experiences with it. The report refers to years 2010-2011 and shows that consumers are still not fully comfortable with concluding transactions online even if the number of transactions gradually increases. This could be evidenced by the fact that more than half consumers' complaints that ECC-Net receives concerns online purchases, e.g., defective goods, non-conformity, non-delivery, no right of withdrawal. The most cases are reported in the Netherlands, Germany, France and Luxembourg. The report contains a checklist both for consumers and traders that they should follow in order to make sure that the transaction will be successful. (Consumers still face obstacles when shopping online)