Half of European Online Second-Hand Retailers Found to Breach Consumer Rights
EU investigation reveals significant non-compliance with consumer protection laws among second-hand sellers.
Brussels – The online sales of used goods sector continues its rapid growth, a trend that started in 2020 during the pandemic, with numerous platforms like Vinted and Facebook Marketplace facilitating transactions for various second-hand items, including clothing, furniture, vehicles, and electronics.
However, this expansion appears to be accompanied by a lack of transparency from retailers, particularly in Europe.
An investigation conducted by the European Commission, supported by a coalition of national consumer protection authorities from 25 member states, as well as Norway and Iceland, has revealed concerning findings regarding the compliance of online second-hand sellers with EU consumer protection regulations.
Out of 365 retailers surveyed, 185, representing 52 percent, were found to potentially breach EU consumer protection law, which encompasses various directives that dictate both online and offline sales practices, including those relating to consumer rights and e-commerce.
The investigation highlighted several key areas of deficiency among the surveyed retailers.
Notably, 40 percent failed to adequately inform consumers of their rights of withdrawal, which allows consumers to return products within 14 days without providing justification or incurring costs.
Additionally, 45 percent did not properly inform consumers regarding their right to return defective goods or items that do not match their advertisement.
Furthermore, 57 percent of retailers did not comply with the minimum one-year legal guarantee period mandated for second-hand goods.
Among retailers that made environmental claims on their websites, the investigation identified that 20 percent did not sufficiently substantiate these claims, and 28 percent were found to potentially engage in practices that could be classified as unfair commercial practices due to manifestly false statements.
The investigation also underscored the significance of ensuring that sellers verify their identity, with 5 percent of the cases found lacking in this regard.
Additionally, 8 percent of retailers did not clearly present the total price of products, including applicable taxes.
Following these findings, national authorities are expected to determine the appropriate course of action against the 185 identified non-compliant retailers.
However, this expansion appears to be accompanied by a lack of transparency from retailers, particularly in Europe.
An investigation conducted by the European Commission, supported by a coalition of national consumer protection authorities from 25 member states, as well as Norway and Iceland, has revealed concerning findings regarding the compliance of online second-hand sellers with EU consumer protection regulations.
Out of 365 retailers surveyed, 185, representing 52 percent, were found to potentially breach EU consumer protection law, which encompasses various directives that dictate both online and offline sales practices, including those relating to consumer rights and e-commerce.
The investigation highlighted several key areas of deficiency among the surveyed retailers.
Notably, 40 percent failed to adequately inform consumers of their rights of withdrawal, which allows consumers to return products within 14 days without providing justification or incurring costs.
Additionally, 45 percent did not properly inform consumers regarding their right to return defective goods or items that do not match their advertisement.
Furthermore, 57 percent of retailers did not comply with the minimum one-year legal guarantee period mandated for second-hand goods.
Among retailers that made environmental claims on their websites, the investigation identified that 20 percent did not sufficiently substantiate these claims, and 28 percent were found to potentially engage in practices that could be classified as unfair commercial practices due to manifestly false statements.
The investigation also underscored the significance of ensuring that sellers verify their identity, with 5 percent of the cases found lacking in this regard.
Additionally, 8 percent of retailers did not clearly present the total price of products, including applicable taxes.
Following these findings, national authorities are expected to determine the appropriate course of action against the 185 identified non-compliant retailers.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
