Shoppers lose out on online bargains
A “shopping spree” carried out for the EU’s consumer commissioner found that shoppers across the union experience widespread problems.
Irish consumers fared among the worst as close to 70% of those trying to buy online could not do so.
The problem was that traders refused to serve shoppers from Ireland – they would not let them register on the website or provided no cross-border payment options.
What was just as galling for Irish shoppers is that 70 of the 100 popular products they were looking for could only be found cross-border.
Of the rest, 40% were much cheaper from foreign retailers than were found domestically.
Similar results were found in most other EU countries where shoppers tried to purchase a list of 100 popular products such as cameras, CDs, books and clothes.
They found that 60% of all cross-border internet shopping was refused.
In all but two countries the odds of succeeding in buying online from a retailer in another country was less than 50%.
Consumer Commissioner Maglena Kuneva said this was the first time they have concrete facts and figures that show the extent to which the European single market for consumers is not happening in online retail.
“Better deals and greater product choice for consumers on our vast European market could be just a click of a mouse away. But in reality online shoppers are still largely confined within national borders.
“Europe’s consumers are being denied better choice and value for money. We must simplify the legal maze that is preventing online traders from offering their goods in other countries.”
Europe’s e-commerce market was worth an estimated €106 billion in 2006 and has grown dramatically since, with over half of all retailers now selling online.
Ms Kuneva presented a strategy for bringing down the barriers in Brussels yesterday. It includes a simple, single set of rights for EU consumers; boosting cross-border enforcement to stamp out illegal practices and boost consumer confidence; and simplifying cross-border rules for retailers on VAT, recycling fees and copyright levies.
