EU study: Numerous second-hand platforms violate consumer rights
The European Commission and consumer protection authorities from 27 countries have carried out a large-scale investigation into online retailers of second-hand goods. The investigation examined whether the companies comply with EU consumer rights. According to the EU Commission, the results are alarming: 52% of the 356 retailers investigated may be in breach of applicable regulations.
Insufficient information on return rights
It is particularly problematic that many retailers do not provide consumers with sufficient information about their rights. 40% of the retailers examined did not clearly explain the right of withdrawal, which allows customers to return goods within 14 days without giving a reason.
Even more serious: 45% of retailers do not provide correct information on returning faulty products or products that do not match the description. In addition, 57% do not even meet the statutory minimum guarantee of one year for used goods.
Lack of transparency in prices and environmental information
There are also deficits in price information. 5% of retailers do not state their identity correctly and 8% do not state the total price of the goods including taxes.
Another critical issue is greenwashing: of the 34% of retailers who made environmental claims on their websites, 20% were unable to provide sufficient evidence. In 28% of cases, the claims were even clearly false or misleading - a clear violation of the EU's unfair commercial practices directives.
Next steps for the authorities
The consumer protection authorities will now decide whether to take action against the 185 traders found to be in breach. Depending on the respective national procedures, companies could be asked to adapt their business practices or face sanctions.
In the long term, new EU regulations should ensure greater transparency. The forthcoming directive on empowering consumers for the green transition will ensure that buyers are better informed about durability, reparability and legal guarantees.
Source: https://retail-news.de/eu-studie-second-hand-plattformen-verbraucherrechte/