The European online marketplace

The European Consumer's Centre Network (ECC-Net) launched a joint network report on electronic commerce in June in Brussels. The report analyses the e-commerce complaints received and handled by the ECC Network during last year.

This report shows that while electronic commerce offers plenty of advantages to consumers throughout the EU, it also shows that the sector still gives rise to an important number of complaints from consumers. The report seeks to identify these problem areas.

The largest problem area observed last year relates to the delivery of orders. In fact from the 10,386 complaints reported to the ECC-Net (complaints on transport and accommodation services are not included in this figure), 50 per cent of these complaints relate to delivery problems, with problems relating to the actual product or service being second in line with 25 per cent of the total complaints.

Other complaints related to contract terms (11 per cent), price and payment (6 per cent), redress (4 per cent), selling techniques or unfair commercial practices (2 per cent), deceit (1 per cent) and others (1 per cent). Within the area of 'delivery', the main problem reported referred to the non-delivery of the product. Another factor that emerged from the report with regards to non delivery was the fact that traders often directed the liability on the courier or the postal service.

With regards to complaints relating to the 'product or service', 52 per cent of the complaints in this area related to defective products and 30 per cent of cases related to the fact that the product was not in conformity with the order.

Other problem areas in this category relate to the product not being as ordered (12 per cent), that the product caused damage (2 per cent), refusal to sell the product or provide the service (1 per cent), unsafe products (1 per cent) and other factors (2 per cent).

To be continued next week.