All websites where consumers can purchase goods or conclude other contracts must provide additional information from May 28, 2022. So far, the portals have not wanted to voluntarily provide any information about many important questions or have considered themselves not responsible. The implementation of a European directive into German law will soon provide more clarity with new information requirements.
Who is my business and contact person?
Sales platforms such as Amazon or Ebay, on which consumers can conclude contracts with third parties, will in future have to indicate whether a company or a private individual is selling something. “This is important for online shoppers because if a contract is concluded privately, there is no legal right of withdrawal and usually no warranty,” says Michèle Scherer from the Brandenburg Consumer Center.
Booking and comparison portals such as Check24 or Idealo, in turn, must explain the extent to which they take on certain tasks for providers with whom consumers can conclude a contract via the portal.
Comparison portals: How does the ranking come about?
In the future, comparison portals – outside the financial sector – will, among other things, have to indicate which companies they include in their comparison. “Often the offer overviews do not reflect the entire market. But many people are not aware of this,” says Scherer. Therefore, the portals should from now on provide a list of the providers that were included in the comparison. “However, it remains difficult for consumers to get a complete overview. “We recommend looking at the offers and ranking results of various comparison portals before purchasing,” advises the consumer advocate. We have put together further tips here .
There should also be more clarity in the rankings: In addition to the provider overview, the creation of the specific list of results must be explained. Consumers should find out which main parameters are taken into account during creation and how much they influence the overall result.
There is a strong increase in transparency for buyers who want to find something on ticket exchanges: platforms on which tickets are resold must indicate the original ticket price in addition to the price now requested.
How reliable are item reviews?
For many people, customer reviews are an important source of information when shopping online, but the reports are often manipulated or faked. After the new legal requirements come into force, providers must now explain whether and how they ensure that the reviews come from consumers who have actually used or purchased the products being reviewed. However, they are not obliged to introduce concrete measures to combat fake reviews. “Stricter rules would be desirable to protect consumers,” says Scherer.
Source: Brandenburg Consumer Center
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