ECC warns consumers: don’t be fooled by tempting deals
The European Consumer Centre (ECC) warns consumers to stay alert when shopping online ahead of the holiday season. Especially around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, unreliable online shops advertise misleading deals. Every year during this period, the ECC receives many complaints from consumers who get their purchases late or not at all. Other common complaints include high return costs, not getting a refund, or difficulty contacting the foreign online shop.
Rising reports about online purchases
Thus far in 2024, the ECC has received nearly 40% more complaints about online purchases from foreign online shops than in the same period last year. Other consumer organisations have noticed this trend too. The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has already received more reports this year than in all of 2023, with around 20,000 reports so far. The National Internet Fraud Reporting Centre (LMIO) also reports an increase in complaints about online shops, with about 18,000 reports in 2024.
To warn consumers, the ECC, together with the ACM, Consumentenbond, Fraudehelpdesk, and LMIO, has launched the campaign: Check before you order! The goal of this campaign is to raise consumer awareness about misleading offers and fake online shops.
Eva Calvelo Muino, director of the ECC, says: “The holiday season is approaching, which means tempting discounts are everywhere. Unfortunately, we also see a rise in misleading offers and fake online shops every year during this time. Thousands of consumers get caught out and don’t receive what they were promised. That’s why it’s important to pause before buying online. Take the time to check reviews so you can avoid unreliable online shops. Check before you order!”
Who is this campaign for?
This campaign mainly targets young people aged 18 to 30 via social media. The campaign posts and ads stress that deals that seem too good to be true usually are. ECC Netherlands also gives tips on how young people can check if a webshop is safe.
Partners
Each year, the ECC works together with partners such as the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), the Dutch Consumers’ Association (Consumentenbond), the Fraud Helpdesk (Fraudehelpdesk), and the National Internet Fraud Reporting Centre (LMIO) of the Dutch police in the campaign against fraud and deception by online shops. These consumer organisations undertake both individual and joint actions.