On Friday 7 March, the European Commission and the national consumer protection authorities of 25 Member States, as well as those of Iceland and Norway, published the results of a coordinated investigation into the practices of online traders selling second-hand goods.
According to these results, of the 356 online retailers analysed, 185 (or 52%) were identified as potentially in breach of EU consumer law.
40% do not display clear enough information on the right of withdrawal, 45% do not properly inform consumers of their right of return, and 57% have not respected the minimum legal guarantee of one year for second-hand goods.
Of the 34% of retailers making environmental claims, 20% did not substantiate them sufficiently, and in 28% of cases, the claims were false or even misleading.
The European Parliament and EU Council are seeking a compromise on the directive that will govern their use by brands and sellers within the EU (see EUROPE 13567/13). As for consumer law, it needs to be adapted to take account of recent problems linked to new sales platforms (see EUROPE 13497/6). (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)