50% of controlled sites are illegal

The arrival of the health crisis and the various confinements have allowed an increase in distance sales. A survey by Fraud Control reveals that half of the sites inspected do not comply with the regulations. The DGCCRF warns and invites you not to click without checking certain points before making a purchase on the internet

Online commerce: the consumer must be extra vigilant. Here is the message just broadcast by the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF). An alert issued in particular following an investigation in 2020 on distance selling sites and their possible failures to apply the regulations. The share of online trade has increased and in 2020 represented 13.4% of retail trade compared to 9.8% in 2019. Among the establishments inspected by the DGCCRF in 2020, 50% were abnormal. Results due, according to the organization, to the development of dropshipping and the arrival of new players.

Bank card: what changes for the security of your payments

Mandatory information mentioned

According to the DGCCRF, the irregularities mainly concerned small operators uninformed of the regulations and sometimes faced with economic difficulties due to the consequences of the health crisis. According to the same organization, the consumer must be aware of a certain amount of information before finalizing his purchase. They must be mentioned in a visible way to comply with the regulations:

• the price
• The essential characteristics of the good or service, including whether it is a second-hand product
• The date or delivery and withdrawal period
• The identification of sellers: name of the publisher of the site or the host, the SIRET number, the share capital, the RCS number (Register of Commerce and Companies) or simply the telephone number of the professional
• The coordinates of consumer mediator (for the amicable resolution of disputes)
• Mentions relating to the legal guarantees which oblige the seller to sell to the consumer goods in conformity with the contract and engage his responsibility if this is not the case
• The possibility of registering on the Bloctel telephone canvassing opposition list
• Mandatory information relating to products: ingredients and presence of allergens

Conciliation or mediation: these little-known services to the rescue of consumers

Dropshipping on the rise in 2021

Dropshipping is another business model for selling online. In this case, the seller is only in charge of marketing and selling the product. It is the partner supplier, most often located abroad, who is responsible for managing the stock and shipping the goods to the consumer. Even if this practice is completely legal, it is the source of many complaints for unfair or abusive practices. According to the DGCCRF, 65 reports were made in 2020 against 336 in 2021. These online stores can unfortunately mislead the consumer about the quality and safety of the products, their origin, the promotions announced, their availability and delivery times. Moreover, the opinions displayed rarely come from real consumers.