Consumer Protection: Following EU action, online marketplace Wish commits to increasing price transparency to comply with EU consumer rules
Following a dialogue with the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), working closely with the European Commission and the European network of national consumer protection (CPC) authorities, international online marketplace Wish has agreed to increase transparency of prices to comply with EU consumer rules. In the context of the regular monitoring of commercial practices of online platforms performed by EU consumer authorities, a number of EU consumer law concerns were identified. Concerns were also raised in the context of the CPC coordinated screening, or “sweep” of coronavirus related ads on online platforms in 2020. Following the launch of a dialogue in April 2021, Wish has committed to put an end to misleading practices, such as promoting fake discounts (for example, not based on a price which had actually been charged) and the use of undisclosed personalised pricing, based on the purchaser’s behaviour and location. Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, said: “Consumers need to be informed upfront about how much they have to pay for a product, including all taxes, such as import duties and other fees, and their choices cannot be based on fake price reductions. Price transparency is a key asset for a well-functioning and competitive Single Market, for consumers and businesses alike. As we welcome Wish’s change of practice in the area of price transparency, we also expect continuous efforts on ensuring product safety, in line with their commitments under the Product Safety Pledge.” As a result of the cooperation, Wish has now implemented a new interface to prevent unauthentic and misleading discounts advertised by their business partners, as well as ceasing the use of price personalisation techniques. More information on the enforcement of consumer protection is available here, as well as in the ACM press release. You can find out more about Wish’s commitments on ensuring product safety under the Product Safety Pledge.
