AGCM

PRESS RELEASE

€0.5 MILLION IN PENALTIES ON FOUR E-COMMERCE OPERATORS FOR FAILURE TO DELIVER PRODUCTS

The Italian Antitrust Authority imposed sanctions for a total amount of €0.5 million for misleading and aggressive trade practices on four e-commerce operators: Kgegl, Moonlooker, Il Mercato dell’Affare and Zionsmartshop. Proceedings followed numerous reports by consumers who complained about grossly inappropriate behaviour by companies that specialize in online sales. This consisted, in particular, in the dissemination of false information on the availability and on delivery times of products that were on offer and in finding all sorts of difficulties for the refund of costs paid for products that were not delivered or the exercise of certain contractual rights of customers such as, for example, withdrawal from a purchase.

The measures taken by the Antitrust Authority should be viewed in the context of a systematic monitoring of the e-commerce sector, aimed at ensuring correct behaviour by operators in the field of electronic commerce, also in relation to the particularly weak position of consumers.

Rome, 24 August 2015