{"id":9267,"date":"2025-05-01T10:40:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T10:40:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/second-hand-goes-digital-but-are-your-consumer-rights-safe-2\/"},"modified":"2025-06-12T09:11:52","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T09:11:52","slug":"pouzity-tovar-sa-digitalizuje-ale-su-vase-spotrebitelske-prava-v-bezpeci","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/pouzity-tovar-sa-digitalizuje-ale-su-vase-spotrebitelske-prava-v-bezpeci\/","title":{"rendered":"Pou\u017eit\u00fd tovar sa digitalizuje \u2013 ale s\u00fa va\u0161e spotrebite\u013esk\u00e9 pr\u00e1va v bezpe\u010d\u00ed?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In a coordinated action known as a \u201c<\/span>sweep<\/span><\/a>,\u201d consumer protection authorities from <\/span>25 EU member states<\/b>, plus Iceland and Norway, examined <\/span>356 <\/b>second-hand online sellers. Their mission? To see whether these platforms were playing fair and respecting your consumer rights.<\/span><\/p>\n

The results? Worrying. 52% of sellers may be violating EU consumer protection laws.<\/span><\/p>\n

Key rights often overlooked<\/b><\/h3>\n

One of the most important rights EU consumers have is the ability to return most purchases <\/span>within 14 days<\/b>, without giving a reason. But according to the investigation, <\/span>40% of second-hand sellers failed to clearly inform buyers about this right<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In an online environment where we rely on photos and descriptions rather than seeing a product in person, this right is essential. Yet the study also showed that <\/span>45% of sellers did not properly inform customers<\/b> about their rights when a product turns out to be faulty or different from what was advertised.<\/span><\/p>\n

Warranty? Not always guaranteed<\/b><\/h3>\n

Used products are still protected under EU law. Sellers must provide a <\/span>minimum one-year legal guarantee<\/b>, but <\/span>over half (57%) of the inspected sellers didn\u2019t meet this obligation<\/b>. That means many buyers risk being left with no support if their purchase breaks or doesn\u2019t work properly, which undermines trust in the growing second-hand sector.<\/span><\/p>\n

Greenwashing & eco claims: too good to be true?<\/b><\/h3>\n

With more young people choosing second-hand shopping for environmental reasons, many sellers now imarket their second-hand items as eco-friendly\u2014but <\/span>are they really<\/b>? The investigation found that of those using such messages:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • 20% failed to provide evidence<\/b>,\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • 28% made potentially misleading or even false claims<\/b>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    These so-called <\/span>greenwashing<\/b> tactics don\u2019t just mislead consumers\u2014they also harm the credibility of online marketplaces that genuinely support sustainable consumption.<\/span><\/p>\n

    More than just fine print<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Transparency is key in any purchase. Yet <\/span>5% of sellers did not properly disclose their business identity<\/b>, and <\/span>8% failed to clearly show the total price<\/b>, including taxes. These may seem like minor oversights, but in reality they prevent buyers from making informed decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n

    EU law: what sellers must respect<\/b><\/h3>\n

    EU consumer rights are protected by key laws:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Consumer Rights Directive<\/b>: Ensures clear return policies and honest pricing.<\/span>
      \n<\/span><\/li>\n
    • E-Commerce Directive<\/b>: Sets rules for online transparency.<\/span>
      \n<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Unfair Commercial Practices Directive<\/b>: Bans misleading claims and tricks.<\/span>
      \n<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Sale of Goods Directive<\/b>: Guarantees legal product conformity\u2014even for second-hand items.<\/span> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      And soon, there\u2019s more on the way: <\/span>A new <\/span>Green Transition Consumer Directive<\/b> aims to make product durability and repair options clearer, combat premature obsolescence and crack down on greenwashing.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Why second-hand matters\u2014and why rules do too<\/b><\/h3>\n

      The second-hand economy plays a vital role in reducing overconsumption and waste, making it a key part of the <\/span>circular economy<\/b>. But for it to truly work, <\/span>consumer trust is essential<\/b>. That means rights must be respected, and misleading or unlawful practices must be held accountable.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Consumer authorities are now expected to follow up with the 185 sellers flagged during the sweep. That could include asking them to change their practices\u2014or even launching investigations where needed.<\/span><\/p>\n

      The takeaway is clear: while second-hand shopping offers big benefits for people and the planet, <\/span>strong enforcement of consumer rights<\/b> is crucial to ensure everyone\u2014especially young, digital-savvy buyers\u2014can shop with confidence.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      In a coordinated action known as a \u201csweep,\u201d consumer protection authorities from 25 EU member states, plus Iceland and Norway, examined 356 second-hand online sellers. Their mission? To see whether these platforms were playing fair […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":158,"featured_media":5868,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"post_formats":[673],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-9267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","post_formats-clanky"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/158"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9267"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9267\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9268,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9267\/revisions\/9268"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5868"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9267"},{"taxonomy":"post_formats","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_formats?post=9267"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pulse-z.eu\/sk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=9267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}