Quality in Polish e-commerce

Michał Koralewski: At the end of last year, the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection presented a project to introduce a so-called “quality mark for e-commerce” in Poland. What would this mark serve?

Katarzyna Szostak-Tebbens: The aforementioned initiative is part of the implementation of one of the goals of the “Consumer Policy Strategy for 2004-2006”, which is to promote e-commerce as a safe and convenient form of trade. Euro-Label, or the “quality mark for e-commerce”, is a European trust symbol in electronic commerce, understandable to both customers and retailers. It has been introduced in countries such as Austria, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. Obtaining the Euro-Label by an entrepreneur is associated with the application of the European Code of Conduct – a set of rules for online shopping. It focuses on ensuring that the consumer is informed about their rights and aims to guarantee the transparency of entrepreneurs’ activities on the Internet. The Code regulates issues related to obtaining comprehensive information about the products offered, the entrepreneur, and the procedure for concluding contracts online, the execution of the contract, and the right to withdraw from it.

M. K.: What are the benefits of the Euro-Label? Is such a mark even needed on the Polish market?

K.Sz.-T.: Given the increasing importance of electronic transactions, it is necessary to prepare consumers to make online purchases properly. The task of the Euro-Label symbol is to provide the consumer with a sense of security, which is so necessary when using electronic commerce systems. Euro-Label identifies a list of online stores that truly deserve trust; therefore, it can be a key mechanism supporting e-commerce and increasing online sales in Poland. Currently, most customers are afraid of this form of shopping, and often these fears are justified because many Polish online stores do not meet legal requirements.