Online shoppping and consumer protection

Abstract

The article deals with general trends of online shopping, with the focus on consumer protection issues. It outlines the main principles of consumer protection regulation; it is estimated how electronic shops, located in different countries of the European Union provide consumer protection, while selling goods to the customers, residing in other European Union countries. To compare the application of consumer protection rules in different countries, a comparison of electronic shops is carried out. The study uses the COPRAS multi-criteria assessment method. The comparison of electronic shops has revealed that consumer protection has a higher priority in electronic shops in Slovenia, Germany, and France than in electronic shops, located in other European Union countries; the lower priority is given by electronic stores located in Estonia, Malta, Bulgaria, Lithuania, and Latvia. At the end of the article, conclusions and recommendations are presented.