On 12 June 2020, Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Standards Council launched Technical Reference 76: the first-ever guidelines to set out a national standard for e-commerce transactions. The standard is aimed at boosting the digitalisation of SMEs, as well as the burgeoning e-commerce sector in Singapore.

Technical Reference 76 serves as a practical reference for e-retailers and online marketplaces. The guidelines cover a wide range of functions, from the pre-purchase activities of browsing and selection, to purchasing and payment processes, as well as post-purchase fulfilment, delivery, product tracking, returns, refunds and exchanges. They provide best practices for businesses looking to develop and implement the necessary operational procedures, customer support, merchant verification controls, as well as processes to ensure that consumer-facing communications are clear and enable customers to make informed choices.Continue Reading Singapore launches national e-commerce standard

In a judgment of 17 May 2018, case no. 6 U 3815/17 (“Judgment”), the Court of Appeal Munich (Oberlandesgericht München – “Court of Appeal”) held that online retailers are required to indicate a precise delivery time on their website where consumers purchase products. A ‘coming soon’ notice is insufficient, even where the relevant product has not yet been released. The Judgment was published on 9 July 2018 by the German consumer protection association Verbraucherzentrale Nordrhein-Westfalen, which had initiated the court proceedings (“Plaintiff”). The Plaintiff’s accompanying press release of 9 July 2018 can be found here (in the German language).

Background

In 2016, the Plaintiff initiated court proceedings against a major German online retailer (“Defendant”). The Defendant had offered on its website to customers a new smartphone that had not yet been released by the manufacturer, placing the following notice on its website: “The item will be available soon. Secure your device now!” (Original German wording: “Der Artikel ist bald verfügbar. Sichern Sie sich jetzt Ihr Exemplar!”).

In its first instance judgment of 17 October 2017, case no. 33 O 20488/16 (“First Instance Judgment”), the District Court Munich I (Landgericht München I) held that the Defendant was in breach of its statutory information obligations on distance selling contracts under the German Civil Code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch“BGB”).Continue Reading German court rules that online retailers must specify the delivery date even for ‘coming soon’ B2C pre-release orders

On 25 May 2016 the European Commission published draft legislation aimed at restricting the use of geoblocking and similar practices by websites selling to into the European Union.

The European Commission has published a draft regulation aimed at restricting traders from blocking access to websites by customers from other European countries, preventing geographic discrimination through

The European Commission (the executive of the EU) recently published the initial findings of its e-commerce inquiry, an investigative process conducted to determine whether and to what extent competition is being restricted or distorted in the sector. The inquiry focused on geo-blocking, a commercial practice whereby online providers block user access to the purchasing of goods or digital content services based on that user’s geographical location. Last year we reported on the EU’s strategy for a European ‘digital single market’ (DSM) which included putting an end to what it considered ‘unjustified geo-blocking’. The recent findings are that the use of geo-blocking is widespread throughout the EU, but that there are sometimes valid commercial reasons justifying the practice.
Continue Reading European Commission Publishes E-commerce Geo-Blocking Inquiry Findings

Turkey’s Parliament has approved Law No. 6563 on the Regulation of Electronic Commerce (Law) aimed at creating a more secure, transparent and accessible e-commerce environment. The Law is expected to come into force 1 May 2015.

The Law covers electronic communications, liabilities of service providers, contracts concluded electronically, and the information provided to consumers, as