Latest news with #consumerlaw
Bloomberg
27-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Singapore's AI Push Charts Path Toward Localized Models
Welcome to Tech In Depth, our daily newsletter with reporting and analysis about the business of tech from Bloomberg's journalists around the world. Today, Saritha Rai returns from a week in Singapore with word of the latest AI developments in the region. Shein reprimand: The EU has told the Singapore-based ecommerce firm it could face fines unless it clamps down on consumer law violations on its platform.
BreakingNews.ie
26-05-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
EU calls on Shein to respond to claims of fake discounts and pressure selling
The European Commission has given fast-fashion retailer Shein one month to respond to a probe into practices its regulator believes could potentially be breaching consumer law. Ireland's Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is co-leading the investigation which has called on the online marketplace to address several issues including allegations of fake discounts, pressure selling tactics and unclear information regarding customer rights. Advertisement The CCPC said fake discounts potentially include pretending to offer better deals by showing price reductions that are not based on actual prior rates as required by EU law. It said other issues include using false deadlines to pressure consumers to purchase, displaying incomplete or incorrect information about consumer's rights on returns and refunds, deceptive product labels, misleading or deceptive claims about sustainability benefits, and making it difficult for consumers to contact Shein with questions or complaints. Information has also been requested to assess the company's compliance with further obligations including those around product rankings, ratings and reviews, and third-party sellers. The CCPC said Shein has one month to propose commitments on how they will address the identified consumer law issues. Advertisement The EU Commission probe is being conducted along with national consumer authorities in Belgium, France and the Netherlands. Depending on the company's reply, the EU consumer protection network may enter a dialogue with the retailer. If Shein fails to address the concerns, national authorities can investigate further and may take enforcement measures to ensure compliance, which may include fines based on its annual turnover in the relevant member states. Patrick Kenny, CCPC Commission member, said: 'Consumers should be allowed to shop without being put under pressure by fake deadlines or misled by fake discounts. Advertisement 'They also need clear information about how consumers can contact the company, how to return an item and receive a refund. 'In this case, the CCPC and the CPC Network have identified several practices that could mislead consumers or undermine their consumer rights. Ireland Ireland will need dedicated clinic to deal with ph... Read More 'E-retailers and online marketplaces have a legal obligation to provide transparent and honest information about the products they sell, and consumers' rights around returns. The CCPC takes any breaches of the law very seriously and looks forward to constructive engagement with Shein during the course of this investigation.' Advertisement Shein has been contacted for comment.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EU calls on Shein to respond to claims of fake discounts and pressure selling
The European Commission has given fast-fashion retailer Shein one month to respond to a probe into practices its regulator believes could potentially be breaching consumer law. Ireland's Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is co-leading the investigation which has called on the online marketplace to address several issues including allegations of fake discounts, pressure selling tactics and unclear information regarding customer rights. The CCPC said fake discounts potentially include pretending to offer better deals by showing price reductions that are not based on actual prior rates as required by EU law. It said other issues include using false deadlines to pressure consumers to purchase, displaying incomplete or incorrect information about consumer's rights on returns and refunds, deceptive product labels, misleading or deceptive claims about sustainability benefits, and making it difficult for consumers to contact Shein with questions or complaints. Information has also been requested to assess the company's compliance with further obligations including those around product rankings, ratings and reviews, and third-party sellers. The CCPC said Shein has now one month to propose commitments on how they will address the identified consumer law issues. The EU Commission probe is being conducted along with national consumer authorities in Belgium, France and the Netherlands. Depending on the company's reply, the EU consumer protection network may enter a dialogue with the retailer. If Shein fails to address the concerns, national authorities can investigate further and may take enforcement measures to ensure compliance, which may include fines based on its annual turnover in the relevant member states. Patrick Kenny, CCPC Commission member, said: 'Consumers should be allowed to shop without being put under pressure by fake deadlines or misled by fake discounts. 'They also need clear information about how consumers can contact the company, how to return an item and receive a refund. 'In this case, the CCPC and the CPC Network have identified several practices that could mislead consumers or undermine their consumer rights. 'E-retailers and online marketplaces have a legal obligation to provide transparent and honest information about the products they sell, and consumers' rights around returns. The CCPC takes any breaches of the law very seriously and looks forward to constructive engagement with Shein during the course of this investigation.' Shein has been contacted for comment. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Independent
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
EU calls on Shein to respond to claims of fake discounts and pressure selling
The European Commission has given fast-fashion retailer Shein one month to respond to a probe into practices its regulator believes could potentially be breaching consumer law. Ireland's Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is co-leading the investigation which has called on the online marketplace to address several issues including allegations of fake discounts, pressure selling tactics and unclear information regarding customer rights. The CCPC said fake discounts potentially include pretending to offer better deals by showing price reductions that are not based on actual prior rates as required by EU law. It said other issues include using false deadlines to pressure consumers to purchase, displaying incomplete or incorrect information about consumer's rights on returns and refunds, deceptive product labels, misleading or deceptive claims about sustainability benefits, and making it difficult for consumers to contact Shein with questions or complaints. Information has also been requested to assess the company's compliance with further obligations including those around product rankings, ratings and reviews, and third-party sellers. The CCPC said Shein has now one month to propose commitments on how they will address the identified consumer law issues. The EU Commission probe is being conducted along with national consumer authorities in Belgium, France and the Netherlands. Depending on the company's reply, the EU consumer protection network may enter a dialogue with the retailer. If Shein fails to address the concerns, national authorities can investigate further and may take enforcement measures to ensure compliance, which may include fines based on its annual turnover in the relevant member states. Patrick Kenny, CCPC Commission member, said: ' Consumers should be allowed to shop without being put under pressure by fake deadlines or misled by fake discounts. 'They also need clear information about how consumers can contact the company, how to return an item and receive a refund. 'In this case, the CCPC and the CPC Network have identified several practices that could mislead consumers or undermine their consumer rights. 'E-retailers and online marketplaces have a legal obligation to provide transparent and honest information about the products they sell, and consumers' rights around returns. The CCPC takes any breaches of the law very seriously and looks forward to constructive engagement with Shein during the course of this investigation.'
The Guardian
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
When I booked flights online I noticed the prices kept changing. Is it legal in Australia? Can I avoid it?
It's been years since I booked an overseas trip, but when I was booking flights for a family holiday recently I noticed the prices of flights kept changing – within the same day – from when I first searched for a specific route to when I went to share it with my partner. Is it legal for flight operators to change their prices based on my search history? What can I do to avoid it? – Carolina, New South Wales Kat George says: When you're shopping online, it's common to see prices – for the exact same product or service – change by second, minute, hour and day. This is known euphemistically as 'dynamic pricing', but more accurately, it is 'price discrimination', a symptom of companies having access to your search data and employing sophisticated algorithms to use it against you by charging as much as they think you'd be willing to pay. This is incredibly common with air fares, and the more you search, the worse it gets. For instance, if you're searching for flights with set dates and locations, airlines will use that information to inflate the prices they present you. The more you search for those dates and that location, the higher your perceived desire for those flights becomes, increasing the price the service provider seeks to charge you. Unfortunately, it's absolutely legal in Australia. The good news is that might be set to change. Currently, under Australian consumer law, retailers can change prices to reflect demand and supply in the market. When it comes to things like flights, supply and demand can change regularly due to external factors, such as peak travel times like school holidays, seasonal fluctuations and major sporting and music events. Because of this, dynamic pricing isn't illegal if the airline is clear, not misleading, about the price you have to pay at the point of sale. While legal, it is not necessarily the most fair practice, and the Australian government is acknowledging that. The now re-elected Labor government has committed to addressing unfair trading practices, and has said this will include cracking down on dynamic pricing. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning While we wait for legislative reform – which, let's be honest, is unlikely to happen overnight despite the commitment – there are some things you can do to avoid dynamic pricing while you're shopping around for flights. First, avoid leaving digital breadcrumbs in your wake. This means searching in a way that is as anonymous as possible, to stop airlines collecting data about you as you browse their sites. Start by clearing your browser cookies – and be sure to decline or limit the collection of cookies whenever a website gives you the option. Cookies are little titbits of information that are stored in your browser whenever you're online, then shared with websites whenever you visit them. They allow websites to personalise your experience, but also give businesses the opportunity to analyse your preferences and build a solid data profile about you. You may also notice that most sites now have pop-ups that guide you to accept all or decline some cookies, so you can also investigate and toggle your preferences on a case-by-case basis. It's good practice to regularly clear your cookies regardless. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion You can also switch your browser to private or incognito mode, or use a search engine that blocks advertising, doesn't collect your data and has inbuilt mechanisms for managing cookies – like Duck Duck Go. If you're really committed, you can get yourself a virtual private network (VPN), which will cloak your identity entirely. A VPN hides your IP address from the sites you visit, so it's much harder for them to gather data. A VPN will cost you a few dollars, but ultimately spending even $20 on a VPN could save you more when it comes to dynamic pricing. Finally, search broadly, and search early. If you're constantly searching the same site, the data bank about your needs and preferences will build, giving the service provider more leverage to jack up prices. If you use multiple sites – for instance, flight aggregation sites – before heading to an airline's website to book, you can minimise the impact of shopping around. While it might be late in the day for you now, it always pays to search as early as you can. The closer you are to your travel dates when you search, the higher the perceived demand is likely to be. When airlines assume you're under more pressure, they'll think you're willing to pay more, too. Do you have an Australian consumer issue you'd like Kat's advice on? Fill out the form below to let us know.
