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Flash Eurobarometer

Consumer protection

and consumer rights

Analytical Report for

Cyprus- third wave

Fieldwork: June 2008

Publication: June 2008

This survey was requested by Directorate-General Health and Consumers and

coordinated by Directorate-General Communication

This document does not represent the point of view of the European Commission. The interpretations

and opinions contained in it are solely those of the authors.

European

Commission

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Flash Eurobarometer

Consumer attitudes towards

cross-border trade and

consumer protection

Summary

Fieldwork: September 2010

Publication: March 2011

European

Commission

Flash EB Series #299

Consumer attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer

protection

Survey conducted by The Gallup Organization, Hungary upon the request of

Directorate-General Health and Consumers

Coordinated by Directorate-General Communication

This document does not represent the point of

view of the European Commission. The interpretations and opinions contained in it

are solely those of the authors.

THE GALLUP ORGANIZATION

Flash EB No 299 – Cross-border trade and consumer protection Summary

page 3

Table of contents

Table of contents ................................................................................................................................... 3

Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 4

Main findings ........................................................................................................................................ 5

1. Distance shopping and cross-border purchases ........................................................................... 10

1.1. Distance shopping and cross-border purchases via the Internet, by the postal service and

by phone ........................................................................................................................................... 10

1.2. Cross-border purchases when travelling abroad ........................................................................ 12

1.3. Financial services provided at a distance................................................................................... 12

2. Consumers’ confidence and attitudes towards shopping in their home country and

cross-border ........................................................................................................................ 14

2.1. Levels of confidence .................................................................................................................. 14

2.2. Outlook for cross-border shopping in the EU............................................................................ 15

3. Consumer protection ...................................................................................................................... 18

3.1. Consumer complaints ................................................................................................................ 18

3.2. Problems with delivery of products ........................................................................................... 19

3.3. Unfair commercial practices ...................................................................................................... 21

4. Consumer protection indicators .................................................................................................... 23

5. Product safety enforcement ........................................................................................................... 25

5.1. Perception about safety of food and non-food products ............................................................ 25

5.2. Experiences with product recalls ............................................................................................... 26

6. Environmental impact and purchasing decisions ........................................................................ 28

Summary Flash EB No 299 – Cross-border trade and consumer protection

page 4

Introduction

This Flash Eurobarometer “Consumer attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection”

(No 299) provides insights into EU consumers’ attitudes and experiences with cross-border shopping

and their perceptions about consumer rights within the EU’s internal market.

This Flash Eurobarometer No 299 is part of a trend survey; earlier waves were conducted in 2006

(Special Eurobarometer No

252)1, 2008 (Special Eurobarometer N

o 298)

2 and 2009 (Flash

Eurobarometer No 282)

3.

The survey obtained interviews – fixed-line, mobile phone and face-to-face – with nationally

representative samples of EU citizens (aged 15 and older) living in the 27 Member States. The target

sample size in most countries was 1,000 interviews; in total, 25,139 interviews were conducted by

Gallup’s network of fieldwork organisations from September 28 to October 2, 2010. Statistical results

were weighted to correct for known demographic discrepancies.

Please note that due to rounding, the percentages shown in the charts and tables do not always add up

exactly to the totals mentioned in the text.

1 Special Eurobarometer 252 / Wave 65.1, http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs252_en.pdf

2 Special Eurobarometer 298 / Wave 69.1, http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_298_en.pdf

3 Flash Eurobarometer 282, http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_282_en.pdf

http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs252_en.pdf

http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_298_en.pdf

http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_282_en.pdf


page 5

Main findings

Distance shopping and cross-border purchases

In the past 12 months, 37% of all EU consumers made a distance purchase on the

Internet, 21% used the post (catalogues, mail order, etc.) and 13% made a distance

purchase by phone.

At EU level, there has been a gradual increase in the amount of Internet shopping from

2006 to 2009 (from 27% to 38%; +10 percentage points); this trend was not continued in

the current wave as the proportion of consumer who had purchased goods or services

online in the year prior to the survey remained at 37%.

As could be expected, having an Internet connection at home significantly increased

respondents’ likelihood of Internet shopping; one in two EU consumers – with Internet

access at home – had purchased goods or services online in the year prior to the survey;

this proportion was lower than in earlier years (54% in 2009 and 56% in 2008) as the

absolute number with Internet access has grown.

Roughly half (51%) of all EU consumers used at least one method of distance shopping in

the 12 months preceding the survey, no major change since 2008. There were large

variations between countries, with the overall level of distance shopping ranging from

19% in Bulgaria to 74% in Sweden.

The level of cross-border online shopping in EU countries has remained relatively

low: 7% of EU consumers bought goods or services via the Internet in the last 12 months

from a seller/provider located in another EU Member State, down one percentage point on

last year’s figure (and 4% shopped from a country outside the EU, no change since 2006).

Focusing solely on respondents with Internet access at home, it was noted that 45% used the

Internet to buy goods or services from sellers or providers in their own country, compared to 10%

from a seller or provider located in another EU Member State. The current level of such cross-

border purchases was somewhat lower than in earlier years (for example, 10% in 2010 vs. 13% in

2008).

About 7 in 10 consumers who made cross-border distance purchases spent less than

€500 on a yearly basis (71% vs. 70% in 2009) and roughly a tenth had spent more than

€1,000 (11% vs. 12% in 2009). In 2010, consumers reported making cross-border

purchases worth 653 euros on average (compared to € 785 in 2009 and €797 in 2008).

EU consumers were still more likely to make cross-border purchases face-to-face, i.e.

either when they are on holiday, shopping or business trips, rather than online, by mail

order or by telephone. In the last 12 months, about one in four consumers in the EU (26%

vs. 24% in 2009) purchased goods while on a holiday, shopping or business trip in another

EU country, while only 9% made a distance cross-border purchase within the EU.

Compared to 2006, however, there appeared to be a significant increase in the proportion

of consumers who made purchases when travelling abroad (from 18% in 2006 to 26% in

2010).


page 6

Consumers’ confidence and attitudes towards shopping in their home country and cross-border

Almost half (48%) EU consumers said they were more confident when ordering

goods or services via the Internet from sellers or providers in their own country than

from those in other parts of the EU; a third felt just as confident in cross-border e-

commerce situations as they did domestically. Compared to 2008, there appeared to be a

small decrease in the proportion of consumers feeling equally confident about shopping in

their own country as in cross-border purchasing situations (from 35% to 33%) and in the

proportion feeling more confident in cross-border e-commerce situations (from 6% to

4%).

A slim majority (52%) of EU consumers tended to be more confident when purchasing

goods or services by phone or via the postal service in their own country than when

shopping in that way in another EU country.

As in previous waves, roughly one in seven (14%) EU consumers said they would

spend more on cross-border purchases in the coming year than they did in the 12

months prior to this survey.

Among respondents who made at least one cross-border purchase via the Internet, by

phone or via the postal service, 35% thought that, in the next 12 months, they would spend

more on cross-border purchases that they did in the previous 12 months.

Roughly 6 in 10 (59%) of EU consumers agreed that they were not interested in cross-

border shopping because they were worried about falling victim to scams or frauds

when purchasing products or services in another country (34% “totally agreed”).

About 4 in 10 (39%) EU consumers were willing to purchase goods or services using

another EU language; +6 percentage points compared to 2006. Moreover, the proportion

of respondents who totally disagreed that they would be willing to purchase goods or

services in a different language decreased from 42% in 2008 to 36% in 2010.

Although the proportion of EU consumers who said they knew where to get information

and advice about cross-border shopping in the EU has increased by 11 percentage

points compared to 2008 and by eight points compared to 2006; this proportion remains

low (32%).

Financial services provided at a distance

Roughly a tenth of EU citizens purchased or signed up to a financial service via the

Internet, by phone or the postal service in the 12 months prior to the survey: 9% had

signed up to a financial service with a national provider and 1% had done so from

another EU provider. These figures are stable since 2008.

Only 12% of EU consumers – with Internet access at home – purchased or signed up to

financial services via a distance channel, as opposed to 4% of those who did not have

Internet at home.


page 7

Complaints, problems and unfair practices

In the last 12 months, about one in eight (13%) EU consumers complained to their

seller or provider when they encountered problems with items. Another 4% did not

complain even though they encountered problems, that is about a quarter of those who had

a problem but did not complain. Compared to 2009, there was an increase of three

percentage points of those who complained to the seller or provider. About half of the

consumers (52%) who complained were “fairly” or “very” satisfied, and 46% were “not

very” or “not at all” satisfied with the way the seller/provider dealt with their complaint,

which represented a small change since 2009 (satisfied: 50%, dissatisfied: 48%).

The reasons most often given for not complaining about a problem were the amount of

money being too small to be concerned about (29%) and a lack of confidence in getting a

satisfactory resolution to the problem (27%). Almost half (46%) of those who complained

but were not satisfied did not take any further action (unchanged compared to 2009).

A sixth of EU consumers (18%) – who used the Internet, postal service or phone to buy

products or services from a national seller or provider in the past 12 months – had

experienced a delay in the delivery of their order and 6% said that the product or service

was not delivered at all. In 2008, the corresponding proportion for “a delay in delivery”

was eight percentage points higher (26% vs. 18% in 2006 and 2010).

Among EU consumers who made distance purchases, in the past year, from a seller or

provider located in another EU country, a somewhat lower proportion (16%)

reported a “delayed delivery” and 5% “no delivery at all”. These figures are stable

compared to previous waves.

In the last 12 months, about 6 in 10 (61%) EU consumers felt they had come across

unsolicited commercial advertisements or offers. 43% felt that they had seen

misleading or deceptive advertisements or offers and 29% had seen fraudulent

advertisements or offers. The survey’s current results were again closer to those observed

in 2008 when 42% of EU consumers stated that they had seen misleading or deceptive

advertisements and 27% said the same about fraudulent advertisements.

A fifth of EU consumers – who had seen misleading or deceptive advertisements or offers

– had actually responded to such an advertisement or offer; this translates to 8% of all EU

consumers having fallen victim to deceptive advertising in the 12 months prior to the

survey.

Of those who had come across fraudulent advertisements or offers, 16% had realised their

error after having responded to the advertisement or offer; this translates to 5% of all EU

consumers having fallen victim to fraudulent advertising in the past 12 months.

Consumer protection indicators

Over two-thirds of EU consumers (69%) reported that they had confidence in

independent consumer organisations to protect their rights (+3 points since 2006).

Although the proportion trusting public authorities to protect their rights as consumers

remained lower (63%), it has significantly increased since 2006 (+7 points).


page 8

A growing majority of EU consumers agreed that, in general, sellers and providers

respected their rights as consumers (65% vs. 62% in 2006, 58% in 2008 and 59% in 2009).

At the same time, consumers also felt that they were adequately protected by the existing

consumer protection measures (57% vs. 54% in 2006, 51% in 2008 and 54% in 2009).

In all Member States, except for Hungary, a majority of respondents still agreed that

they would be more willing to defend their rights if they could join with other

consumers who were complaining about the same thing (the overall figures are stable,

from 74% in 2006 to 76% in 2008 to 78% in 2009 and to 79% for 2010).

Product safety environment

The survey recorded an increased level of trust in the safety of non-food products: only one in five respondents in 2010 (vs. one in four in 2009) considered that a significant

number of products were unsafe. About one in six (16%) considered that essentially all

products were safe, compared to just 11% in 2009. It is also worth noting that there was

still a majority (53%; compared to 51% in 2009) that thought that a small number of

products were unsafe. The results of the current survey were again close to those observed

in 2008.

When asked about the safety of food products as opposed to non-food items, respondents’

perceptions were almost identical: 20% of EU consumers said that, essentially, all food products

currently on the market in their country were safe, 52% estimated that a small number of such

products were unsafe and 21% felt that a significant number of food products marketed in their

country were unsafe.

About one in six (16%) of respondents reported having been personally affected by the recall

of a non-food product from the market. In 2008 and 2009 10% of EU consumers said they had

been personally affected by a non-food product recall.

A slim majority of consumers affected by a product recall had contacted the

retailer/distributor or the producer, while 3% had contacted a consumer organisation and

2% had contacted the national public authorities. The survey’s current results were similar

to those observed in 2009; in both waves, those who had been confronted with a product

recall were most likely to say that they had contacted the retailer/distributor (44% in 2009

and 42% in 2010).

Consumers who were not personally affected by a (non-food) product recall were asked to

estimate what would be their action in case they were in such a situation. In these

hypothetical situations, respondents tended to under-report inaction (only 14% stated that

they would take no action, while the EU average among those actually confronted with a

product recall reached 34%).

The most important difference between anticipated and actual behaviours touched

consumer organisations: while 18% of respondents who had not been affected by a

product recall estimated that they would get in touch with such an organisation, only 3%

of those who personally experienced it actually did so. Similarly, 11% of respondents not

affected by a product recall said that they would contact national public authorities in that

case, while only 2% of those who had actually been affected did so.


page 9

Environmental impact and purchasing decisions

Roughly a third (32%) of EU consumers said that the environmental impact of

products (or services) had influenced their purchasing decisions in the week prior to

the survey.

A majority (60%) of EU consumers would like information about the environmental

impact of a product to be displayed on the product itself.


page 10

1. Distance shopping and cross-border purchases

1.1. Distance shopping and cross-border purchases via the Internet, by the postal service and by phone

The Internet (websites, email, etc.) remained the most common form of distance shopping in the EU.

More than a third (37%) of EU consumers had used the Internet to buy goods and services in the year

prior to the survey; in comparison, 21% of EU consumers had used the postal service (catalogues, mail

order, etc.) and 13% had made a distance purchase by telephone in the year prior to the survey. As the

chart below illustrates, compared to 2006, the current results represent an increase for Internet sales

(+10 points), at the expense of mail order sales (-6 points).

Taking into account all forms of distance shopping investigated in this survey (Internet, postal service

and telephone), it was noted that 51% of EU consumers had used at least one method of distance

shopping in the 12 months preceding the survey. No change was seen in the overall level of distance

shopping in the EU from 2009 to 2010 (52% in 2009); compared to 2006, the current results represent

an increase of six percentage points (from 45% to 51%). The largest proportions of consumers who

had made purchases via at least one distance sales channel in the past 12 months were found in

Sweden (74%) and Germany (72%).

27

27

15

Via the Internet (website, email, etc.)

By post (catalogues, mail order, etc.)

By phone

33

28

16



By phone

38

23

14



By phone

Purchases made “at a distance” in the past 12 months

37

21

13



By phone

Fl299(09/2010)

EBS 298 (02-03/2008)

Fl299 (2010): Q1. Please tell me if you have purchased any goods or services in the past 12 months, by distance in (YOUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways...? - Via the Internet (website, email, etc.) / By phone / By post (catalogues, mail order, etc.)

Base: all respondents, % of ‘Yes’ answers, EU27

Fl282 (2009): Q1_A/B/C. Please tell me if you have purchased any goods or services in the past 12 months, by distance in (YOUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere via the Internet (website, email, etc.) / by phone / by post (catalogues, mail order, etc.) ?


EBS 298 (2008): QC1.1/2/3. Please tell me if you have purchased any goods or services in the last 12 months, in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways? - Via the Internet (website, email, etc.) / By phone / By post (catalogues, mail order, etc.)


EBS 252 (2006): QB1.1/2/3. Please tell me if you have purchased any goods or services in the last 12 months, in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere. – Via the internet (website, email, etc.) / By phone / By post (catalogues, mail order, etc.)


EBS 252(02-03/2006)

Fl282(07/2009)

The proportions of consumers who had ordered goods or services over the Internet in the past 12

months were the highest in Sweden (61%), the Netherlands (58%) and the UK (55%). As in the

previous wave of this trend survey, Internet shopping was less common for consumers in Bulgaria,

Portugal, Italy and Romania, with 12% to 16% having done this in the past 12 months.


page 11

61 58 5551 50 50

46 46 46 45 43 4137 36 34 33

29 28 27 25 24 23 22 2016 15 15

12

0

20

40

60

80

100

SE

NL

UK

IE

DK

DE

MT

FI

LU

AT

FR

CZ

EU

27

PL

SK

CY

SI

EE

BE

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HU

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BG

Q1. Please tell me if you have purchased any goods or services in the past 12 months, by distance in (YOUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways...? - Via the Internet (website, email, etc.)

Base: all respondents, % of ‘Yes’ answers by country

Purchases made “at a distance” in the past 12 months via the Internet

The Internet is still used to make distance purchases mainly from national sellers or providers. A third

of EU consumers had used the Internet to buy goods or services from sellers or providers in their own

country, 7% had conducted Internet purchases from a seller or provider located in another EU

Member State and 4% from a seller or provider located outside the EU. Cross-border e-commerce has

remained more or less at the same level since the first wave of this survey (early in 2006).

The share of consumers who had ordered goods or services from national sellers or providers

(domestic e-commerce), as opposed to other EU sellers (cross-border e-commerce), varied

considerably across Member States.

Consumers in Luxembourg and Malta appeared to rely mainly on sellers and providers from other EU

countries for their Internet purchases: 38%-39% of respondents in these countries had made at least

one cross-border purchase over the Internet in the year prior to the survey; the corresponding

proportions for domestic e-commerce in those two countries were, respectively, 12% and 7%.

In Cyprus and Ireland, consumers were also more likely to rely on sellers and providers from other EU

countries. Roughly a third (34%) of consumers in Ireland had made a cross-border purchase over the

Internet in the past 12 months, compared to 26% who had made purchases from national sellers and

providers; the corresponding proportions for Cyprus were 22% and 11%. In Austria, domestic and

cross-border e-commerce were more or less equal; 32% of consumers in Austria had shopped online

from national sellers and providers and 30% had made a cross-border purchase over the Internet.

54

53

52

47

38

38

38

35

33

32

32

30

26

23

23

21

21

19 17 17 14 13 12 12 12 11 9 7

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40

60

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UK

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DE

CZ FI

FR

PL

EU

27

DK

AT

SK IE SI

HU ES

EE

BE

LT

LV

RO IT LU

EL

PT

CY

BG

MT

From local sellers/providers From sellers/providers in other EU countries

Q1. Please tell me if you have purchased any goods or services in the past 12 months, by distance in (YOUR COUNTRY) or elsewherein any of the following ways...? - Via the Internet (website, email, etc.)

Base: all respondents% of ‘Yes, from a seller/provider located in (OUR COUNTRY)’ and ‘Yes, from a seller/provider located in another EU country’ answers by country

Domestic and cross-border Internet purchases


page 12

Focusing solely on cross-border distance purchases, it was noted that men (11% vs. 6% of women),

25-39 year-olds (12% vs. 4% of 54 year-olds), respondents with the highest level of education (14%

vs. 2% of respondents with the lowest level of education), the self-employed (14% vs. 5% of non-

working respondents) and metropolitan residents (12% vs. 8% of rural residents) were more likely to

have ordered goods or services via the Internet, by the postal service or phone from sellers or providers

located in another EU country.

1.2. Cross-border purchases when travelling abroad

EU consumers were more likely to have made cross-border purchases face-to-face, i.e. when they were

on holiday, shopping or on business trips, rather than through distance sales channels; in the 12 months

prior to the survey, almost 3 in 10 (26%) EU consumers had purchased goods in another EU country,

compared to 9% of respondents who had made a cross-border distance purchase within the EU.

The proportion of consumers who had made purchases when travelling abroad in the past 12 months

ranged from roughly one in seven (13%-14%) respondents in Portugal and Bulgaria to more than 6 in

10 (62%) in Luxembourg. In Finland and Denmark, roughly half (48%-51%) of interviewees had

purchased goods when travelling in another EU country.

62

51 48 45 43 43 40 39 38 3733 32

28 27 27 26 26 25 2521 19 18 18 17 17 16 14 13

0

20

40

60

80

100

LU

DK FI

IE CY

SE

MT

NL

AT SI

BE

DE

CZ

SK

LV

FR

EU

27

EE

UK IT PL

LT

HU

RO ES

EL

BG

PT

Q2. In the past 12 months have you purchased any goods while on holiday, shopping or business trip in another EU country?

Base: all respondents, % of ‘Yes’ answers by country

Purchasing goods while on a holiday, shopping or on a business trip in another EU country

Full-time students (38% vs. 26% on average), respondents with the highest level of education (36%),

employees (34%), the self-employed (33%) and 15-24 year-olds (32%) were more likely to have

purchased goods when travelling in another EU country.

1.3. Financial services provided at a distance

Roughly a tenth of EU citizens had purchased or signed up to a financial service (e.g. current account,

savings account, insurance policy, mortgage, etc.) via the Internet, by phone or the postal service in the

12 months prior to the survey.

As with the results discussed in the previous chapter, EU consumers tended to buy financial services in

their own country: 9% of EU consumers had signed up to a financial service with a national provider,

1% had done so from another EU provider and 0.2% from a non-EU provider. As the chart below

illustrates, no significant changes have taken place since 2008 in this regard.

Consumers in Sweden and Latvia were the most likely to have purchased or signed up to a financial

service via the Internet, by phone or via the postal service in the 12 months prior to the survey (both

20%). In contrast, this was the case for just 4% of consumers in Italy and 6% in Germany, France and

Portugal.


page 13

10

1

1

87

1

Yes, from a seller/provider located in (OUR COUNTRY)

Yes, from a seller/provider located in another EU country

Yes, from a seller/provider located outside the EU

No

DK/NA

Purchases of financial services made “at a distance” in the past 12 months

9

1

0.2

90

0

Yes, from a seller/provider located in country

Yes, from a seller/provider located in another EU country

Yes, from a seller/provider located outside the EU

No

DK/NA

Fl299 (09/2010) EBS 298 (02-03/2008)

Fl299 (2010): Q4. Have you purchased or signed up to any financial services (e.g. current account, credit cards, savings account, insurance policy, mortgage, etc.) over the Internet, phone or post in the last 12 months?

Base: all respondents, % EU27

EBS 298 (2008): QC21. Have you purchased or signed up to any financial services (e.g. current account, savings account, insurance policy, mortgage, etc.) over the Internet, phone or post in the last 12 months?



page 14

2. Consumers’ confidence and attitudes towards shopping in their home country and cross-border

2.1. Levels of confidence

Almost half (48%) EU consumers said they were more confident when ordering goods or services via

the Internet from sellers or providers in their own country than from those in other parts of the EU;

very few respondents said the opposite (4%). A third of EU consumers felt just as confident in cross-

border e-commerce situations as they did domestically. Compared to 2008, there appeared to be an

increase in the proportion of respondents who felt more confident when shopping online from

suppliers in their own country (from 37% in 2008 to 48% in 2010); this increase was, however, mostly

caused by the decrease in respondents who gave a “don’t know” response (from 23% in 2008 to 16%

in 2010).

A slim majority (52%) of EU consumers tended to be more confident when purchasing goods or

services by phone or via the postal service in their own country than when shopping in that way in

another EU country; slightly less than half (47%) felt more confident buying something from sales

representatives in their own country than from those from other EU countries. The proportions feeling

equally confident about shopping in their own country or in cross-border purchasing situations were

27% for shopping via the postal service or phone and 29% for buying from sales representatives.

Finally, 39% of EU consumers said they were equally confident when shopping in person while on a

holiday, shopping or business trip to another EU country or when shopping in their own country; the

proportion who preferred shopping in their own country was slightly lower (37%).

54

45

50

44

26

30

29

35

2

2

3

3

18

23

19

18

Purchasing goods or services byphone or post

Purchasing goods or services viathe Internet

Purchasing goods or services fromsales representatives at your home

or work

Purchasing goods or services fromseller/provider whilst on holiday,on a shopping trip or a business…

46

37

46

36

29

35

28

37

6

6

6

6

19

23

21

21


Purchasing goods or services viathe Internet


or work

Purchasing goods or services fromseller/provider whilst on holiday,on a shopping trip or a business…

52

48

47

37

27

33

29

39

3

4

3

5

18

16

22

19


Purchasing goods or services via theInternet


or work

Purchasing goods or services fromseller/provider whilst on holiday,

on a shopping trip or a business trip

Q6 (Fl299, 2010) / QC16 (EBS298, 2008) / QB22 (EBS252, 2006). For each of the following, would you be more confident making purchases from sellers/providers located in another European Union country, in [OUR COUNTRY] or equally confident in both?


Fl299 (09/2010)

EBS 298 (02-03/2008)

Level of confidence in cross-border purchases

More confident in sellers from another EU country

More confident in sellers from this country than in another EU country

Equally confident DK/NA

EBS 252 (02-03/2006)

Younger respondents, full-time students, respondents with a high level of education, metropolitan

residents, employees and the self-employed appeared to be more confident than their counterparts

when purchasing goods or services from sellers and providers located in another EU country.

As in 2008, a higher proportion of people in the Nordic countries tended to prefer purchasing goods

or services via the Internet from suppliers in their own country: 57% in Sweden, 59% in Denmark

and 62% in Finland. In the current wave, the Nordic countries were joined by the Czech Republic

(61% had more confidence in domestic sellers than in foreign ones) and the UK (64%).


page 15

Roughly 6 in 10 (59%) of consumers in Luxembourg, on the other hand, were equally confident about

purchasing goods via the Internet from providers/sellers located in their own country and from those in

another EU country. In Spain and Ireland, roughly half of respondents expressed this view (49%-50%).

64 62 61 59 57 54 53 52 52 49 48 48 46 43 43 42 41 41 41 39 36 36 34 34 3227 25 20

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16

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20

40

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UK FI

CZ

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SE

DE

HU PL SI

NL

EU

27

FR

AT

EE

CY IT EL

SK IE BE

LV

ES

LT

PT

MT

RO

BG

LU

DK/NA

More confident in sellers from another EU country

Equally confident

More confident in sellers from this country than in another EU country

Q6. For each of the following, would you be more confident making purchases from sellers/providers located in another European Union country, in [OUR COUNTRY] or equally confident in both?

Base: all respondents, % by country

Levels of confidence when purchasing goods or services via the Internet

2.2. Outlook for cross-border shopping in the EU

Willingness to purchase goods and services in other EU countries

One in seven (14%) EU consumers said they would spend more on cross-border purchases in the

coming year than they did in the 12 months prior to this survey. This proportion has remained

relatively stable since 2006 (see chart on the next page). Almost half (47%) of EU consumers said they

were not interested in making cross-border purchases in the coming year; this results represents a

decrease of 10 percentage points compared to 2006 and 2008.

Men, younger consumers, those with the highest level of education (and full-time students),

employees, the self-employed and city dwellers appeared to be more willing to engage in cross-border

shopping than their counterparts in other socio-demographic groups.

Among respondents who had made at least one cross-border purchase via the Internet, by phone or via

the postal service, 35% thought that, in the next 12 months, they would spend more on cross-border

purchases that they did in the previous 12 months.

The proportion of consumers who disagreed that they were not interested in making cross-border

purchases in the coming year ranged from 31% in Hungary to 67% in Ireland. In total, in 11 Member

States, more than half of respondents disagreed that they were not interested in making cross-border

purchases; from 52% in Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands and Austria to 67% in Ireland.


page 16

18 1721 20 9 22

21 31 19 30 24 36 33 2925

2432 20

2729

4537

42 31 3034 34 4511 13

13 14 1815 12 12

20 16 1613 15 18

26 2215

23 2725

14 13 1623 22

18 21 17

22 2420 18

24 22

516 21 24 18

21 19 1929 26 19 20 18

21 16 10 1421 17 11

15 1345 42 41 4033 33

4936 31 28 34

27 29 2717 19 24 23 22 17 21

27 2215 18 23 17 18

4 4 6 916

8 135 9

3 8 3 4 8 4 8 10 156 8 4

147 11 13 15 14

7

0

20

40

60

80

100IE LU

DK

FR

BE

CY

MT

AT

NL FI

SE

DE

UK

EU

27 SI

SK

LV IT ES

CZ

EL

RO

BG

PL

EE

PT

LT

HU

Totally disagree Tend to disagree Tend to agree Totally agree DK/NA

Q5. Thinking generally about purchasing goods or services from sellers/providers located elsewhere in the European Union, which we refer to as ”cross-border shopping”, please tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with each of the following

statements.Base: all respondents, % by country

You are not interested in making a cross-border transaction in the EU in the next 12 months

Across almost all Member States, less than 30% of respondents said they were not interested in

making cross-border purchases because they did not have access to the Internet. In countries with a

higher level of households without Internet access – such as Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary –

respondents were more likely to agree with this statement (35% in Romania, 36% in Bulgaria and 40%

in Hungary).

Consumers in Luxembourg and Sweden were the most likely to agree that they were prepared to

purchase goods or services using another EU language (72% and 68%, respectively), while those in

Hungary and the UK most frequently disagreed with the proposition (71% and 68%, respectively).

Obstacles to cross-border shopping

Roughly 6 in 10 (59%) EU consumers agreed that they were not interested in cross-border shopping

because they were worried about falling victim to scams or frauds when purchasing products or

services in another country (34% said they “totally agreed” with that statement). A similar proportion

(57%) of EU consumers were not interested in making cross-border purchases because they were

worried that difficulties could arise if there would be a need to resolve problems, such as returning

a faulty product (32% said they “totally agreed”) and about half (47%) of respondents were worried

about the delivery of products purchased in another country (24% said they “totally agreed”).

In a majority of Member States, at least half of respondents were not interested in cross-border

shopping because they were worried about falling victim to scams or frauds when purchasing

products or services in another country; respondents in Greece (74%), the UK (66%), Hungary, the

Czech Republic and Spain (all 64%) were the most likely to express such concerns. In the Netherlands,

on the other hand, 42% of respondents agreed, and 50% disagreed, that they were not interested in cross-

border shopping because they were worried about potential scams or frauds. Consumers in Ireland and

Luxembourg, however, were the most likely to disagree (both 54%).


page 17

5245 40

31 2840

33 3024

3340

34 3326

34 29 3325 29

3728 29 29 26

19 2128

22

2221

2433 36

2128 31 37

2820

25 2633

2529 24

31 27 1824 21 20 22

29 25 1722

1014 15 20 16 20 15 18

25 2412 17

1219 15 16 20

29 2413 18

721 25

1629 28 23

13 18 18 14 17 1714 13

12 14

2018

18

18 2316

1911

14

2124

38

27 24

25

25 2627

2 2 3 3 3 29 9

3 29 5

123 3

115 3 6 11 6 6 3 2

111 2 6

0

20

40

60

80

100E

L

UK

HU

CZ

ES

DE

EE

LT SI

FI

BG

EU

27

PT

SE

FR IT CY

SK

PL

RO

LV

MT

AT

DK

BE

LU IE NL

Totally agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Totally disagree DK/NA

Q5. Thinking generally about purchasing goods or services from sellers/providers located elsewhere in the European Union, which we refer to as ”cross-border shopping”, please tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with each of the following statements.

Base: all respondents, % by country

You are not interested in making a cross-border transaction because you are worried that you could fall victim to scams or frauds when purchasing goods or services

Men, 25-39 year-olds, those with the highest level of education and the self-employed were less likely

to agree they were not interested in cross-border shopping because they were worried about becoming

a victim of scams or frauds, about difficulties that could arise in the resolution of complaints or about

the delivery of products purchased in another country.


page 18

3. Consumer protection

3.1. Consumer complaints

A sixth of EU consumers answered that, in the 12 months prior to the survey, they had encountered a

problem when buying goods or services in their own country: 4% had not made a complaint about the

problem (unchanged compared to 2009) and 13% said they had complained about it to the seller or

provider (+3 percentage points compared to 2009).

In the 12 months leading up to the survey, 3 in 10 (31%) consumers in Bulgaria had encountered a

problem when buying goods or services in their own country. In Belgium, Austria and Luxembourg,

on the other hand, only about a tenth (all 11%) had encountered such a problem.

Respondents with the lowest level of education and older consumers (aged 55 and over) were the least

likely to state that they had encountered problems when buying goods or services (10%-12%,

compared to 20% of respondents with the highest level of education and 21% of 25-39 year-olds).

Problems encountered when making a purchase

Q9 (Fl299, 2010) / Q5 (Fl282, 2009). In the past 12 months, have you encountered any problem when you bought something [IN COUNTRY]?


13

4

83

0

Yes - and I complained about it to the seller/provider

Yes - but I did not complain about it to the seller/provider

No

DK/NA

16

2

2

2

77

2

Yes

No, because it was unlikely you would get a …

No, because the sums involved were too …

No, because you did not know how or …

No, you have not encountered any problems

DK

6

EBS298: QC12 In the last 12 months, have you made any kind of formal complaint by writing, by telephone or in person, to a seller\ provider about a problem you encountered?MULTIPLE ANSWERS

10

4

85

1

Fl299 (09/2010) Fl282 (07/2009)

Consumers who had encountered a problem when buying goods or services, but who had not

made a complaint about it to the seller or provider, were asked for their reasons for not doing so.

Two reasons were given above all others: the amount of money being too small to be concerned about

(29%) and the lack of confidence in getting a satisfactory resolution to the problem (27%).

A slim majority of EU consumers – who had made a complaint about a problem they had encountered

in the past 12 months – were satisfied with the way their complaint was dealt with by the seller or

provider: 21% said they were very satisfied and 31% reported being fairly satisfied.

Consumer satisfaction with complaint handling varied greatly between Member States. In Sweden,

Estonia and Luxembourg, more than two-thirds (68%-70%) of consumers – who had filed a complaint

to a seller or provider about a problem – were satisfied with the way their compliant had been handled.

In Malta, Spain and Cyprus, however, roughly a third of respondents who had complained to a seller

or consumer were satisfied with the way their complaint had been handled (32%-35%), while almost

twice as many stated the opposite (60%-64%).


page 19

3423

34 34 3221 19 17

3023 20

2736

1319 18

2821

3023 22

9

25 2013

2212

18

3647

34 30 3141 44 45

3136 37 29

20

43 35 3524

31 2027 27

3618 22

29 1322 14

14 12 1111

20 17 1424

11 18 16 16 22 18 23 21 2719 26

16 21 24 2838

2324

20 27

17 15 18 2414 19 21

1426 20 25 27 21

2023

1918

2723

32 29 28 2917

33 3940

37

0 3 4 1 3 1 3 1 3 3 1 1 2 71

7 2 3 1 3 2 3 1 2 2 2 6 4

0

20

40

60

80

100

*LU

EE

SE

DK

LV IT LT

SK

UK FI

SI

NL

BE

PL

BG

PT

HU

EU

27

AT

FR

DE

RO IE CZ

EL

CY

ES

MT

Very satisfied Fairly satisfied Not very satisfied Not at all satisfied DK/NA

Q10A. In general, were you satisfied or not with the way your complaint(s) was (were) dealt with by the seller/provider?Note: * n<50

Base: those who had encountered a problem and complained about them to the seller/provider, % by country

Satisfaction with the way complaints were dealt with by the seller/provider

Following an unsatisfactory resolution of their complaints, nearly one in two (46%) consumers had

given up and taken no further action. As in the previous wave of this trend survey, the youngest

consumers (15-24 year-olds) – and full-time students – were the least likely to have taken action (55%

and 61%, respectively).

Around one in three of this group of unsatisfied consumers chose to take their complaint to a third

party consumer complaint body: 16% had asked advice from a consumer association or helpdesk, 8%

had complained to a consumer authority and 3% had taken the matter to an arbitration, mediation or

conciliation body. Finally, 7% of these unsatisfied consumers had consulted a lawyer and 2% had

taken the matter to court.

46

15

9

8

3

3

26

2

You took no further action

You asked for the advice of a comsumer association/consumer help desk

You complained to a public authority (consumer authority, regulator or local/regional authority)

You asked for the advice of a lawyer

You brought the matter to an arbitration, mediation or conciliation body

You brought the matter to court

Other

DK/NA

Actions taken after complaints were dealt with in an unsatisfactory manner

46

16

8

7

3

2

26

2

You took no further action

You asked for the advice of a consumer association/consumer help desk

You complained to a public authority (consumer authority, regulator or local/regional authority)

You asked for the advice of a lawyer

You brought the matter to an arbitration, mediation or conciliation body

You brought the matter to court

Other

DK/NA

Q11 (Fl299, 2010) / Q7(Fl282, 2009). How did you proceed further?Base: those who were not satisfied with the way their complaint was dealt with , % EU27

149

34

5123

0

You asked for the advice of a consumer …You asked for the advice of a solicitor

You brought the matter to an arbitration, …You brought the matter to court

You took no further actionOther

DK

EBS298: QC14 What did you do when your complaint(s) was(were) not dealt with in a satisfactory manner? MULTIPLE ANSWERS

Fl299 (09/2010) Fl282 (07/2009)

3.2. Problems with delivery of products

A sixth of EU consumers (18%) – who had used the Internet, the postal service or phone to buy

products or services from a national seller or provider in the past 12 months – had experienced a delay

in the delivery of their order and 6% said that the product or service was not delivered at all. In 2008,

the corresponding proportion for “a delay in delivery” was eight percentage points higher (26% vs.

18% in 2010); the current results, however, were again closer to those observed in 2006.


page 20

Among EU consumers who had made at least one distance purchase, in the past year, from a seller or

provider located in another EU country, 16% had experienced a delay in the delivery of their order

(two percentage points lower than for domestic purchases – see above) and said that the product or

service was not delivered at all (one percentage point lower than for domestic purchases). Among EU

consumers who had made at least one distance purchase from a seller or provider outside the EU, 19%

reported a “delayed delivery” and 6% “no delivery at all”.

18

5

17

4

15

5

A delay in the delivery of somethingpurchased from a seller/provider

located in [COUNTRY]

You purchased something from aseller/provider located in [COUNTRY]

and it was not delivered at all


located in another EU country

You purchased something from aseller/provider located in another EUcountry and it was not delivered at all


located outside the EU

You purchased something from aseller/provider located outside the EU


26

5

15

7

17

5

A delay in the delivery of somethingpurchased from a seller/provider located

in [COUNTRY]

You purchased something from aseller/provider located in [COUNTRY]



in another EU country



outside the EU



Delay in delivery and non-delivery of goods or services purchased by distance

18

6

16

5

19

6


located in country

You purchased something from aseller/provider located in country and

it was not delivered at all


located in another EU country



located outside the EU



Q3 (Fl299, 2010) / QC8 (EBS 298, 2008) / QB4 (EBS 252, 2006). During the past 12 months have any of the following situations happened to you when purchasing something at a distance in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere?

% EU27 in 2010-2008% EU25 in 2006

Fl299(09/2010)

EBS 298 (02-03/2008)

EBS 252 (02-03/2006)

Base: those who had made at least one distance purchase from a seller or provider in their own country

Base: those who had made at least one distance purchase from a seller or provider in another EU country

Base: those who had made at least one distance purchase from a seller or provider in a non-EU country

Focusing solely on respondents who had made at least one distance purchase in the past 12 months, the

total proportion of respondents who had experienced problems with the delivery of such distance

purchases from national sellers or from sellers in other EU countries ranged from 10% in Lithuania to

27%-28% in Malta, the Netherlands and Ireland.

28 28 2725 24 23 23 22 22 21 21 21 21 20 20 20 20 19 19 18 18 18 17 17

15 15 14

10

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

IE

NL

MT

FR

UK

DE

SE

CY

EU

27

FI

EE

IT

SK

LU

AT

BE

EL

CZ

PL

RO

PT

BG

DK

ES

HU SI

LV

LT

Q3. During the past 12 months have any of the following situations happened to you when purchasing something at a distance in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere?

Base: those who had made at least one purchace via the Internet, by phone or post, % by country

Overall level of problems with delivery of distance purchases (domestic and cross-border)

Among respondents who had made at least one distance purchase in the past 12 months, 25-39 year-

olds, full-time students, those with the highest level of education, employees and manual workers were

more likely to have had problems with the delivery of a distance purchase.


page 21

3.3. Unfair commercial practices

In the 12 months prior to the survey, 61% of EU consumers said that they had come across unsolicited

commercial advertisements, statements or offers (cold calls, spam emails etc.), 43% stated that they

had come across misleading or deceptive advertisements or offers and 29% reported having seen what

they believed to be fraudulent advertisements or offers4.

A fifth of EU consumers – who had seen misleading or deceptive advertisements or offers – had

actually responded to such an advertisement or offer; this translates to 8% of all EU consumers having

fallen victim to deceptive advertising in the 12 months prior to the survey.

Of those who had come across fraudulent advertisements or offers, 16% had realised their error after

having responded to the advertisement or offer; this translates to 5% of all EU consumers having

fallen victim to fraudulent advertising in the past 12 months.

Men, the self-employed and employees, those with the highest level of education, full-time students

and metropolitan respondents were more likely than their counterparts to have come across

unsolicited, misleading or fraudulent advertisements.

60

54

10

36

7

39

43

43

61

29

46

64

0

3

0

4

0

Came across unsolicited commercialadvertisements, statements or offers

(cold calls, spam emails, etc.)

Came across misleading or deceptiveadvertisements, statements or offers

Responded to an advertisement oroffer that turned out to be misleading

or deceptive

Came across fraudulentadvertisements, statements or offers

Responded to an advertisement oroffer that turned out to be fraudulent

Yes No Not applicable DK/NA

Unsolicited or misleading advertisments or offers

Q8(Fl299, 2010) / Q3(Fl282, 2009). Have any of the following happend to you in the past 12 months?Base: all respondents, % EU27

61

43

8

29

5

38

52

34

64

24

58

71

1

6

0

7

0

Came across unsolicited commercialadvertisements, statements or offers

(cold calls, spam emails, etc.)

Came across misleading or deceptiveadvertisements, statements or offers

Responded to an advertisement oroffer that turned out to be misleading

or deceptive

Came across fraudulentadvertisements, statements or offers

Responded to an advertisement oroffer that turned out to be fraudulent

EBS298: QC5 Have any of the following happened to you in the last 12 months in (OUR COUNTY) or elsewhere? Answer categories and base were different.These are calculated proportions:

58

42

9

27

6

41

53

90

68

93

1

5

1

5

1

Came across unsolicited…

Came across misleading or…

Responded to an advertisement…

Came across fraudulent…

Responded to an advertisement…

Yes No DK/NA

Fl299 (09/2010) Fl282 (07/2009)

Finland recorded the highest proportion of consumers who said they had been exposed to unsolicited

commercial advertisements or offers in the 12 months prior to the survey (80%). In accordance with

the results of the previous wave, consumers in France and Spain were also among the most likely to

have come across these kinds of unfair practices (71%-72%); similar proportions were, however, also

observed in Austria and Sweden (71%-73%).

4 Misleading or deceptive advertisements are those which contain false information or present factually correct information,

about the goods or services to be sold, in a misleading manner. Fraudulent advertisements actually attempt to obtain money

without selling anything, for example a lottery scam.


page 22

8073 72 71 71 68 68 65 65 62 61 61 61 58 58 58 58 56 55 55 55 52 52 51 49 48 45

39

0

20

40

60

80

100

FI

SE

ES

FR

AT

DK

MT

EL

DE

LU

EU

27

IT

HU SI

PL

CZ

BE

EE IE LV

NL

UK

SK

PT

CY

LT

BG

RO

Q8. Have any of the following happend to you in the past 12 months?Base: all respondents, % of ‘Yes’ answers by country

Experience with unsolicited commercial advertisements, statements or offers (cold calls, spam emails, commercial SMS, etc.)

A majority of consumers in Greece (57%), Austria (58%), Spain and Finland (both 60%) said they had

experienced what they perceived as misleading or deceptive advertisements or offers; in Italy, on

the other hand, just 25% of consumers had seen such advertisements or offers in the past 12 months.

Latvia and Portugal were close to Italy with a third (32%-34%) of respondents who had come across

misleading or deceptive advertisements or offers.

Consumers in Italy were not only the least likely to have come across misleading or deceptive

advertisements or offers, they were also the least likely to have seen what they perceived as

fraudulent advertisements, statements or offers (10%). In Belgium, Malta and Portugal, about a

fifth of respondents said they had had experience with what they perceived as fraudulent offers or

advertisements, while in Greece, Sweden and Austria, more than twice as many consumers had seen

such offers or advertisements (47%-51%).


page 23

4. Consumer protection indicators

Consumer protection measures and the role of consumer support bodies

More than two-thirds of EU consumers had confidence in independent consumer organisations to

protect their rights as consumers: 69%, in total, agreed with this statement; +3 percentage points since

2006. Although the proportion trusting public authorities to protect their rights as consumers remained

lower (63%), it has significantly increased since 2006 (+7 points). Furthermore, a growing majority of

EU consumers agreed that, in general, sellers and providers respected their rights as consumers (65%

vs. 62% in 2006, 58% in 2008 and 59% in 2009). Finally, more consumers felt that they were

adequately protected by the existing consumer protection measures (57% vs. 54% in 2006, 51% in

2008 and 54% in 2009).

29

17

10

11

9

10

7

45

49

52

45

45

32

25

10

16

21

25

26

26

30

5

6

6

9

8

10

15

11

12

11

9

12

21

22

You would be more willingto defend your rights in

court if you could join withother consumers who…

You trust independentconsumer organisations to

protect your rights as aconsumer

In general,sellers/providers in (OURCOUNTRY) respect your

rights as a consumer

You trust public authoritiesto protect your rights as a

consumer

Yot feel that you areadequately protected by

existing measures toprotect consumers

It is easy to resolve disputeswith sellers/providers

through an arbitration,mediation or conciliation…

You have changed yourconsumer behaviour as a

result of a media story (e.g.changed shop or product)


through the courts

Not asked

33

16

9

10

9

8

6

43

48

50

44

42

31

24

9

17

25

27

29

28

32

5

7

8

10

10

13

18

10

12

8

9

10

20

20








consumer








through the courts

Not asked

28

14

8

9

8

6

11

3

50

50

50

45

46

32

28

19

11

18

27

26

27

25

37

26

4

6

7

11

9

10

19

12

8

12

8

9

9

27

6

39








consumer








through the courts

36

23

14

18

14

13

14

8

43

46

51

45

43

35

26

25

9

15

21

20

24

21

29

24

5

8

7

11

11

11

25

16

7

9

7

6

8

20

6

27








consumer








through the courts

Q12 (Fl299, 2010) / Q10 (Fl282, 2009) / QC20 (EBS298, 2008) / QB28 (EBS252, 2006). For each of the following statements, please tell me if you agree or disagree with it. In (OUR COUNTRY)...


Aspects of consumer protection

Fl299 and Fl282/EBS298 and EBS252: Strongly agree/Totally agree Agree/ Tend to agree

Disagree/Tend to disagree Strongly disagree/Totally disagree DK/NA

Fl299

(09/2010)

Fl282

(07/2009)

EBS 298

(02-03/2008)You would be more willing to defendyour rights in court if you could join

with other consumers who werecomplaining about the same thing

You trust independent consumerorganisations to protect your rights

as a consumer

In general, sellers/providers in(OUR COUNTRY) respect your


You trust public authorities toprotect your rights as a consumer

Yot feel that you are adequatelyprotected by existing measures to

protect consumers

It is easy to resolve disputes withsellers/providers through an

arbitration, mediation orconciliation body

You have changed your consumerbehaviour as a result of a media

story (e.g. changed shop or product)

It is easy to resolve disputes withsellers/providers through the courts

EBS 252

(02-03/2006)

About 8 in 10 (79%) EU consumers agreed that they would be more willing to defend their rights in

court if they could join with other consumers who were complaining about the same thing. Almost half

(48%) of respondents agreed it was easy to resolve disputes with sellers and providers through an

arbitration, mediation or conciliation body and a third said the same about resolving disputes

through the courts. A considerable proportion of EU consumers had doubts, or lacked knowledge,

about the functioning of these two bodies that exist to resolve disputes; 20% and 27%, respectively,

gave a “don’t know” response.

For all the statements about consumer confidence, similar countries were each time found at the higher

and lower ends of the country rankings; consumers in Bulgaria, Romania and Lithuania were

consistently among the least likely to agree with the statements, while those in the UK and Ireland

were each time among the most likely to express agreement.

For example, in Ireland and the UK, at least 8 in 10 consumers agreed that they trusted public

authorities to protect their rights as consumers (80%-82%); in Lithuania, on the other hand, less than

half as many respondents agreed with this proposition (37%). Roughly one in two (49%) Lithuanians


page 24

expressed distrust in the public authorities’ protection of their consumer rights; similar levels of

disagreement were observed in Romania, Bulgaria and Slovenia (48%-53%).

3226 24

3122 25

17 16

39

17 18 19 21 18 16 14 17 16 15 15 16 11 7 7 115

135

5054 54

4753 48

56 53

30

51 49 47 44 45 42 43 40 40 40 40 34 39 41 38 3337

2932

9 11 13 10 16 15 1916 11 15 19 21 19 20

21 2519 21 22 18 23

3431

3026

3528 33

6 7 65

5 7 510

9 57 10 13 11

1012

13 9 1611

2311

9 13 2218

23 16

3 2 3 8 3 4 3 511 12 7 4 3 6 12 6 11 14

816

4 613 12 9 4 8

14

0

20

40

60

80

100

UK IE LU

AT

DK

SE FI

IT

MT

HU

NL

DE

CY

EU

27

BE

ES

LV

EE

FR

PT

EL

CZ

SK

PL

RO SI

BG

LT

Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree DK/NA

Q12. For each of the following statements, please tell me if you agree or disagree with it. In (OUR COUNTRY)... Base: all respondents, % by country

You trust public authorities to protect your rights as a consumer

Influence of the media

The country results for the last statement that respondents had changed their consumer behaviour as

a result of a media story showed a very different picture. In just three countries, half – or more –

consumers agreed with this statement: Greece (50%), Italy (55%) and Ireland (57%). In 2009, these

three countries were also characterised by the highest levels of agreement.

21 1625

18 14 1624

17 13 9 14 14 12 13 814 17 12 9 9 13 17 14 13 13 9 7 6

36 39 2529 31 29 19

26 29 33 27 26 27 25 30 23 20 25 28 27 23 18 21 20 2019 17 18

2918 26 34 32 34

1225

33 33 3629 31 35

43

28 29 30 3441

24 2131

24 3032 33 33

13

20 19 15 19 16

3620

2010

2125 24 18

1732 26 21

2116

35 3730

40 26 3736

26

2 7 5 4 3 5 10 125

152 6 6 9

3 3 8 13 9 8 5 6 4 312

3 718

0

20

40

60

80

100

IE IT EL

UK

CY

CZ

MT

RO

DK

LT FI

EU

27

ES

PL SI

DE

BG

EE

NL

SK

SE

AT

LV

FR

BE

LU

HU PT

Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree DK/NA

Q12. For each of the following statements, please tell me if you agree or disagree with it. In (OUR COUNTRY)... Base: all respondents, % by country

You have changed your consumer behaviour as a result of a media story (e.g. they have changed where they shop or bought a different product)


page 25

5. Product safety enforcement

5.1. Perception about safety of food and non-food products

A majority of EU consumers thought that only a small number of non-food products currently on the

market in their country were unsafe: 16% answered that essentially all such products were safe and

53% felt that a small number of non-food products were unsafe. A fifth of EU consumers, however,

reasoned that a significant number of non-food products marketed in their country were unsafe.

At the time of the last survey, a comparison of the 2008 and 2009 results appeared to show a growing

mistrust of the safety of non-food products: for example, 25% of respondents in 2009, compared to

18% in 2008, thought that a significant number of products currently on the market in their country

were unsafe. The results of the current survey, however, were again closer to those observed in 2008:

for example, both in 2008 and in 2010, somewhat less than a sixth of respondents answered that

essentially all such products were safe (16%-17%).

When asked about the safety of food products as opposed to non-food items, respondents’ perceptions

were similar: 20% of EU consumers said that, essentially, all food products currently on the market in

their country were safe, 52% estimated that a small number of such products were unsafe and 21% felt

that a significant number of food products marketed in their country were unsafe.

Perceived safety of products currently on the market

16

53

20

65

Non-food products

Q13. Thinking about all non-food products currently on the market in (YOUR COUNTRY), do you think that...?Base: all respondents, % EU27

Q14. And thinking about all food products currently on the market in (YOUR COUNTRY), do you think that...?Base: all respondents, % EU27

Food products

20

51

21

5 3Essentially all products are safe

A small number of products are unsafe

A significant number of products are unsafe

Depends on the product

DK/NA

Consumers in Latvia, Lithuania, Greece, Bulgaria and Romania were also the most likely to think that

that a significant number of food products marketed in their country were unsafe; this proportion

ranged from 35% in Latvia to 50% in Romania.

In Finland, on the other hand, just 3% of respondents thought that a significant number of food

products currently on the market were unsafe, while 41% said that the opposite – i.e. that essentially

all food products were safe. Around a third of consumers (33%-35%) shared this latter view in Spain,

Portugal and Luxembourg.


page 26

4135 34 33 31 31 31 31 27 27 26 24 21 20 19 17 17 16 16 15 15 15 12 8 7 6 5 2

53

43 4355

5140

57 55 6149

4454 56

5148 56 54

4961

51 52 5062

29

50

3446

36

3

1410

89

10

9 11 9

1312

1412 21 27

2218

21

1724 24 32

23

50

35

45

46

46

26

7

37

15

1 1 16 14

3 9 5 4 2 8 95 9 7

1 111 4

10

1

11

1 2 7 1 3 5 3 2 2 6 4 5 2 3 3 3 3 4 2 2 3 2 2 3 4 6 2 5

0

20

40

60

80

100

FI

ES

PT

LU

NL

BE IE AT

UK

MT

EE

SK

CZ

EU

27

FR SI

DK

PL

SE IT

HU

CY

DE

RO

LV

LT

EL

BG

Essentially all food products are safe A small number of food products are unsafe

A significant number of food products are unsafe Depends on the product

DK/NA

Q14. And thinking about all food products currently on the market in (YOUR COUNTRY), do you think that...?Base: all respondents, % by country

Perceived safety of food products currently on the market

5.2. Experiences with product recalls

In total, less than a sixth of EU consumers said they had been personally affected by a product recall;

equal numbers existed for the recalls of non-food and food products. More precisely, 3% of EU

consumers mentioned that they had been affected by both a food and non-food product recall, 7% had

only been affected by the former and 6% by the latter.

54

3225 25 22 19 19 19 18 18 17 16 16 15 15 15 14 14 13 13 13 13 12 12 11 11 10 60

20

40

60

80

100

EL

CY

LT SI

PL

LV

EE FI

LU ES

BE

BG

DE

NL

EU

27

SE

FR

SK IE DK

UK

RO

CZ

PT

AT

MT

HU IT

Q15. Have you ever been personally affected by recall of a product from the market?Base: all respondents, % of ‘yes, a food product’, ‘yes, a non-food product’ and ‘yes ,both’ answers by country

Consumers personally affected by product recalls (food and non-food products)

Among consumers who had been personally affected by product recalls, roughly a third (34%) had

not taken any action. A slim majority (55%) of consumers affected by a product recall had contacted

the retailer or the producer, while 3% had contacted a consumer organisation and 2% had contacted the

national public authorities.


page 27

27

44

18

3

2

12

5

1

You did / would not take any action

You contacted / would contact theretailer/distributor

You contacted / would contact the producer

You contacted / would contact a consumerorganisation

You contacted / would contact the nationalpublic authorities

You took some other action / You would dosomething other than the mentioned…

Other

DK/NA

Actions taken in case of a product recall

34

42

13

3

2

10

3

1

You did take any action

You contacted the retailer/distributor

You contacted the producer

You contacted a consumer organisation

You contacted the national public authorities

You took some other action

Other

DK/NA

Q16A (Fl299, 2010 – food and non-food product recalls) / Q16A (Fl282, 2009 – only non-food product recalls). What did you do in that situation?

Base: respondents who had been personally affected by a product recall , % EU27

Fl299 (09/2010) Fl282 (07/2009)Note: only non-food products

Consumers who had not been personally affected by a product recall were asked to estimate what

action they would take in the case that they would be affected by a non-food product recall; in line with

consumers’ actual behaviour, the largest proportion stated that they would contact the retailer (52%).

Contacting the retailer or distributor was the most frequently anticipated reaction to a potential product

recall across all countries surveyed; the proportion selecting this response ranged from 20% in

Lithuania to 74% in the UK.


page 28

6. Environmental impact and purchasing decisions

Roughly a third (32%) of EU consumers said that the environmental impact of products (or services)

had influenced their purchasing decisions in the week prior to the survey. In Greece, a slim majority

(55%) of consumers said that, in the past week, they had considered the environmental impact of

products (or services) when deciding which ones to buy. In Romania, Estonia, Bulgaria and Lithuania,

on the other hand, less than a fifth of respondents gave a similar response (between 15% and 18%).

5548 48 47 44 43 43 42 40 39 39 38 37 36 35 32 32 32

29 27 27 27 26 2518 17 16 15

0

20

40

60

80

100

EL SI

MT

BE

HU SE

DK

AT

PT

NL

FR FI

LU IT CY

EU

27

ES

IE CZ

PL

DE

SK

UK

LV

LT

BG

EE

RO

Q17. Considering everything you bought last week; did the environmental impact of any product (or service) influence your choice? Base: all respondents, % of ’Yes’ answers by country

Does a product’s environmental impact influence consumers’ purchasing decisions?

EU consumers were also asked, in the event that they would want to learn more about the

environmental impact of a product or service that they would like to buy, how they would like to

receive this information. A majority (60%) of EU consumers would like information about the

environmental impact of a product to be displayed on the product itself. Roughly a fifth (21%) of EU

consumers would prefer to

receive such information in

the store when buying the

product or service, while a

minority (5%) would prefer

to find the information on the

Internet (via a website or

home page).

Across almost all EU

Member States, a majority of

consumers would prefer that

information about the

environmental impact of a

product was displayed on the

product itself; consumers in

Hungary and Austria were the

most likely to select this

response (76%-78%).

Preferred display method for information about the environmental impact of products and services

Q18. If you consider environmental impact when purchasing product / service, where would you like the environmental impacts of products (or for services) to be displayed?


6021

5

10

6On the product (if not a service)

Displayed in the store / when it is soldto me

On the internet/homepage/website

No, I would not consider environmentalimpact of products/services

DK/NA

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