The Competition Bureau Experience BUILDING TRUST IN THE ONLINE ENVIRONMENT: BUSINESS TO CONSUMER DISPUTE RESOLUTION JOINT CONFERENCE OF THE OECD, HCOPIL, ICC The Crown Plaza Promenade Hotel The Hague December 2000 Illustrating B2C Complaints in the Online Environment Presented by Competition Bureau, Industry Canada

Most Common Areas of E-Commerce Complaints to Canada’s Competition Bureau non-delivery of goods time for delivery non-disclosure of charges/costs product attributes retail versus on-line pricing

OECD Guidelines - Internet Sweep Results Competition Bureau carried out internet sweep in August 2000 Reviewed 292 websites Included diverse categories of e-merchants: sports and fitness, books, C.D.’s, health & beauty products, clothing

Selected Results: 77% disclose full purchase cost 45% explain liability/warranty 52% describe return, exchange policy 65% describe taxes, other charges 26% provide consumer complaint procedures 16% describe dispute resolution mechanisms

Conclusions - From Our Experience Internet use is gradually growing Consumer issues are multi - jurisdictional Consumers using internet report range of complaints Information disclosure is an area for potential consumer concerns Dispute resolution mechanisms are not widely available