This week many online retailers in Germany, France and the United Kingdom have received an EU questionnaire about “competition obstacles to ecommerce within European markets”.
BVOH President Oliver Prothmann is asking all online retailers to participate: “We ask all those traders that have received this to join in and make their voices heard!”
Oliver explains that is is a unique opportunity to do something about obstacles and restrictions in ecommerce. The more extensive the information gathered, the more comprehensive EU action can be. If you have any questions the BVOH are more than happy to help.
What the EU want to find out is if you suffer anti-competitive situations exist, for example through restrictions by the manufacturer, marketplaces, etc. If you’ve been told that you can’t sell products on certain marketplaces or can sell in the UK but not in other EU territories this is the time to make your voice heard.
EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said “With this sector inquiry my aim is to determine how widespread these barriers are and what effects they have on competition and consumers. If they are anti-competitive we will not hesitate to take enforcement action under EU antitrust rules”.
The BVOH has actively supported the EU-Commission from the outset and is in close contact with the project team. Because the questions are very complex, the BVOH is available to help online retailers if required with confidential help and advice on +49 30 49876660 or via e-mail at [email protected].
If you are affected by online restrictions and didn’t get an email from EU-Commission you can ask for the questionnaire on the europa site.
4 Responses
I emailed asking to be included.
This morning I got my invite.
Stage 1, complete your details including your fax number. I don’t have a fax – does anyone still use them? Without a valid fax number you can’t get to stage 2. You couldn’t make it up.
It seems the Daily Mail are in fact right about the EU. 😀
So if you’re thinking of asking to be included and don’t have a fax number don’t waste your time.
Dearie me! That’s pathetic!
I did try the +44000000000 but that is recognised as an invalid number. So they’re efficient in some ways! 🙂
the eBay VERO program does the same thing.
– after you fax the first one over, you can email the rest, but they’re adamant you must fax the first.
after digging through cupboards to find a fax machine that hadnt been used in 10 years (and was old then), thoroughly dusting, banging, swearing at, and generally hating the fact i’m having to use this junk to contact one of the worlds largest internet companies, i eventually managed to send one.
– funny enough, 15 year old technology doesnt send great copies, so i had to repeat the process half a dozen times before they got a legible one.
who the hell is sitting in an office receiving faxes thinking “this is the way to do it”?