The internet changes the place, but not this sales practice. Other consumer problems arise from characteristics of the internet, itself. With nearly 1 million web pages, consumers face an overwhelming amount of choice. The internet is a fluid medium in constant flux. Evidence of fraud is hard to find when the origin of a home page can be quickly changed.
Borderless exchange can occur across state and national lines.
The federal government has limited powers to deal with problems arising from international commerce. Given the large and growing number of web pages, the cost of directly policing the web could be prohibitive. Recent outcry against possible government regulation of sexually oriented material on the web as an infringement of free speech made it clear there are very divergent views regarding both the what and how of regulation on the web. Education has often been a strong defense for consumers facing a beguiling marketplace. But, the problem here is not that internet users are uneducated.