Recommendations Much work is going on around the world to establish whether changes need to be made to bring electronic commerce within existing legislation and codes of practice. However, there has been little empirical research evidence to guide these efforts. Consumers International set up this study, bringing together an international team to conduct an extensive practical research exercise, with the aim of determining where the real problems for consumers lie. Once consumers start buying from abroad, there are complex consumer protection issues to resolve - in particular, whose legislation they are covered by. International bodies are fully aware of the need for work in this area.
Many specific recommendations arise from the detailed research findings.
These are summarised below, and can also be found in context within the main body of the report. In addition to these specific recommendations, most of which are aimed at retailers, we offer three more general recommendations that require international consideration and implementation. If consumers are to take full advantage of the global shopping mall theoretically offered by the internet, they must feel confident of receiving a consistent standard of consumer protection wherever they shop. In order to make this possible, a co-ordinated international approach is needed to the formulation of guidelines governing electronic commerce. Because adherence to many aspects of best practice guidelines is voluntary, consumers need a way of recognising internet shops which offer high standards of consumer protection with ease, wherever in the world those shops are based.