ACM warns: do not immediately click on that purchase button! Check before you buy

In the run-up to the holidays, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets () is warning against untrustworthy online stores. Each year, ACM receives many reports and questions from individuals that receive their orders too late (or not even at all) about having to pay unexpected high return costs, about not getting their money back after having cancelled their purchases during the cooling-off period, or about not being able to get in touch with the online store. These problems are partially caused by dropshippers: these are online stores that have their products shipped directly from China to consumers. This year, ACM has already received more reports and questions about online purchases than it received in 2023 as a whole: over 18,000 reports in 2023, and already 20,000 thus far in 2024. ACM calls on consumers to check if the online store is actually trustworthy before placing an order.

Edwin van Houten, Director of ACM's Consumer Department, adds: "As the holidays are approaching, people are bombarded with ads for glitzy gifts. Making an online purchase is easy as that, especially through online ads, for example on social media. Unfortunately, not every online store is trustworthy. So if you see something nice, just hold on and check several reviews about that online store, preferably on multiple review sites. That is how you filter out the untrustworthy online stores, and avoid a waste of money. Check before you buy!"

What can you do yourself?

The most important and easiest to check in advance are reviews. However, remain vigilant, because reviews, too, can be fake. Therefore, do not look at reviews on the online store's site itself. Instead, search online for the word "reviews" combined with the URL (web address) of the online store. Read the experiences of others on multiple review sites. Sometimes, online stores manage to hide bad reviews on a review site, but that is harder to accomplish on multiple sites. Sort and filter the reviews to get a balanced picture of the online store.

Are you about to place an order with an online store that you do not know yet? If so, consider paying with buyer protection, for example using a credit card. You can also check reports on the police's website. More tips can be found on our Checklist for safe online shopping.

Campaign targeting 18 to 30-year olds

ACM's campaign targets 18 to 30-year olds in particular, using videos on social media, ads on streaming platforms, and a radio ad on podcasts. The ads explain that a deal that seems very nice can sometimes turn out very different. Therefore, always check reviews on multiple sites first to find out if the online store is trustworthy. So check before you buy.

Collaboration with consumer organizations

Each year, ACM collaborates with other consumer organizations, including the Dutch Consumers' Association (in Dutch: Consumentenbond), the European Consumer Centre (ECC), the Fraud Help Desk (in Dutch: Fraudehelpdesk), and the national hotline for online scams (LMIO) of the Dutch police in the awareness campaign against scams and fraud by online stores. The consumer organizations carry out actions of their own as well as collective actions.