Report geo blocking when making cross border purchases

Year of issue 2024
Date of issue 2024.11.22

The Bundesnetzagentur is calling on consumers to report breaches of geo-blocking rules that prevent them from making purchases from traders in other countries.

"Consumers have a right to make purchases under fair and non-discriminatory conditions anywhere within the market. Use your rights and tell us about any breaches of the geo-blocking rules, especially when there are special offers like in Black Friday Week," said Klaus Müller, President of the Bundesnetzagentur.

Consumer rights for cross-border purchases

The Geo-blocking Regulation prohibits traders offering goods and services on the internal market from restricting access to their online shops and to the purchasing of their products based on where European customers live. Consumers are often unable to access national online shops or use certain means of payment from another country. There are exemptions from the rules, however, for example for streaming services and services in the financial, healthcare and transport sectors.

Even during Black Friday Week, traders must make sure that consumers from any country can profit from offers and discounts and are not discriminated against because of where they live.

Bundesnetzagentur enforces Geo-blocking Regulation

The Bundesnetzagentur, as the competent authority, can issue orders to and impose fines of up to €300,000 on traders based in Germany. In the event of a breach by a trader based in another country, the Bundesnetzagentur will request the competent authority in that country to take the necessary measures.

The majority of the complaints that the Bundesnetzagentur has received have been about cross-border purchases of goods, but there have also been complaints about obstacles in accessing certain apps that can only be used in specific countries. Unjustified discrimination in giving additional bonuses to consumers purchasing technical products has also led to complaints.

Consumers experienced discrimination not only from online traders but also from brick-and-mortar retailers. In one instance, the cheapest rate for charging electric vehicles was only available to national customers. There were also complaints from consumers wanting to purchase cars from brick-and-mortar car dealers who refused to sell to customers living in another country or offer certain services linked with the purchase of a car.

The Bundesnetzagentur has also received numerous complaints from consumers in other countries whose orders were cancelled because they had opted for delivery via a parcel forwarding service. A large number of consumers use the address of a parcel forwarding service provider to have goods delivered to an address of their choice in another country. Traders are not required to deliver goods outside their own specific delivery area, but it must be possible for customers in another country to have goods delivered to addresses (including parcel forwarding service providers' addresses) within the specific delivery area.

In all cases so far in which the Bundesnetzagentur has intervened and which have been closed, the companies concerned have ceased breaching the Geo-blocking Regulation.

Complaint form

Complaints about geo-blocking can be submitted online at www.bundesnetzagentur.de/geoblocking-beschwerde.

Further information about geo-blocking is available at www.bundesnetzagentur.de/online-einkaufen.

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