In the world of new digital opportunities, consumers often feel defenseless
When shopping online, the customer often remains defenseless. Research shows that only 22% of Poles know their consumer rights, and 65% are unable to indicate provisions in the contract that prove that it is correct. The security of digital transactions should therefore be a priority – emphasized the participants of the conference “Consumer in the world of new digital opportunities”, organized by the Lewiatan Confederation.
She mentioned the security of purchases in the digital world Małgorzata Mroczkowska–Horne, director general of the Lewiatan Confederation, opening the conference. In her opinion, new technologies offer enormous opportunities, but also pose great challenges for us, e.g. related to artificial intelligence or digital transactions.
Mariusz Mielczarek, Regional Director for Central and Eastern Europe, Amazon, pointed out that the new EU regulations that are coming into force are intended to protect customers and ensure that they feel safe on the Internet. – For us, the customer is the most important, which is why we take care of their safety using innovative technologies – he added.
– We are dealing with an imbalance in the digital market. Customers can’t keep up with all the changes in the digital world, he said Daniel Mańkowski, vice-president of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection. Many companies take advantage of this lack of knowledge and simply deceive consumers. We know from international research that on average three out of four websites use mechanisms that influence customers’ purchasing decisions.
This month, the provisions of the EU General Product Safety Regulation and the Directive on Liability for Defective Products enter into force. These new regulations were the topic of the panel “Safety of purchases and products in e-commerce – latest trends, future requirements”. Experts agreed that they were beneficial for customers and would better protect their interests.
Any solution that increases the security of online shopping is good for customers. But consumers do not know or read the information contained in the new regulations. They cannot take care of their rights. Without the support of specialized institutions (UOKiK, consumer organizations) they will not be able to cope. Therefore, we need a broad information and educational campaign that will popularize knowledge about consumer rights – she argued. Anna Dąbrowska, professor, Department of Consumer Behavior Research, Institute of Management, Warsaw School of Economics.
Katarzyna Ciechanowska-Ciosk, country leader, Amazon.pl also believes that new EU regulations are beneficial for customers, but their implementation in practice will be important. It’s about applying equal rules for everyone.
– For us, the most important thing is the customer and his well-being. You should feel safe in our store. We use modern technologies to protect it against fraud, she added.
For Mateusz Winczura, mid-associate, KRK Kieszkowska Rutkowska Kolasiński law firm enforcement of new regulations is also very important. – To increase the effectiveness of new solutions, the provisions of the directive must be faithfully implemented and an effective path for pursuing claims must be ensured – he said.
During the conference, people also discussed how artificial intelligence can serve consumers, but also how it can harm them. Experts also discussed how the Digital Services Act changes the rules of the game for consumers and how consumer choices affect the competitiveness of European companies.
