CONSUMERS ATTITUDES TOWARDS CROSS- BORDER TRADE AND CONSUMER PROTECTION

Transcription

1 Eurobarometer CONSUMERS ATTITUDES TOWARDS CROSS- BORDER TRADE AND CONSUMER PROTECTION REPORT Fieldwork: September 2011 Publication: May 2012 This survey has been requested by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Health and Consumers and co-ordinated by Directorate-General for Communication. This document does not represent the point of view of the European Commission. The interpretations and opinions contained in it are solely those of the authors. Eurobarometer - TNS Political & Social

2 FLASH Eurobarometer Consumers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection Conducted by TNS Political & Social at the request of the European Commission, Directorate-General for Health and Consumers Survey co-ordinated by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Communication (DG COMM Research and Speechwriting Unit)

3 FLASH TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION... 4 MAIN RESULTS DISTANCE SHOPPING AND CROSS-BORDER PURCHASES Distance purchases by channel Distance shopping via the Internet Distance shopping by telephone Distance shopping by post Overall levels of distance shopping Monetary value of domestic and cross-border distance purchases Value of domestic distance purchases Value of cross-border distance purchases in the EU Value of cross-border distance purchases outside the EU Cross-border purchases while travelling Cross-border purchases while on holiday or on a shopping or business trip CONSUMER CONFIDENCE AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS SHOPPING DOMESTICALLY AND CROSS-BORDER Levels of confidence in domestic and cross-border distance purchases Outlook for cross-border shopping in the EU KNOWLEDGE OF CONSUMER LEGISLATION Cooling-off period in distance selling Length of guarantee validity rights Unfair commercial practices receiving unordered products Overall levels of knowledge

4 FLASH 4. CONSUMER PROTECTION Problems and complaints regarding domestic purchases Problems with the delivery of distance purchases Unfair commercial practices CONSUMER PROTECTION INDICATORS Consumer protection measures Dispute resolution The role of media PRODUCT SAFETY ENVIRONMENT Perceptions of the safety of food and non-food products Experiences of product recall ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND PURCHASING DECISIONS ANNEXES Technical specifications Questionnaire Tables 3

5 FLASH INTRODUCTION This report presents the results of the Eurobarometer survey Cross-border trade and consumer protection, carried out in September This present survey follows on from a series of consumer protection-related surveys that have been conducted since 2006 by the European Commission, DG SANCO (Special Eurobarometer No 252, 2006, Special Eurobarometer No 298, 2008, Eurobarometer No 282, 2009 and Eurobarometer No, 2010) 1. The European Commission aims at improving the business and consumer environment by deepening the single market and enforcing single market and competition rules. Examining consumer conditions across the Member States is fundamental to this end: the Member States and the EU must ensure that goods and services markets are wellfunctioning, open and competitive and that empowered consumers make informed consumer choices in these markets. The overall objectives are set out in the Consumer Protection Strategy for : to empower consumers, to enhance their welfare, and to protect them effectively. In order to build a knowledge base to support policy-making and the development of regulations, the Commission regularly gathers evidence by monitoring markets and national consumer conditions and by studying consumer behaviour through several research tools. The results are compiled twice a year into the Consumer Markets Scoreboard 3 that shows which markets are malfunctioning and do not meet consumer expectations. It monitors market performance from the perspective of economic and social outcomes for consumers. This survey looks at the conditions of EU consumers as reported by consumers themselves in the following areas: Cross-border commerce E-commerce and other distance shopping Consumer problems and complaints Dispute resolution Consumer empowerment in terms of objective knowledge of legislation Consumer perceptions of consumer protection Unfair commercial practices Product safety environment Environmental concerns 1 All reports can be found at All editions of the Scoreboard can be found at 4

6 FLASH This Eurobarometer was carried out by TNS Political & Social. It was conducted in the 27 EU Member States and Norway and Iceland. The interviews were carried out by telephone (fixed-line and mobile phone) between 19 and 21 September ************** The Eurobarometer web site can be consulted at the following address: We would like to take the opportunity to thank all the respondents across the continent who gave their time to take part in this survey. Without their active participation, this study would simply not have been possible. 5

7 FLASH Note ABREVIATIONS EU27 EU15 EU12 European Union - 27 Member States The fifteen Member States that were EU Members prior to the accession of ten candidate countries on 1 May 2004 The twelve Member States that joined the European Union in recent years (2004 and 2007) BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO Belgium Bulgaria Czech Republic Denmark Germany Estonia Ireland Greece Spain France Italy Republic of Cyprus Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Hungary Malta The Netherlands Austria Poland Portugal Romania Slovenia Slovakia Finland Sweden United Kingdom Iceland Norway 6

8 FLASH MAIN RESULTS Distance shopping and cross-border purchases Distance shopping via the Internet is growing across the EU In the past 12 months, nearly half of EU consumers made a distance purchase over the Internet (46%), 20% by post and 13% by phone. Distance commerce remains largely domestic: 53% of the consumers made a distance purchase from local sellers/providers while only 12% made a distance purchase from another EU country. At the EU level, there has been a considerable rise in the proportion of consumers shopping over the Internet: up from 37% in 2010 to 46% in 2011 (+9 points). This growth has been even more pronounced in the period since 2006, with an increase from 27% to 46% (+ 19 points). This trend is observed across all Member States, but is strongest in Slovakia (43%, +37 points since 2006), Poland (47%, +29), the Czech Republic (52%, +28) and Cyprus (34%, +28). EU consumers are significantly more likely to purchase online from local sellers and providers (42%) than from those in other EU countries (10%). The opposite is true for Luxembourg (44% cross-border vs. 13% domestic), Malta (35% vs. 6%), Cyprus (24% vs. 6%), Ireland (36% vs. 29%) and Austria (34% vs. 32%). The level of cross-border online shopping in the EU has increased from 6% in 2006 to 10% in The proportion of consumers purchasing online from sellers outside the EU has also increased from 3% in 2006 to 6% in the present survey. However, it appears that a larger number of EU consumers still make their crossborder purchases face-to-face: 25% of consumers made a purchase while on holiday or on a business trip. Home Internet access increases the likelihood of online shopping both domestically and cross-border 56% of consumers who have Internet access at home have made an online purchase (compared to 50% in 2010, 54% in 2009 and 56% in 2008), a figure that is 10 points higher than the result for all respondents. 51% of consumers who have Internet access at home have used the Internet to buy goods or services from a seller/provider from their own country, compared to 13% who bought from a seller/provider located in another EU Member State. 7

9 FLASH Consumer attitudes towards domestic and cross-border shopping European consumers continue to show more confidence in local sellers/providers for their distance purchases A majority of European consumers (52%) say that they are more confident when purchasing goods or services via the Internet from sellers/providers in their own country than from those located in other EU countries. 34% are equally confident while 3% have more confidence in sellers or providers from other EU countries. The majority of Europeans (56%) also tend to be more confident when buying goods or services by phone or post in their own country than when shopping cross-border elsewhere in the EU. Consumers are increasingly interested in cross-border shopping A growing proportion of consumers, 50%, are willing to purchase goods or services using another EU language (+ 17 points in comparison to 2006). The percentage that would be totally unwilling to shop in a different language has fallen from 42% in 2008 to 30% in The proportion of Europeans who say they know where to get information and advice about cross-border shopping has also risen significantly, from 24% in 2006 to 39% in More consumers are now interested in making cross-border purchases (52%, +19) and are willing to spend more money (18%, +5) than in Knowledge of consumer legislation Varying levels of consumer rights knowledge A high proportion of respondents know that they have the right to return a good ordered by post, phone or the Internet 4 days after its delivery (70%). Conversely, nearly a quarter of consumers (23%) incorrectly believe they have no such right. Just over half of consumers know that they have the right to have a broken item, bought 18 months ago, repaired or replaced free of charge (51%). Nevertheless 2 consumers in 5 (41%) incorrectly believe they do not have this right. EU consumers seem uncertain about what to do if they receive DVDs they have not ordered together with an invoice. Only 35% know that they do not have to pay the invoice or return the DVDs. 59% incorrectly believe that they do not have to pay the invoice only if they return the DVDs. 8

10 FLASH Consumer problems and complaints Fewer delivery problems with cross-border than domestic purchases Across the EU, 1 in 5 consumers who have experience with domestic distance purchases (20%) report a delay in delivery from a domestic seller/provider. 13% of EU consumers who have experience with cross-border distance purchases report they have experienced a delay in the delivery of an item purchased from a seller/provider in another EU country. 18% of consumers who have experience with cross-border distance purchases were unable to buy a good from another EU country as the seller was not able to sell or deliver the products in their country. Most EU consumers refer complaints to the seller/provider/manufacturer 17% of EU consumers report that they have encountered a problem in the past 12 months when buying something in their own country. Of these, 80% complained to the seller/provider/manufacturer while 20% did not do so. This proportion is the same as that observed in The main reasons given for failing to complain about a problem were: the amount of money was too small to be concerned about (42%); no confidence in getting a satisfactory resolution to the problem (35%); the procedure is perceived as too lengthy (27%); lack of information about consumer rights (15%), and lack of knowledge about where to complain (10%). 58% of the consumers who complained were satisfied (50% in 2010). Of those who were not satisfied, 45% took no further action; 13% asked for advice from a consumer association and 6% from a lawyer; 3% went to an arbitration, mediation or conciliation body and 2% went to court. 12% complained to a consumer authority or regulator/regional authority. Unfair commercial practices More EU consumers now report that they have come across unsolicited (69%, +8 points) commercial advertisements, statements or offers than in % of consumers came across misleading or deceptive advertisements (+4 points). Around a fifth (18%) of the consumers who encountered misleading or deceptive advertisements also responded to them. This corresponds to around 8% of all consumers. The proportion of consumers encountering fraudulent advertisements has remained unchanged at 29%. Around a fifth (18%) of the consumers who encountered deceptive or fraudulent advertisements also responded to them. 5% of all consumers responded to such advertisements. 9

11 FLASH Consumer protection indicators Most consumers feel protected by existing measures Nearly three-quarters of consumers (72%) report that they trust independent consumer organisations (+6 points since 2006) to protect their rights. 62% of consumers trust public authorities to protect their consumer rights, a 6 points increase since The great majority of EU consumers agree that, in general, sellers and providers respect their rights as consumers (65% in 2010 vs. 62% in 2006, 59% in 2008 and 58% in 2009). Overall, 58% of consumers feel adequately protected by existing consumer protection measures (no major changes since 2006). More than half of consumers (52%) agree that it is easy to resolve disputes through an arbitration, mediation or conciliation body. This figure falls to 38% for the courts. However, in both cases, EU consumers are now more likely to believe dispute resolution is easy than in 2010 (+4 and +5 points respectively). 55% of EU consumers say that they regularly watch/listen to consumer programmes on TV or radio. 41% say that they have changed their consumer behaviour as a result of a media story (e.g. changed shop or product). Product safety environment A small number of food and non-food products are thought to be unsafe The survey recorded declining trust in the safety of non-food products. In 2011 a quarter of respondents say they believe that a significant number of products are unsafe (compared to 20% in 2010). Slightly more than one in ten respondents now say that essentially all products are safe (compared to 16% in 2010). An absolute majority still thinks that a small number of products is unsafe (56%, compared to 53% in 2010). When asked about the safety of food products as opposed to non-food items, respondents perceptions were quite similar to those reported in 2010: 19% of respondents said that almost all food products were safe (-1 point), 51% thought that a small number were unsafe (-4 points) and 22% that a significant number were unsafe (+1 point). 8% of respondents say they have been personally affected by the market recall of a food product and 6% of a non-food product. Consumers are slightly more likely (4%, +2 points) now than in 2010 to say they have been affected by a recall of both types of products. 10

12 FLASH Environmental concerns Environmental aspects not a priority In 2011, 29% of consumers say that the environmental impact of a product or service influenced their purchasing decision. For a great majority (69%) the environmental impact of a product did not influence their choice. The proportion of consumers who took environmental aspects into consideration has decreased slightly since 2010 (- 3 points). 32% of EU consumers reported that they had encountered misleading information about the environmental impact of a product. 11

13 FLASH 1. DISTANCE SHOPPING AND CROSS-BORDER PURCHASES This first chapter looks at the extent to which Europeans engage in distance shopping 4 both domestically and cross-border. It also examines the levels of cross-border shopping 5, including distance purchases and shopping while abroad. An approximate monetary value is also given for annual distance spending domestically, within the EU and outside the EU. 1.1 Distance purchases by channel Purchases made at a distance in the past 12 months Base: all respondents, % EU27 in / % EU25 in 2006 Q1 In the past 12 months, have you purchased any goods or services, by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways? 4 Distance shopping refers to any purchase made by consumers via the Internet, by telephone or through the postal service from sellers or providers situated either domestically or in another country. 5 Cross-border shopping is any purchase made by consumers from sellers or providers located in a country other than the country in which the consumer is resident; a purchase can be made when travelling abroad or through distance sale channels. 12

14 FLASH As in 2010, most European consumers carry out their distance purchases online. 46% of all respondents have purchased through the Internet in the past 12 months. This represents an increase of 9 points since 2010, suggesting that the share of online shopping is growing rapidly. Since the proportion of Internet shoppers has risen by 19 points, from 27%. Besides online shopping, 20% of consumers have purchased by post and 13% by phone in the past 12 months. The proportions of phone (-2 points since 2006) and mail (-7 points) purchasers have been falling slightly since 2006, particularly for the latter. Internet has become the main channel for distance purchasing in recent years e- commerce has been growing and at the same time the proportions of purchases by post and phone have been declining across all Member States. 6 At the time 25 EU Member States (Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union in 2007). 13

15 FLASH Distance shopping via the Internet As described above, the proportion of consumers who have purchased goods or services by internet in the last 12 months has grown steadily at EU level since At that time, 27% of EU consumers made purchases via the Internet, in comparison to the 46% recorded in Looking at country results it appears that there is a clear link between the prevalence of distance shopping via the Internet and the Internet penetration rate: in countries where the level of Internet access is the highest 7, online shopping is also more widespread. This appears to be the case for all five Nordic countries, namely Sweden (65% purchased via the Internet/household Internet access 88%), Denmark (64%/86%), and Finland (55%/81%), plus Norway (67%/90%) and Iceland (51%/92%). This is also true in the Netherlands (68%/91%), the UK (69%/80%) and Germany (57%/ 82%). In these countries the Internet penetration rate is approaching universal access. Purchases made at a distance in the past 12 months via the Internet Base: all respondents, % by country

16 FLASH On the other hand, in countries with the lowest levels of online purchases, household Internet access remains among the lowest in the EU. These countries are Romania (20% purchased via the Internet/42% household Internet access), Greece (22%/46%), and Bulgaria (22%/33%). Purchases made at a distance in the past 12 months via the Internet Base: all respondents, % of Yes answers by country Q1 In the past 12 months, have you purchased any goods or services, by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways? The chart above clearly shows that Internet shopping constitutes a rising trend across the EU. Since 2006, the largest absolute increases are observed in Slovakia (43%, +37 points), Ireland (56%, + 31 points), Poland (47%, +29), the Czech Republic (52%, +28) and Cyprus (34%, +28), while the slowest growth is recorded in Belgium (34%, +7), Denmark (64%, +11) and Italy (27%, +11). 15

17 FLASH Purchases made at a distance in the past 12 months via the Internet, by those with home access Base: respondents who have home Internet access, % of Yes answers by country Q1 In the past 12 months, have you purchased any goods or services, by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways? Unsurprisingly EU consumers are more likely to purchase via the Internet both domestically and cross-border if they have Internet access at home. Across the EU, there is a 10-point difference in the level of online shopping recorded for all consumers (46%) and for those with home Internet access (56%). At national level, the widest difference is observed in Germany and the Czech Republic, where considerably more (+12 points) consumers with home Internet access purchase online than all respondents. The proportion of home Internet users who have made an online purchase has increased from 50% in 2006 to 56% in This represents an increase of 6 points, compared with 19 points among all respondents. In all Member States, respondents with home access are now more likely or equally likely to purchase online. The largest increases since 2006 are observed in Slovakia (+32 points), Cyprus (+31), Malta (+22) and Lithuania (+20). There has been no essential change in Belgium and Austria. 16

18 FLASH Socio-demographic analysis Online shopping behaviour is strongly linked to a number of socio-demographic characteristics as well as to other background variables as follows: Men (50%) are more likely than women (42%) to purchase online Consumers aged are the keenest online shoppers (65%), followed by the youngest age group (55%) and working-age respondents aged under 55 (50%). Conversely, respondents aged 55+ are significantly less likely to engage in online shopping (25%). The higher their level of education, the more likely respondents are to purchase online: 15% of those who finished their full-time education at the age of 15 or earlier report they have made a purchase via the Internet while the figure is more than three times as high for those who studied until at least the age of 20 (56%). White-collar (63%) and self-employed (59%) respondents are significantly more likely to purchase online than manual workers (44%) and those who are currently not working (32%). An Internet connection at home increases the likelihood of purchasing online in all socio-demographic groups. Base: all respondents 17

19 FLASH The Internet is still used to make distance purchases mainly from national sellers or providers: the proportion of domestic online shoppers has grown considerably from 23% in 2006 to 42% in Cross-border online shopping within the EU has slightly increased in absolute terms. One in ten EU consumers (10%) have now purchased online from a seller/provider in another EU country in the past 12 months compared with 6% in Only 6% of EU consumers have conducted Internet purchases from a seller or provider located outside the EU (+3 percentage points). Distance purchase via the Internet Base: all respondents, % EU27 in / % EU25 in

20 FLASH Distance purchase via the Internet, by those with home access Base: respondents who have home Internet access, % EU27 in / % EU25 in 2006 Having an Internet connection at home significantly increases respondents' likelihood of Internet shopping: 51% of EU consumers with home Internet access have made a domestic online purchase in the past 12 months. Cross-border online shopping is also more common, both within the EU (13% vs. 12%) and outside the EU (8% vs. 7%). 19

21 FLASH Domestic and cross-border online purchases The pages that follow will take a closer look at domestic and cross-border electronic commerce 8. E-commerce has great potential to provide a wider choice for consumers and can also make a substantial contribution to the development of the cross-border shopping dimension of the internal market. Domestic and cross-border Internet purchases Base: all respondents, % of Yes, from a seller/provider located in (OUR COUNTRY) and Yes, from a seller/provider located in another EU country, % by country Q1 In the past 12 months, have you purchased any goods or services, by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways?-via the Internet (website, , etc.) EU consumers are considerably more likely to purchase online from a seller/provider located in their own country (42%) than from one located in another EU country (10%). This is the case in most Member States. The widest difference is observed in the UK, where 67% of consumers have purchased from a domestic seller/provider, while only 15% have purchased online from a seller/provider located in another EU country. A number of exceptions to this pattern can be observed in countries where domestic online markets are relatively small. This is true in Luxembourg (44% cross-border vs. 13% domestic), Malta (35% vs. 6%), Cyprus (24% vs. 6%), Ireland (36% vs. 29%) and Austria (34% vs. 32%), where respondents who purchase from another EU country outnumber those who purchase from domestic sellers/providers. This pattern could already be observed in 2010 for Malta (39% cross-border vs. 7% domestic), Luxembourg (38% vs. 12%), Ireland (34% vs. 26%) and Cyprus (22% vs. 11%)

22 FLASH Focusing solely on respondents with Internet access at home, it appears that having an Internet access tends to have more impact on the levels of domestic online purchases than on cross-border purchases from another EU country. For example, in the UK respondents who have home Internet access are considerably more likely to purchase online from domestic sellers/providers (78% vs. 67%) while the difference remains modest when it comes to cross-border purchases from another EU country (17% vs. 15%). Domestic and cross-border Internet purchases, by those with home access Base: respondents with home Internet access, % of Yes, from a seller/provider located in (OUR COUNTRY) and Yes, from a seller/provider located in another EU country, % by country Q1 In the past 12 months, have you purchased any goods or services, by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways?-via the Internet (website, , etc.) 21

23 FLASH As we have seen, EU consumers who have Internet access at home (51%) are considerably more likely to make domestic online purchases than all respondents (42%). This has been a rising trend since 2006, particularly in Slovakia (+30 points), the Netherlands (+19) and Poland (+18). Conversely, fewer consumers in Ireland now report they have purchased online from a domestic seller/provider (-4) while the situation has remained essentially unchanged in Austria, Belgium and Malta. Domestic purchases made "at a distance" in the past 12 months via the Internet by those with home access Base: respondents who have home Internet access, % of Yes answers by country Q1 In the past 12 months, have you purchased any goods or services, by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways?-via the Internet (website, , etc.) 22

24 FLASH Respondents who have Internet access at home are now generally more likely to shop online cross-border than in 2006 although the changes are much more modest than those observed for domestic online purchases. The largest increases are recorded in Malta (+23 points), Cyprus (+23) and Ireland (+18). As mentioned, these are all countries with relatively small domestic markets which may partly explain the demand for cross-border options. EU cross-border purchase made "at a distance" in the past 12 months via the Internet, by those with home access Base: respondents who have home Internet access, % of Yes answers by country Q1 In the past 12 months, have you purchased any goods or services, by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways?-via the Internet (website, , etc.) 23

25 FLASH Distance shopping by telephone Purchases made at a distance in the past 12 months by phone Base: all respondents, % EU27 in / % EU25 in 2006 The proportion of consumers shopping at distance by telephone has remained relatively unchanged since 2006 with 13% now reporting they have done so in the past 12 months in comparison to 16% in However, distance shopping by phone has been in steady although slight decline in the past 5 years. 12% of EU consumers report they have done so from a domestic seller/provider in comparison to 14% in The level of crossborder purchases by phone has remained very low; around 1% of all EU consumers have used the phone to buy goods or services from a seller or provider located in another EU country. 24

26 FLASH Purchases made at a distance in the past 12 months by phone Base: all respondents, % by country Consumers in the UK and Finland (28% both) are the most likely to purchase at distance by phone, with over a quarter of all respondents reporting that they have done so in the past 12 months. Generally it seems that phone purchases are more common in the North of the EU than in the South. However, in Romania (18%) and in Malta (18%) nearly two respondents out of ten have purchased by phone. 25

27 FLASH Socio-demographic analysis Respondents who finished their full-time education between the age of 16 and 19 (15%) and self-employed respondents (17%) are more likely to purchase at a distance by phone than their counterparts. In addition, the youngest respondents (7%) are significantly less likely to engage in distance shopping by phone than respondents aged 25 or more (13% or more) which reinforces the finding, reported above, that online purchasing is the predominant channel for the youngest age group. Base: all respondents 26

28 FLASH Distance shopping by post Purchases made at a distance in the past 12 months by post Base: all respondents, % EU27 in / % EU25 in 2006 One EU consumer in five has purchased at distance by post in the past 12 months. A significant 8-point decrease in the share of distance shopping by mail can be observed since This trend is mainly linked to a declining share of domestic mail sales: 19% of EU consumers (-6 points since 2006) have purchased at a distance by post from a domestic seller/provider in the past 12 months. The importance of cross-border mail shopping has been negligible since this aspect was first measured. 27

29 FLASH Purchases made at a distance in the past 12 months by post Base: all respondents, % by country Consumers in Austria (31%), Slovakia (30%) and Germany (29%) are the most likely to say they have purchased by mail in the past 12 months, around 30% of respondents having done so. In contrast, less than one in ten consumers in Cyprus (5%), Portugal (8%), Italy (8%) and Greece (8%) have made purchases by post. Almost all consumers who purchased goods and services via the postal service made their transactions with sellers/providers located in their home country. Around 2% of all EU consumers used mail order to buy goods and services from a seller/provider located in another EU country. EU cross-border purchases via the postal services were more common in Luxembourg (9%) and Austria (6%). 28

30 FLASH Socio-demographic analysis Women (23%) are significantly more likely than men (16%) to purchase by mail. This is also the case for respondents who spent longer in full-time education (21% of those who studied till the age of vs. 16% for those who finished their full-time education at the age of 15 or earlier). Interestingly, the gap between the youngest respondents (17%) and older groups (19-21%) is not as wide as it is in the case of telephone distance purchasing. Base: all respondents 29

31 FLASH 1.2 Overall levels of distance shopping Distance shopping in the EU all distance channels (via the Internet, by post or by phone) Base: all respondents, % EU27 in / % EU25 in 2006 Q1 In the past 12 months, have you purchased any goods or services, by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways? In 2011, 57% of EU consumers have made at least one purchase online, by phone or by post in the past 12 months. This represents an increase of 6 points in comparison to 2010 (51%) and substantial growth since 2006 (+13 points from 44%). Most distance purchases take place in the domestic market, with 53% (+5 points since 2010) of all respondents indicating that they have purchased from a seller/provider located in their own country. This represents a rise of 12 points since % of EU consumers have made cross-border distance purchases from a seller/provider located in another EU country. There has been a 3-point rise in EU cross-border distance purchases since In 2006, 7% of EU consumers had made a distance purchase in another EU country, which means that the absolute levels have increased slowly over the last 5 years. Distance shopping in countries outside the EU is not a widespread practice. Only 7% of EU consumers report that they have done so in the past 12 months. However, there has been a 3-point rise since

32 FLASH Distance shopping in the EU all distance channels (via the Internet, by post or by phone) Base: all respondents, % by country Distance shopping appears to be most common in the UK (79%), the Netherlands (75%) and Sweden (75%) where three-quarters of consumers or more shop in this way. In contrast, only about a third of respondents in Bulgaria (32%), Italy (32%), Greece (31%) and Portugal (30%) report that they have purchased any goods or services at a distance in the past 12 months. This suggests that there is a divide in the likelihood of distance shopping between Southern and Eastern Europe on the one hand and Northern and Western Europe on the other. This is partly confirmed by the data as EU15 respondents are considerably more likely to report that they have purchased at a distance than respondents in the EU12 (59% vs. 49%). 31

33 FLASH Distance shopping in the EU all distance channels (via the Internet, by post or by phone) Base: all respondents, % of Yes answers by country Q1 In the past 12 months, have you purchased any goods or services, by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways? In the majority of countries, distance shopping is now significantly more common than in 2006, most strikingly in Slovakia (+34), Ireland (+29), Romania and Cyprus (+27 both). There has been essentially no change in Estonia and Belgium during this period. 32

34 FLASH Domestic distance shopping Distance shopping from local sellers/providers Base: all respondents, % by country Most distance purchases take place in the domestic market with 53% (+5 points since 2010) of all respondents indicating that they have purchased from a seller/provider located in their own country. Over 70% of respondents in the UK (78%), the Netherlands (72%) and Sweden (72%) report that they have purchased at a distance from local sellers/providers in the past 12 months. The lowest figure (9%) is recorded in Cyprus, followed by Malta (19%) and Luxembourg (20%). As noted above, these are the smallest Member States with limited domestic markets, which may explain the low proportions of consumers purchasing from domestic sellers/providers. 33

35 FLASH Distance shopping from local sellers/providers Base: all respondents, % by country Q1 In the past 12 months, have you purchased any goods or services, by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways? Generally, domestic distance shopping is now more common than it was in This is particularly the case in Slovakia (+30 points), Romania (+27) and Poland (+26). Over this period, the proportions have remained relatively stable in Estonia and Belgium, and in Malta there has even been a fall (-5) in the share of consumers who have made a domestic distance purchase. 34

36 FLASH Distance shopping in other EU countries Distance shopping from sellers/providers from another EU country Base: all respondents, % by country 12% of EU consumers have made cross-border distance purchases from a seller/provider located in another EU country which represents a 3-point rise in EU cross-border distance purchases since The prevalence of cross-border distance shopping appears to be linked to the size of the Member State in question: the highest levels are recorded in Luxembourg (47%), Ireland (39%) and Austria (38%), whereas they are considerably lower in large Member States such as the UK (17%), Germany (12%) and France (11%). In general, distance shopping is a widespread practice in all these countries, suggesting that the size of the local goods/services market also plays a role when purchasing cross-border. The lowest levels of cross-border distance shopping within the EU are observed in Hungary (3%) and Romania (4%). 35

37 FLASH Distance shopping from sellers/providers from another EU country Base: all respondents, % by country Q1 In the past 12 months, have you purchased any goods or services, by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways? In most Member States the proportion of consumers who have made a cross-border distance purchase from another EU Member State has increased considerably since This rise is most striking in Ireland (+25 points), Malta (+21) and Cyprus (+20). Over the same period, proportions have remained relatively unchanged in Sweden, Hungary, the Netherlands, Latvia, Estonia, France and Romania, where a rise of only one or two points is recorded. 36

38 FLASH Domestic and cross-border distance purchases across the EU -% Base: all respondents, % by country Q1 In the past 12 months, have you purchased any goods or services, by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways? As the graph above shows, in most countries domestic distance shopping is considerably more widespread than distance shopping from sellers/providers located in other EU countries. This gap is the widest in the UK, where 78% of consumers have made a domestic distance purchase while only 17% have purchased cross-border from another EU Member State. This pattern is reversed in three Member States, namely Luxembourg (47% in another EU country vs. 20% in own country), Malta (37% vs. 19%) and Cyprus (25% vs. 9%). In these countries, consumers are more likely to purchase cross-border than domestically. 37

39 FLASH Distance shopping outside the EU Distance shopping from sellers/providers outside the EU Base: all respondents, % by country 7% of EU consumers have made a distance purchase from a seller/provider outside the European Union (+2 points compared with 2010). Consumers in Malta (20%), the United Kingdom (16%), Ireland (15%) and Cyprus (13%) are the most likely to have made a distance purchase from a seller/provider located outside the EU. At the same time, this practice is virtually unknown in Romania, Poland and Hungary, reflecting the existing gap between EU15 countries and EU12 countries (8% vs. 3%). 38

40 FLASH Distance shopping from sellers/providers outside the EU Base: all respondents, % by country Generally, there has been an upward trend since 2006 in most Member States. This is particularly striking in Malta (+16) and Ireland (+9). 39

41 FLASH 1.3 Monetary value of domestic and cross-border distance purchases Approximate total value of goods or services purchased at a distance Base: respondents who made distance purchases (n= 14645), % EU27 Q2 You said you bought something over the Internet, by phone or post from a seller\ provider located in (...). Please tell me how much you spent in total on goods and services you bought by Internet, phone or post in (...) in the last 12 months, even if it s an approximate amount. In 2011, EU consumers report that they have on average spent 635 on distance purchases in the past 12 months. However, the most frequent total value of purchases remains below 500 and is most likely to be between % of consumers who have purchased at a distance belong to this group. The median of the money spent is 238, which suggests that there are some very high amounts included in the total that skew the average toward a considerably higher sum. On average Europeans spent more domestically ( 564) than cross-border within the EU ( 381) or outside the EU ( 309). 40

42 FLASH Total value of goods or services purchased at a distance Average values and median values (in euro) Base: respondents who made distance purchases (n= 14645), - by country Q2 You said you bought something over the Internet, by phone or post from a seller\ provider located in (...). Please tell me how much you spent in total on goods and services you bought by Internet, phone or post in (...) in the last 12 months, even if it s an approximate amount. Distance shoppers in Luxembourg ( 1046), Denmark ( 922), Austria ( 848), the UK ( 835), Germany ( 827) and the Netherlands ( 819) spent over 800 on average last year. In contrast, they spent less than 300 in Lithuania ( 282), Estonia ( 270), Bulgaria ( 201) and Hungary ( 187).The two highest median values are found in Austria and Germany (both 400) while Bulgaria and Lithuania record the lowest ones (both 87). 41

43 FLASH Value of domestic distance purchases European consumers report that they spent on average 564 on distance purchases within their own country in the last 12 months. For most, the total value of purchases was between 101 and 500 or 100 or less. The median of the money spent is 228 which suggests that there are some very high amounts included in the total that skew the average toward a considerably higher sum. Total value of goods or services purchased at a distance from local sellers/providers Average values and median values (in euro) 9 Base: respondents who purchased at a distance from local sellers/providers (n=13655), -by country Q2.1 You said you bought something over the Internet, by phone or post from a seller\ provider located in (OUR COUNTRY). Please tell me how much you spent in total on goods and services you bought by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) in the last 12 months, even if it s an approximate amount. There are distinct differences between the Member States in terms of the total monetary value of distance purchases, broadly reflecting the overall level of purchasing power in the countries concerned 10. The highest average spending, over 700, is reported in Luxembourg, Norway, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and the UK while the smallest amounts - below are recorded in Bulgaria, Hungary and Lithuania. The difference between the highest average, in Luxembourg, and the lowest, in Bulgaria, is as much as 650. Taking the median amount as the benchmark, some differences can be observed. The highest median amount of 370 is observed in Germany, followed by Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria and Norway ( 300 each). 9 Please note that the results in Cyprus should be interpreted with care as the base is lower than 50 respondents. 10 See for example 42

44 FLASH Total amount spent on domestic distance purchases Base: respondents who purchased at a distance from local sellers/providers (n=13655), % by country Considerable differences are observed between Member States when it comes to the amount respondents have spent in the past year: The absolute majority of respondents in Romania (50%), Hungary (52%), Bulgaria (55%), Estonia (57%), Slovenia (58%), Lithuania (58%) and Malta (63%) have spent 100 or less on their domestic distance purchases in the past 12 months. In most countries, the largest proportion of respondents has spent between 101 and 500. The highest proportions have spent this amount in Austria (48%), Germany (47%) and the Czech Republic (47%). The highest proportions of respondents who have spent more than 1000 are recorded in Denmark (20%), Sweden (18%) and the UK (18%). 43

45 FLASH Value of cross-border distance purchases in the EU In 2011, European consumers making cross-border distance purchases in the EU report that they have spent on average 381 in the past 12 months. The median is again significantly lower, at 150. Total value of goods or services purchased at a distance from sellers/providers located in another EU country Average values and median values (in euro) 11 Base: respondents who purchased at a distance from sellers/providers located in another EU country (n=2989), -by country Q2.2 You said you bought something over the Internet, by phone or post from a seller\provider located in ANOTHER EU COUNTRY. Please tell me how much you spent in total on goods and services you bought by Internet, phone or post from another EU-country in the last 12 months, even if it s an approximate amount. As in the case of domestic distance purchases, the value of cross-border purchases differs considerably between the Member States. Firstly, a distinctly high amount of 761 is reported in Luxembourg which can be explained by the high frequency of cross-border transactions and the high level of purchasing power of its inhabitants. Austria stands in second place, with a lower average spending ( 609), followed by Slovenia, Denmark, Belgium, Cyprus and Finland where on average more than 500 is spent on cross-border distance purchases within the EU. Respondents in Hungary report by far the lowest spending in the past 12 months ( 167). 11 Please note that the results in Hungary and Romania should be interpreted with care as the base is lower than 50 respondents. 44

46 FLASH The median values for the money spent in the past 12 months are again significantly lower than the averages. The highest median values are still recorded in Luxembourg and Austria ( 300 and 250 respectively) but, at the other end of the scale, the lowest median value is recorded in Latvia ( 98), followed by Malta ( 100) and Bulgaria ( 102). Furthermore, the deviation of mean values is much smaller than that of the average values, implying that generally differences between the Member States are not as pronounced as the average values suggest. However, the bases at national level are small, and these results should only be considered as indicative. Total amount spent on distance purchases in another EU country se: respondents who purchased at a distance from another EU country (n=2989), % by country Ba 45

47 FLASH There are some differences between the Member States in the amount respondents have spent in the past year, with a regrouped scale: The largest proportion of cross-border distance shoppers in Bulgaria, Austria, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Denmark, Czech Republic, Finland and Romania say that they have spent between on cross-border purchases in the past 12 months in another EU country. In Sweden, Ireland, Slovakia, Hungary and the Netherlands respondents are almost evenly split between the two lowest categories, i.e. equal proportions of respondents say that they have spent 100 or less and between 101 and 500. In the remaining countries, respondents are most likely to have spent 100 or less. Consumers in Slovenia and Sweden (14%) are the most likely to report that they have spent more than

48 FLASH Total value of goods or services purchased at a distance from sellers/providers located in another EU country Average values (in euro) Base: respondents who purchased at a distance from another EU country (n=2989), -by country Q2.2 You said you bought something over the Internet, by phone or post from a seller\provider located in ANOTHER EU COUNTRY. Please tell me how much you spent in total on goods and services you bought by Internet, phone or post from another EU-country in the last 12 months, even if it s an approximate amount. The EU average figure of 381 for the total goods or services purchased at distance from another EU country is significantly lower than the average amount of 653 reported in Overall, EU consumers appear to be spending less on cross-border distance transactions in 2011 than in previous years. 47

49 FLASH Value of cross-border distance purchases outside the EU On average, Europeans spent 309 on cross-border distance purchases in countries outside the EU. The median value of 100 is considerably lower, indicating that a few extreme values at the high end skew the average. The graph below depicts the reported average and median amounts spent by country, but as the base of respondents in most countries is very small, these results should be interpreted with great care and they are not further analysed in the report 12. Total value of goods or services purchased at a distance from sellers/providers located outside the EU Average and median values Base: respondents who purchased at a distance from sellers/providers outside the EU (n=1679), -by country Q2.3 You said you bought something over the Internet, by phone or post from a seller\ provider located outside the EU. Please tell me how much you spent in total on goods and services you bought by Internet, phone or post outside the EU in the last 12 months, even if it s an approximate amount. Total amount spent on distance purchases outside the EU 12 Bases in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia are lower than 50 respondents. 48

50 FLASH Base: respondents who purchased at a distance from sellers/providers outside the EU (n=1679) % by country As stated above, the bases at country level are very small, making further analysis statistically unreliable. However, in general most consumers tend to spend 500 or less on cross-border purchases from outside the EU. 49

51 FLASH 1.4 Cross-border purchases while travelling Cross-border distance purchases have been discussed in detail above. However, crossborder shopping is also a relatively common practice when travelling abroad. This section takes a closer look at the incidence of cross-border shopping while on holiday or on a shopping or business trip in another EU country Cross-border purchases while on holiday or on a shopping or business trip Purchasing goods while on holiday, shopping or on a business trip in another EU country Base: all respondents, % EU27 Exactly a quarter (25%) of the respondents' report that they have purchased goods while on holiday or on a shopping or business trip in another EU country. The proportion has remained stable, as no significant difference is observed in comparison to 2010 and 2009 (26% and 25% respectively). 50

52 FLASH Cross-border purchases while travelling Base: all respondents, % by country At least 60% of consumers in Luxembourg (60%) and Norway (63%) purchased goods while travelling abroad in the past 12 months, followed by respondents in Finland (50%) and Ireland (46%). However, less than a fifth of respondents in Spain (19%), Poland (19%), Hungary (17%), Bulgaria (15%), Portugal (14%) and Greece (13%) report that they have purchased goods while abroad in the past 12 months. 51

53 FLASH Purchasing goods while on holiday, shopping or on a business trip in another EU country Base: all respondents, % of Yes answers by country Q4 In the past 12 months have you purchased any goods while on holiday, or on a shopping or business trip in another EU country? In most Member States, the proportion of respondents who have purchased goods while on holiday or on a shopping or business trip are relatively stable, although both positive and negative developments can be seen. Consumers in Finland and Austria are now more likely to have purchased goods in another EU country (+7 points) while fewer respondents in the Czech Republic (-8) and Greece (-7) have now done so than in Since 2010 the largest increase is observed in Estonia (+7 points) while significantly fewer consumers now report that they have purchased goods abroad in the Netherlands, Denmark and Slovenia (all -8 points).

54 FLASH Socio demographic analysis Men (27% vs. 24% for women), respondents aged (33% vs. 29% or less for those aged 25+), respondents with the highest level of education (31% against 11% for those who finished education at age 15 or before) and white-collar and self-employed respondents (34% and 30% respectively, against 20% for manual workers and nonworking respondents) are more likely to report that they have purchased goods while on holiday or on a shopping or business trip in another EU country. Base: all respondents 53

55 FLASH 2. CONSUMER CONFIDENCE AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS SHOPPING DOMESTICALLY AND CROSS-BORDER This second chapter discusses consumer confidence in distance purchases domestically and cross-border as well as more general attitudes toward cross-border shopping. 2.1 Levels of confidence in domestic and cross-border distance purchases Levels of confidence in domestic and cross-border distance purchases Base: all respondents, % EU27 In 2011, a majority of EU consumers say that they are more confident purchasing at a distance in their own country whether via the Internet (52%) or by post or phone (56%) than cross-border. In both cases the preference for domestic purchases is now slightly stronger than in With respect to cross-border purchases, EU consumers seem to have slightly more trust in online sellers than in mail and telephone sellers: just over a third (34%) trust domestic and cross-border sellers equally when shopping online in comparison to just over a quarter (26%) when shopping by phone or mail. A negligible proportion of 3% have more trust in sellers located in another EU country in both cases. 54

56 FLASH Levels of confidence in domestic and cross-border distance purchases: Evolution since 2006 Base: all respondents, % EU27 in / % EU25 in 2006 The percentage of EU consumers who have more trust in local sellers than in sellers/providers located in another EU country when purchasing goods or services via the Internet has increased since 2006 (+7 points). The proportion of consumers who say that they are equally confident has also increased by 4 points since 2006, although the figure has remained unchanged since The proportion of consumers who have more trust in sellers located in another EU country has remained consistently low since When it comes to other distance purchase channels (post and phone), the percentage of consumers who have more trust in domestic sellers has increased by 2 points since The proportion of respondents who say they have equal trust in domestic sellers/providers and sellers/providers in another EU country has remained almost unchanged since The proportion of respondents who have more trust in sellers/providers located in another EU country than in domestic sellers has remained low and is virtually unchanged during the period of observation. Finally, a large, but decreasing, number of consumers were unable to answer this question throughout the period of observation. 55

57 FLASH Levels of confidence in domestic and cross-border distance purchases Base: all respondents/ those who did at least one cross-border purchase in the EU (n=2989)/ those who didn t make any cross border purchase in the EU (n=22676), % EU27 Not surprisingly, respondents who have prior experience of EU cross-border purchases are significantly more likely to say that they are equally confident when purchasing from sellers in their own country and from another EU country, particularly in the case of Internet shopping. An in-depth analysis suggests that: While 58% of those who have made at least one cross-border purchase in the EU in the past 12 months trust providers/sellers located in their country and in another EU country equally when it comes to online purchases, only 34% of all respondents share this view. 30% of consumers with no prior experience of crossborder purchasing in the EU trust domestic and cross-border sellers equally. A similar although less pronounced pattern can be observed for distance purchasing by post and phone: 37% of respondents with prior cross-border purchasing experience trust sellers/providers located in their countries and in another EU country equally, while only 26% of all respondents share this view on average. 56

58 FLASH Trust in domestic and EU cross-border sellers: Internet sales Base: all respondents, % by country Consumers in Finland (65%), Germany (63%), Sweden (63%) and the UK (62%) are most likely to be more confident in sellers from their own country. This shows that a high proportion of online purchases does not imply higher confidence in cross-border online shopping. Consumers in Estonia (30%), Lithuania (31%), Romania (31%) and Malta (32%) are the least likely to be more confident in sellers from their own country. In a number of countries the largest proportion of consumers trusts domestic and crossborder sellers equally. These countries include Ireland (48%), Lithuania (48%), Luxembourg (47%), Spain (47%), Latvia (44%), Romania (44%), Italy (40%) and Estonia (35%). Finally, consumers in Malta (16%), Romania (14%) and Bulgaria (12%) are the most likely to say that they have more trust in sellers from another EU country, although the proportions remain low. It should be also noted that relatively large numbers of respondents in Estonia (30%), Bulgaria (20%), Cyprus (19%), Italy (18%) and Malta (17%) have difficulties in expressing an opinion on this subject. 57

59 FLASH In 14 Member States, more consumers now than in 2010 say that they have more confidence in domestic sellers than in sellers in another EU country when shopping online. The highest increases are observed in Portugal (54%, +21), Bulgaria (40%, +15), France (61%, +14), Luxembourg (33%, +13) and Belgium (49%, +10). In the Czech Republic (38%, +11), Romania (44%, +10) and Latvia (44%, +9), consumers are now much more likely to report that they trust domestic sellers and sellers from another EU country equally when purchasing via the Internet than in

60 FLASH Trust in domestic and EU cross-border sellers: Internet sales (only respondents with home Internet access) Consumers who have home Internet access are slightly more likely to trust sellers/providers located in their own countries and in another EU country equally (37%) than EU consumers as a whole (34%). The largest differences between respondents with home Internet access and all consumers are recorded in Greece (+9 points), Latvia (+8) and Cyprus (+7). However, home Internet access seems to have less impact than having prior cross-border purchasing experience. 59

61 FLASH Trust in domestic and EU cross-border sellers: post and phone sales Base: all respondents, % by country Similar patterns are observed for mail and phone shopping as for online purchases. Consumers in Finland (76%), the UK (73%), Sweden (70%) and Denmark (67%) are the most likely to say they have more confidence in sellers in their own country than in another EU country. Respondents who trust both equally only outnumber respondents who have more trust in domestic sellers in Romania (43%) and Lithuania (40%). Finally, relatively high proportions again answer don t know, particularly in Estonia (37%), but also in Cyprus (30%), Italy (27%) and Malta (26%). In 19 Member States, more respondents now than in 2010 say that they are more confident in sellers from their own country than from another EU country when purchasing goods or services by phone or post. The largest increases are seen in Luxembourg (44%, +23), Portugal (57%, +20), Belgium (54%, +15), Bulgaria (40%, +12) and France (66%, +12). 60

62 FLASH Conversely, the proportion of consumers who say that they trust domestic sellers and sellers from another EU country equally when purchasing by phone or post has increased significantly in Romania (43%, +13) and Latvia (41%, +12). Socio-demographic analysis The following observations apply to distance shopping both via the Internet and by post/phone, although the differences are less pronounced in the latter case. Men are more likely than women to trust domestic and cross-border sellers equally (38% vs. 30% for online purchases; 27% vs. 24% for post and phone); A higher level of education generally accompanies more equal attitudes towards domestic and cross-border sellers (via the Internet: 39% of those who studied until at least age 20 vs. 20% of those who finished their education at 15 or before; via post and telephone: 29% vs. 18%); White-collar and self-employed consumers are more likely to trust sellers in their own country and in another EU country equally (in the case of online shopping: 41% self-employed, 39% employees, 29% manual workers and non-active respondents; for post and phone purchasers: 30% self-employed, 28% whitecollar workers, 25% manual workers, 24% non-active respondents). Base: all respondents 61

63 FLASH 2.2 Outlook for cross-border shopping in the EU A number of factors may influence the likelihood and willingness to engage in crossborder shopping. Respondents were presented with a number of statements and asked whether they agree or disagree with them. Attitudes towards cross-border purchases Base: all respondent, % EU27 A slim majority (52%) disagree that they are not interested in making cross-border transactions, suggesting that in terms of willingness there is potential to increase the volume of cross-border transactions. Nevertheless, 43% of EU consumers say that they are not interested in cross-border shopping in the next 12 months. Less than 40% of respondents know where to get information and advice about crossborder shopping in the European Union. Futhermore, nearly half of the respondents (48%) also report they feel uncomfortable with using another EU language. The percentages are lower for women, older respondents and respondents who spent less time in full-time education. Finally, an overwhelming majority representing three-quarters (76%) of EU consumers do not intend to increase their spending on cross-border purchases in the coming year. However, nearly a fifth (18%) intend to spend more on cross-border purchases in the next 12 months (+4 points since 2010). Men (22%), young respondents (26%) and those who spent longest in education (21%) are more likely to intend to increase their cross-border spending. Respondents who have made at least one cross-border transaction in the past year are most likely to give this answer (35%). 62

64 FLASH Base: all respondents 63

65 FLASH Attitudes towards cross-border purchases Base: all respondent, % EU27 in / % EU25 in 2006 Considerably more people now say they know where to get information about crossborder purchases (39% vs. 24% in 2006) and that they are prepared to make purchases while using another EU language (50% vs. 33%). Furthermore, significantly more consumers now intend to spend more on cross-border puchases in the coming 12 months than they did in the past 12 months (18% vs. 13%). This, coupled with the observation that more people now express an interest in making cross-border transactions in the EU (52% interested vs. 33% in 2006), suggests that the outlook for cross-border shopping is more optimistic now than in

66 FLASH Attitudes towards cross-border purchases Base: respondents who had made at least one cross-border distance purchase in the EU (n=2989) Base: respondents who had not made any cross-border distance purchases in the EU (n=22676) As might be expected, respondents with prior experience of at least one cross-border purchase in the past 12 months are considerably more positive in their attitudes to crossborder shopping than those who do not have this experience: 73% of those with prior experience are willing to use another language as opposed to 47% of those who do not have such experience; 68% of consumers with experience of cross-border shopping say they are interested in making a cross-border transaction in the next 12 months, in comparison to 50% of those without prior experience. 60% of those with prior experience know where to get information in comparison to 36% of those who have not made a cross-border transaction in the past 12 months. 65

67 FLASH Finally, 35% of consumers who have already purchased cross-border intend to spend more money on cross-border transactions in the coming 12 months in comparison to 15% of those who have no prior experience of cross-border shopping. Attitudes towards cross-border purchases, by those with home access Base: respondents with home Internet access who had made at least one cross-border distance purchase in the EU (n=2862), % EU27 Base: respondents with home Internet access who had not made any cross-border distance purchases in the EU (n=17429), % EU27 66

68 FLASH When consumers with home Internet access are split into groups of respondents with and without previous experience of cross-border shopping, the results are nearly identical to the results for consumers as a whole. In other words, whether or not consumers have Internet access at home does not seem to influence their attitudes as much as personal experience of shopping cross-border. These two groups of respondents with home Internet access were further analysed as follows. Respondents with home Internet access and prior experience of cross-border purchasing Base: respondents with home Internet access who had made at least one cross-border distance purchase in the EU (n=2862), % EU27 in / % EU25 in 2006 Changes since 2006 remain quite small: no change is observed for preparedness to use another EU language, while there is a slight increase in knowledge of where to get information (+5 points) and in the willingness to spend more on future cross-border purchases (+3). Respondents are now less interested in making a cross-border transaction in the next 12 months (down 6 points since 2006). 67

69 FLASH Respondents with home Internet access but no prior experience of crossborder purchasing Base: respondents with home Internet access who had not made any cross-border distance purchases in the EU (n=17429), % EU27 in / % EU25 in 2006 For all statements, an upward trend can be observed since 2006: more respondents are now prepared to use another EU language (+7 points), they express more interest in making cross-border transaction (+10), they are more aware of where to get information (+9) and they are even more likely to spend more on cross-border purchases in the coming 12 months (+3). However, compared with home Internet users who have prior experience of cross-border shopping, these respondents are substantially less positive about cross-border shopping on all four counts. This implies that prior experience plays a key role in European perceptions of cross-border commerce. 68

70 FLASH Willingness to use another language Base: all respondents, % by country Respondents in Luxembourg (83% total agree), Malta (73%), Sweden (68%), Denmark (67%) and the Netherlands (66%) are the most likely to say that they are prepared to make a purchase by using another EU language. These are also countries where people are relatively more likely to say that they speak one or more foreign languages 13. The absolute majority of respondents in Hungary (65% total disagree), the UK (61%), Ireland (60%), Greece (54%), Italy (54%) and France (51%) are unprepared to use another EU language. 13 See for example Special Eurobarometer 243 Europeans and their languages in: 69

71 FLASH You are prepared to purchase goods and services using another EU language Base: all respondents, % Total agree by country Q5.1 Thinking generally about purchasing goods or services from sellers\ providers located elsewhere in the EU, which we refer to as "cross-border shopping", please tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. A clear upward trend is observed in comparison to 2006: in nearly all Member States respondents are now more likely to agree that they are prepared to use another EU language than in 2006, Luxembourg and the Netherlands being the only exceptions. The largest increases are observed in Portugal (+30), Latvia (+29), Spain (+27) and Romania (+26). 70

72 FLASH Awareness of access to information and advice Base: all respondents, % by country More than three-quarters (76% total disagree) of respondents in Hungary say they do not know where to find information and advice about cross-border shopping in the EU, followed by just under two-thirds in Italy (64%), Poland (63%) and the UK (61%). Consumers in Luxembourg (66%), Lithuania (59%), Romania (56%), Austria (52%), Finland (51%) and Slovenia (50%) know best where to find information. Interestingly, levels of cross-border transactions are relatively low in Lithuania and, particularly, in Romania which suggests that consumers in these two countries rarely engage in cross-border transactions despite their ability to locate information. As in the case of language barriers to cross-border shopping, a positive evolution is recorded in virtually every country. Respondents in Romania (+23 points), Lithuania (+18) and Portugal (+17) in particular are now more likely to state that they know where to get information. 71

73 FLASH Respondents who had made at least one cross-border purchase are more likely to know where to get information and advice about cross-border shopping in the European Union: 45% vs. 31%. 72

74 FLASH Intention of increasing cross-border spending Base: all respondents, % by country Respondents in Malta (42% total agree), Luxembourg (39%), Ireland (37%), Romania (34%), Finland (31%), Bulgaria (30%) and Latvia (29%) are the most likely to say that they intend to increase the value of their cross-border purchases in the next 12 months. Very few consumers in Germany (8% total agree), Hungary (13%), Greece (14%), Italy (15%) and Austria (16%) expect to spend more on cross-border purchases in the coming 12 months than in the past 12 months. Again, evolutions are positive in most countries and in particular in Romania (+14 points), Luxembourg (+13), Estonia (+10), Latvia (+10) and Bulgaria (+10). In all countries, consumers are now significantly more likely to agree that they intend to increase the value of their cross-border transactions. 73

75 FLASH Interest in future cross-border purchases Base: all respondents, % by country Respondents in France (65%), Belgium (63%), Ireland (62%) and Slovakia (61%) show the most interest in making cross-border purchases in the coming 12 months. Half or more respondents in Greece (60%), Lithuania (59%), Slovenia (54%), Hungary (53%), the Czech Republic (50%) and Portugal (50%) have no interest in shopping cross-border in the next 12 months. Once again, a generally upward trend is observed across the EU. Consumers in Poland (+18 points), Spain and Slovakia (+16 both) are now significantly more interested in cross-border transactions than in The largest decline in interest is observed in Luxembourg and the Netherlands (-7 both). 74

76 FLASH 3. KNOWLEDGE OF CONSUMER LEGISLATION In order to measure EU consumers knowledge of their rights, they were presented with three statements and asked to say whether these statements are correct or not. The statements and their correct answers are presented below. 3.1 Cooling-off period in distance selling Respondents were asked whether they had the right to return a good that they had purchased by post, phone or Internet, four days after delivery, for a full refund. A high proportion of respondents (70%) correctly answered this question. However, nearly a quarter of consumers (23%) incorrectly believe that they have no such right. Knowledge of the cooling off period in distance selling 14 Base: all respondents, % EU27 14 CORRECT ANWER: Yes 75

77 FLASH Knowledge of the cooling off period in distance selling Base: all respondents, % by country Large differences in awareness of the distance selling cooling-off period are observed between countries: 80% or more respondents in Germany (82%), Spain (82%) and the Czech Republic (81%) are aware of their right to return the good within 4 days without giving a reason. However, less than half of the respondents in Romania (48%), Cyprus (43%), Portugal (41%) and Greece (39%) are aware of their right to return the good within 4 days without giving a reason. Respondents in Cyprus in particular have difficulties in answering and a fifth (20%) say that they do not know. 76

78 FLASH 3.2 Length of guarantee validity rights Respondents were asked to imagine that an 18-month old fridge needs repair or replacement (through no fault of their own), in the absence of an extended commercial guarantee. Across the EU just above half the respondents answered this question correctly (51%). Nevertheless 2 consumers in 5 (41%) incorrectly believe that they do not have this right. Knowledge of the length of guarantee validity rights 15 Base: all respondents, % EU27 15 CORRECT ANSWER: Yes 77

79 FLASH Knowledge of the length of guarantee validity rights Base: all respondents, % by country As in the case of distance purchasing cooling-off periods, awareness of guarantee validity rights varies greatly between countries. Respondents in the Czech Republic (87%) are the most likely to know that they are entitled to have the broken item repaired or replaced, followed by consumers in Slovakia (78%) and Spain (75%). However, 4 respondents out of 10 only are likely to know that they are entitled to have the broken item repaired or replaced in the UK (40%), Slovenia (40%), Lithuania (35%) and France (30%). A fifth of respondents in Estonia (20%) are unable to answer the question. 78

80 FLASH 3.3 Unfair commercial practices receiving unordered products Respondents were asked to imagine a scenario in which they received two unordered educational DVDs by post, together with a 20 bill for the products. EU consumers seem to be poorly informed about the fact that they are not obliged to return DVDs they have not ordered (35%), although the absolute majority know they do not have to pay the invoice (59%). Knowledge of Unfair Commercial Practices receiving unordered products 16 Base: all respondents, % EU27 16 CORRECT ANSWER: No, and you are not obliged to send the DVDs back 79

81 FLASH Knowledge of Unfair Commercial Practices receiving unordered products Base: all respondents, % by country This was the statement which recorded the lowest levels of correct answers across all Member States. Except in five countries, the majority of respondents incorrectly believe that they are obliged to return the unordered DVDs to the sender. However, very few consumers think they have to pay the invoice for unordered goods. The highest proportions know that consumers are not obliged to return or pay for unordered goods in Finland (55%), Slovenia (49%) and Denmark (49%), as well as in Iceland (50%) and Norway (48%). Unlike the other two statements, most respondents are able to answer this question. The highest non-response rate was as low as 8% in Estonia and Poland. 80

82 FLASH 3.4 Overall levels of knowledge This section summarizes the correct answers given for the three statements on consumer rights. Overall levels of knowledge of consumers rights Base: all respondents, % by country The graphic above depicts the proportions of respondents who give zero, one, two or three correct answers. The highest levels of knowledge are observed in Denmark (26%), the Czech Republic (24%), Norway (24%), Germany (21%), Slovakia (20%) and Finland (20%) where a fifth or more respondents answer all three questions correctly. More than a fifth of respondents are unable to give a single correct answer in Greece (24%), Romania (23%) and Portugal (22%). 81

83 FLASH Socio-demographic analysis The likelihood of giving a correct answer increases with age: 16% of respondents aged 55+ answers all three questions correctly while the figure is 7% for those aged Education and occupation have only a limited impact on knowledge levels. Respondents who spent longer in full-time education (15%), white-collars (15%) are slightly more likely to give correct answers. Interestingly, respondents who have made at least one cross-border purchase (16%) and/or at least one distance purchase (14%) are not substantially more likely to give correct answers than those who have not, despite their first-hand experience. Base: all respondents 82

84 FLASH 4. CONSUMER PROTECTION This chapter addresses the self-reported occurrence of problems, how consumers deal with them and the extent to which they are satisfied with the way their complaints are handled. The likelihood of delivery problems with distance purchases will also be discussed both for domestic and cross-border shopping. Finally, EU consumers experiences of unsolicited, misleading, deceptive or fraudulent advertisements will be analysed. 4.1 Problems and complaints regarding domestic purchases Problems encountered when making a purchase Base: all respondents, % EU27 In 2011, 17% of EU consumers report that they have encountered a problem when they bought something in their country. This proportion is exactly the same as in Of those consumers who experienced problems, 80% took further action by complaining to the seller/provider/manufacturer while 20% did not do so. 83

85 FLASH Complaints to sellers, providers and manufacturers Base: respondents who encountered a problem when buying something (n=4479), % by country Of those respondents who reported that they encountered a problem, the great majority (80%) complained about their problem to the seller, provider or manufacturer. Consumers in Spain (93%), Denmark (91%) and Sweden (90%) are the most likely to complain. In fact the absolute majority in every Member State complain to the seller, provider or manufacturer with the exception of Romania. In this country, only 41% complain to the seller/provider/manufacturer, while 59% fail to do so. 84

86 FLASH Encountering problems with domestic purchases Base: all respondents, % by country The highest levels of problems are reported in Bulgaria (33%), the Czech Republic (24%), Slovakia (24%), Malta (22%) and the UK (22%). The fewest problems are recorded in Denmark, Austria and Slovenia (11% all). The highest proportions of respondents who complained to the seller/provider/manufacturer are found in Bulgaria (23%), Malta (20%) and the UK (19%) while less than one consumer in ten did so in Slovenia and Romania. Over 90% of respondents who encountered problems complained to the seller/provider/manufacturer in Spain and Denmark while consumers in Romania were the least likely to do so. 85

87 FLASH Socio-demographic analysis Socio-demographic variables are analysed firstly in terms of respondents experiencing problems, and secondly in terms of the likelihood that they will complain about these problems. Men (18%), respondents aged (24%), respondents who stayed in full-time education at least till the age of 16 (17-20%), white-collar workers (21%) and self-employed (24%) respondents and those who have experience with unfair commercial practices (20%) are more likely to report that they have encountered problems in the past 12 months. Interestingly, respondents who say they feel adequately protected (16%) are less likely to identify problems than those who do not feel adequately protected (20%). Respondents aged are significantly more likely to complain than the youngest age group (83% vs. 72%). Although respondents who spent the least time in full-time education are the least likely to report experiencing a problem, they are most likely to complain about the problem once it occurs (88%, compared with 82% or fewer of respondents with a higher level of education). Finally, respondents who feel adequately protected (81%) and have the highest levels of knowledge (84%) are also more likely than the average EU consumer (80%) to complain about problems once they occur. 86

88 FLASH Satisfaction with the way complaints were dealt with by the seller/provider Base: respondents who encountered a problem and complained to the seller/provider/ manufacturer (n=3589), % EU27 The absolute majority (58%) of respondents who complained were satisfied with the way their complaint was dealt with. However, a substantial proportion - 41% - says they were dissatisfied with the way the seller/provider/manufacturer handled their complaints. Consumers appear to be more satisfied with the way their complaints are handled now than in 2010: 7% more respondents now feel very or fairly satisfied, while 5% fewer respondents express dissatisfaction. 87

89 FLASH Satisfaction with handling of complaints Base: respondents who encountered a problem and complained to the seller/provider/ manufacturer (n=3589), % by country Large differences exist between countries when it comes to consumer satisfaction with how complaints are handled by sellers/providers/manufacturers. 70% or more respondents in Luxembourg (76%), Sweden (72%) and the UK (69%) are very or fairly satisfied with the way their complaints are dealt with. Over a third of respondents in Sweden (39%), the UK (37%), Estonia (34%) and Denmark (34%) are very satisfied. In Malta (60%), Romania (57%), Spain (57%), Cyprus (55%), Greece (55%) and Lithuania (51%), respondents who feel dissatisfied outnumber those who express satisfaction, and represent the absolute majority in these countries. The highest levels of consumers who are not at all satisfied are observed in Malta (41%), Romania (37%), Spain (40%), Cyprus (38%) and Bulgaria (35%), where over a third of respondents voice this view. 88

90 FLASH Satisfaction with the way complaints were dealt with by the seller/provider/manufacturer - Answer: Total 'Satisfied' 17 Base: respondents who encountered a problem and complained to the seller/provider/ manufacturer (n=3589), % Total satisfied by country Q12.1 In general, were you satisfied or not with the way your complaint(s) was (were) dealt with by the seller\ provider\manufacturer? In most countries, consumers appear to be more satisfied with the way their complaints are handled now than in The largest increases in satisfaction occur in the UK (+24) and Luxembourg (+22) but levels have fallen considerably in Lithuania (-23), Malta (-11) and Hungary (-9). 17 It should be remembered that the national respondent base is small and therefore all evolutions should be interpreted with care and considered only as indicative. 89

91 FLASH Main reasons for not complaining about problems encountered The small proportion of respondents (3%) who experienced problems but did not complain to the seller/provider/manufacturer were asked why they took no further action. In most cases, consumers do not complain because the financial loss is limited (42%), they do not expect to get a satisfactory solution to their problem (35%) and they consider it too time-consuming to complain (27%). Less than two in ten respondents were not sure of their rights as a consumer (15%), tried to complain about other problems in the past but were not successful (11%), did not know where to complain (10%), did not complain to the seller/provider but they went straight to a third party (6%). Main reasons for not complaining about problems encountered Base: respondents who encountered a problem but did not complain about it to the seller/provider/ manufacturer (n=890), %EU27 90

92 FLASH Actions taken after complaints were dealt with in an unsatisfactory manner Respondents who said that they were not satisfied with the way the seller/provider/manufacturer handled their complaint were asked whether they took any further action as consequence. As was the case in 2010 and 2009, most consumers do not take their complaint further even if they feel that it was not adequately dealt with (45%). A minority ask advice either from a consumer association (13%) or a lawyer (6%) and around one in ten consumers (12%) in this group take the complaint to a public authority. No significant changes have been recorded since Actions taken after complaints were dealt with in an unsatisfactory manner Base: those who were not satisfied with the way their complaint was dealt with (n=1459), %EU27 Q13 How did you proceed further? 91

93 FLASH 4.2 Problems with the delivery of distance purchases Consumers who had made at least one distance purchase domestically and/or in another EU country were asked a set of questions regarding their experiences of delays or nondelivery. Delay in the delivery and non-delivery of goods or services purchased by distance in the country Base: those who had made at least one distance purchase from a seller or provider in their own country (n=13655), % EU27 in / % EU25 in 2006 Q3 During the past 12 months have any of the following situations happened to you when purchasing something by internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere? Exactly a fifth (20%) of the consumers who have purchased something domestically through the Internet, by phone or by post in the past 12 months report that they have experienced a delay in the delivery of the product, a 2-point rise since In 5% of cases, the product was not delivered at all a figure that is roughly in line with the 2010 results. There have been no substantial evolutions in these figures since

94 FLASH Generally speaking, the likelihood of the various types of delivery problems has remained relatively stable since Base: those who had made at least one distance purchase from a seller or provider in their own country (n=13655), % by country Among respondents who have made at least one distance purchase, consumers in the UK (28%), the Netherlands (26%) and France (23%) are the most likely to report that they have experienced a delay in delivery. In contrast only around 1 in 10 consumers have had this experience in Slovenia, Malta, Lithuania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Cyprus. However, the base of respondents is limited in Cyprus for that question (n=47). Consumers in the UK and the Netherlands are also the most likely to say that a product that they ordered was not delivered at all (8% both) against 1% in Italy (1%) and 0% in Cyprus (0%). 93

95 FLASH Delay in the delivery and non-delivery of goods or services purchased by distance in another EU country Base: those who had made at least one distance purchase from a seller or provider in another EU country (n=2989), % EU27 In the case of cross-border purchases within the EU, the incidence of delivery delays appears to be slightly lower. 13% of consumers who have made at least one EU crossborder purchase report that they have experienced such a problem. Fewer delivery problems are now reported than in 2010 (-3 points), though 4% report that the goods they ordered cross-border were not delivered at all. Respondents were then asked whether they had wanted to order something cross-border but were unable to do so because the seller/provider in another EU country did not deliver or sell the product in their country. 18% of EU consumers who have experience with cross-border distance purchases report they have experienced such a problem in the past 12 months. 94

96 FLASH Socio-demographic analysis The youngest respondents (25%) are more likely to report a delay in domestic delivery than the oldest age group (15%). The highest incidence of delivery delays from another EU country is also reported by the youngest age group (17%) as well as by respondents who left full-time education aged 15 or earlier (18%). However, for the latter group the base of respondents is limited (n=123). *Base: those who had made at least one distance purchase from a seller or provider in their own country (n=13655) **Base: those who had made at least one distance purchase from a seller or provider in another EU country (n=2989) 95

97 FLASH Delays in domestic deliveries Base: those who had made at least one distance purchase from a seller or provider in their own country (n=13655), % by country Over a quarter of respondents in the UK (28%) and the Netherlands (26%) have experienced a delay in the delivery of goods purchased domestically on the Internet, by phone or post. The lowest figures are registered in Cyprus (9%) and Iceland (8%). Since 2010 a considerable increase in reported domestic delivery problems is observed in the UK (+10 points), Austria (+5) and Denmark (+4). However, significantly fewer consumers in Bulgaria now report such problems (-7). 96

98 FLASH Non-delivery of domestic purchases Base: those who had made at least one distance purchase from a seller or provider in their own country (n=13655), % by country Respondents in the Netherlands and the UK (8% both) are also the most likely to report that the product that they purchased at distance was not delivered at all. Percentages are very low in Cyprus (0%), Italy (1%) and Iceland (1%). Consumers in Poland are now slightly more likely to say that they experienced a product non-delivery (+4 points) while fewer respondents in Slovakia and Italy have come across such situation this year than in 2010 (-4). 97

99 FLASH Delays in deliveries from another Member State Base: those who had made at least one distance purchase from a seller or provider in another EU country (n=2989), % by country Respondents in Bulgaria (39%) are by far the most likely to report delivery delays on products purchased at distance from another EU country. However, this figure is based on a very low respondent base. Other countries registering relatively high figures are Cyprus (24%), Hungary (23%), Austria (22%), Estonia (22%) and Luxembourg (22%) also with limited respondent bases. Any comparison over time should be interpreted with care as the margins of error are high due to low respondent bases. 98

100 FLASH Non-delivery of purchases from another Member State Base: those who had made at least one distance purchase from a seller or provider in another EU country (n=2989), % by country Respondents in Malta (14%), Bulgaria (11%) and Cyprus (11%) are the most likely to say that the product they ordered at distance from another EU country was not delivered at all. This figure is considerably lower in Romania, Slovakia, Latvia, Portugal, Italy and France (2% in each country). Due to the low respondent bases, the trend analysis does not reveal any significant differences between this survey and the 2010 data. 99

101 FLASH Unavailability or non-delivery of goods cross-border Base: those who had made at least one distance purchase from a seller or provider in another EU country (n=2989), % by country Consumers in Malta (63%), Luxembourg (56%), Cyprus (48%) and Ireland (45%) report the highest incidence of occasions on which they wanted to purchase something at cross-border distance but were unable to do so, as the seller did not deliver or sell these products in their country. These four Member States also record the highest levels of cross-border purchases within the EU in general. 100

102 FLASH Delivery problems: summary Across the EU, 1 in 5 consumers who have experience with domestic distance purchases (20%) report a delay in delivery from a domestic seller/provider. 18% of consumers who have experience with cross-border distance purchases wanted to carry out a cross-border transaction but was unable to do so because the provider did not sell or deliver to their countries. 13% of EU consumers who have experience with cross-border distance purchases report they have experienced a delay in the delivery of an item purchased from a seller/provider in another EU country. This is lower than the proportion of respondents who report a delay in the delivery of something domestically (20%). Problems with delivery of distance purchases (domestic and cross-border) *Base: those who had made at least one distance purchase from a seller or provider in their own country (n=13655), % EU27 ** Base: those who had made at least one distance purchase from a seller or provider in another EU country (n=2989), % EU27 Non-delivery of products is not as widespread a problem as delays in delivery. Nevertheless, a small proportion of consumers report a failure to deliver a product purchased either domestically (5%) or from a seller/provider located in another EU country (4%). 101

103 FLASH Evolutions in the longer term Delay in delivery and non-delivery of goods or services purchased by distance *Base: those who had made at least one distance purchase from a seller or provider in their own country (n=13655), % EU27 in / % EU25 in 2006 ** Base: those who had made at least one distance purchase from a seller or provider in another EU country (n=2989), % EU27 in / % EU25 in 2006 Q3 During the past 12 months have any of the following situations happened to you when purchasing something by internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere? Changes over time at EU level remain relatively modest when it comes to delays in delivery or non-delivery of domestic purchases, as well as non-delivery of purchases from sellers/providers located in another EU country. However, there is a slight decline in reported delays in the delivery of crossborder transactions; 4% fewer consumers now report this than in

104 FLASH Overall results 70% 60% 59% 54% Overall level of problems with delivery of distance purchases (domestic and cross-border) 50% 47% 40% 40% 38% 30% 31% 30% 27%27% 25%25%25%25% 24%23%22%21%21%21% 28% 20% 20%20% 19%19%19%18%18%17%16% 16% 10% 0% LU MT CY IE AT UK NL DK FR EU27 BE PL SE DE PT EE LV SK FI BG IT CZ ES SI EL HU RO LT IS NO Base: those who had made at least one distance purchase from a seller or provider in their own country or/and in another EU country (n=14381), % by country Respondents who made at least on distance domestic or/and cross-border purchase in Luxembourg (59%), Malta (54%) and Cyprus (47%) are the most likely to experience all of these problems with their distance purchases. At the other end of the scale, fewer than 1 in 5 consumers report problems in Czech Republic (19%), Spain (19%), Slovenia (19%), Greece (18%), Hungary (18%), Romania (17%) and Lithuania (18%). The lowest figure is recorded in Iceland (16%). 103

105 FLASH 4.3 Unfair commercial practices Unsolicited or misleading advertisements or offers Base: all respondents/*those who came across a misleading/fraudulent advertisement (n=11826)/**those who responded an advertisement or offer that turned out to be fraudulent (n=7341), % EU27 Q7 Have any of the following happened to you in the past 12 months? Respondents were asked a set of questions regarding their experiences of various types of advertisements, statements or offers. These include misleading or deceptive advertisements 18, fraudulent advertisements 19, and misleading statements about the beneficial effect of products for the environments. Where they had encountered some of these, they were asked a follow-up question about whether or not they responded. 69% of EU consumers have come across unsolicited commercial advertisements, statements or offers in the past 12 months. There has been a significant increase in such practices since 2008 when they were reported by 58% of consumers. 18 Advertisements which contain false information or present factually correct information about the goods or services to be sold, in a misleading manner. 19 Fraudulent advertisements actually attempt to obtain money without selling anything, for example a lottery scam. 104

106 FLASH 46% of respondents have come across misleading and deceptive advertisements. (+4 points since 2008), just below a third (32%) of respondents have come across exaggerated or misleading statements about the environmental impact of a product, and 29% have encountered fraudulent advertisements, statements or offers (+2 points since 2008). Finally, respondents who reported that they had come across either misleading or fraudulent advertisements were asked whether they responded to these offers. In both cases 18% of consumers who have encountered such advertisements say they have responded to them. 105

107 FLASH Encountering unsolicited advertising material Base: all respondents, % by country Except in Romania (44%), the majority of EU consumers have come across unsolicited commercial advertisements in the past 12 months. This is the case for more than four-fifths of respondents in Spain (83%) and Estonia (81%) and over three-quarters of respondents in France (78%). 106

108 FLASH Experience with unsolicited commercial advertisements, statements or offers Base: all respondents, % of Yes answers by country Q7.1 Have any of the following happened to you in the past 12 months? You came across unsolicited commercial advertisements, statements or offers (cold calls, spam s, commercial SMS, etc.) The occurrence of unsolicited commercial advertisements has been steadily increasing in almost all countries since 2009, most strikingly in Estonia (+30 points) and the UK (+19), followed by Lithuania (+18), Italy (+17) and Ireland (+16). The figure has fallen in Germany (-7 points) and Malta (-5). 107

109 FLASH Experience with misleading or deceptive advertisements Base: all respondents, % by country The absolute majority of respondents in Spain (63%), Slovakia (57%), the Czech Republic (57%), the Netherlands (56%), Finland (55%), Bulgaria and Austria (51% both) report that they have come across misleading or deceptive advertisements. In contrast, only around a third of consumers came across such advertisements in Latvia (33%), Luxembourg and Sweden (32% both). 108

110 FLASH Experience with misleading or deceptive advertisements, statements or offers Base: all respondents, % of Yes answers by country Q7.2 Have any of the following happened to you in the past 12 months? You came across misleading or deceptive advertisements, statements or offers More respondents now than in 2010 have experience with misleading or deceptive advertisements in Italy (+11 points), the Netherlands and Slovakia (both +10), while considerably fewer now report such experiences in Greece, Luxembourg (both -9), Estonia, Denmark (both -8) and Austria (-7). 109

111 FLASH Responding to misleading or deceptive advertisements Base: those who came across misleading or deceptive advertisements, statements or offers (n=11826), % by country Of the respondents who came across misleading or deceptive advertisements, consumers in Bulgaria (36%) and Sweden (33%) are the most likely to respond to them, followed by around a quarter in Poland (26%), Hungary (25%) and Norway (24%). Only one respondent in ten reacted in such a way in Austria (10%) and Germany (11%). 18% of all respondents in Bulgaria and 12% in Spain, Hungary and Poland responded to misleading or deceptive advertisements. 110

112 FLASH Encountering fraudulent advertisements Base: all respondents, % by country Respondents were most likely to report fraudulent advertising in Slovakia (42%), Austria (41%), Cyprus (41%), Poland (41%) and Greece (41%). Only 13% of consumers in Italy say they have come across such advertisements in the past 12 months. 111

113 FLASH Experience with fraudulent advertisements, statements or offers Base: all respondents, % of Yes answers by country Q7.4 Have any of the following happened to you in the past 12 months? You came across fraudulent advertisements, statements or offers Respondents in Poland (+10 points), Belgium (+7) and Slovakia (+6) are now more likely to say that they have come across fraudulent advertisements than in Conversely, fewer consumers report such experiences in the past year in Sweden (-19 points), Estonia (-11) and Austria (-10). 112

114 FLASH Responding to fraudulent advertisements Base: respondents who came across fraudulent advertisements, statements or offers (n=7341), % by country Respondents who say they came across fraudulent advertisements are most likely to respond to them in Bulgaria (36%), followed at some distance by consumers in Sweden (24%). Only around one respondent in ten reacted in such a way in Austria (11%), Malta (11%) and Denmark (10%). As a proportion of all respondents, consumers in Bulgaria (13%) are again the most likely to have responded to fraudulent advertisements or offers, followed by respondents in Poland (9%) and Sweden (8%). 113

115 FLASH Exaggerated environmental claims Base: all respondents, % by country Consumers in Slovakia (44%), Finland (43%), Greece (42%), Sweden (41%) and Spain (41%) are the most likely to say that they have come across exaggerated or misleading statements about the beneficial impact of products on the environment. Conversely, just over one-fifth of consumers in Italy (21%) and Luxembourg (22%) report this experience. A country outside the EU, Iceland (52%), has the highest reported incidence of misleading statements about the environmental impact of products. 114

116 FLASH Socio-demographic analysis Men are in general more likely than women to have come across unsolicited statements or offers (71% vs. 66%). They are also more likely to have come across misleading or deceptive advertisements, statements or offers (50% vs. 43%). Consumers aged years are more likely than consumers aged and those aged 55 or more to have come across unsolicited, statements or offers (76% vs. 63%). Respondents with the highest level of education are more likely to have encountered unsolicited statements or offers than those with a lower level of education. Indeed 78% of those who studied until the age of 20 or later report this, compared to only 57% of those whose education ended before the age of 16. More than seven in ten consumers with an Internet connection say that they have come across unsolicited statements or offers (73%), compared with 51% of those who do not have an Internet connection. Base: all respondents 115

117 FLASH 5. CONSUMER PROTECTION INDICATORS This fifth chapter addresses a number of aspects of consumer protection: alternative dispute resolution, trust in the protection of consumer rights by various parties, trust in sellers or providers to respect consumer rights, whether consumers feel protected and the role of the media in consumer protection. Aspects of consumer protection Base: all respondents, % EU27 116

118 FLASH The chart above depicts the results for all the statements presented to respondents regarding consumer protection. Respondents show high levels of confidence in the ability of consumer organisations to protect their rights as consumers, with 72% agreeing with this statement. An absolute majority of 62% also trusts public authorities to protect their rights. 65% of respondents believe that their consumer rights are respected by national sellers and providers Overall, just under three respondents in five feel (58%) that they are adequately protected by existing measures to protect consumers. More than half of consumers (52%) agree that it is easy to resolve disputes through an arbitration, mediation or conciliation body, declining to 38% for the courts. However, in both cases, EU consumers are now more likely to agree that dispute resolution is easy than in 2010 (+4 and +5 points respectively). Finally, 55% of EU consumers say that they regularly watch/listen to TV or radio consumer programmes and 41% report that they have changed their consumer behaviour as a result of a media story (e.g. changed shop or product). 117

119 FLASH Evolutions in the longer term Base: all respondents, % EU27 in / % EU25 in 2006 Trust in consumer organisations and public authorities have grown since the 2006 results (+6 points). Similarly, since 2006 more consumers believe that their consumer rights are respected by national sellers and providers (+3). Overall, more respondents now feel that they are adequately protected by existing consumer protection measures than in 2006 (+4). More consumers now are inclined to say that it is easy to resolve disputes through an arbitration, mediation or conciliation body than in 2006 (+10). They are also now more likely to think that it is easy to resolve disputes with sellers/providers through the courts (+6). The perceived impact of the media on consumer behaviour has changed little since the 2009 survey (up 2 points in the present study) 118

120 FLASH 5.1 Consumer protection measures Trust in independent consumer organisations Base: all respondents, % by country Consumers in France (85%), Denmark (83%), the Netherlands (83%), Germany (81%), Austria (81%) and the UK (81%) have the highest overall levels of trust in consumer protection organisations (over 80% agree with the statement). A third or more respondents in Austria (33%), Germany (36%) and Denmark (38%) strongly agree. Respondents are less likely to agree with this statement in Bulgaria (44%), Slovenia (48%), Cyprus (49%) and Romania (50%). 119

121 FLASH Trust in independent consumer organisations varies between Northern and Western Europe on the one hand and Southern and Eastern Europe on the other, with consumers in the latter areas expressing showing lower levels of confidence. You trust independent consumer organisations to protect your rights as a consumer: % total agree Base: all respondents, % by country Q14.3 For each of the following statements, please tell me if you agree or disagree with it. In (OUR COUNTRY) you trust independent consumer organisations to protect your rights as a consumer In most Member States, levels of trust have varied somewhat between 2006 and 2011, but in general respondents are now more likely to trust independent consumer organisations. However, in Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Sweden, the proportion of respondents who agree that they trust consumer protection organisations to protect their rights is on a par with or below the results of the 2006 survey. The greatest increase in trust over this period is recorded in Spain (+24 points). Over the last two waves of the survey, the largest increase in trust is recorded in the Czech Republic (+17 points), Poland (+11) and Latvia (+10) while the sharpest decline is registered in Cyprus (-8), Slovenia (-6) and Ireland (-5). 120

122 FLASH Trust in public authorities Base: all respondents, % by country Respondents in Luxembourg (80%), the UK (79%) and Denmark (78%) are the most likely to agree that they trust public authorities to protect their rights as consumers. Nearly a third of respondents in Denmark (32%) strongly agree followed by around a quarter in Austria (27%) and Malta (25%). However, less than half of respondents in Slovenia (33%), Lithuania (39%), Czech Republic (43%) and Greece (48%) agree with that statement. 121

123 FLASH You trust public authorities to protect your rights as a consumer: % total agree Base: all respondents, % by country Q14.4 For each of the following statements, please tell me if you agree or disagree with it. In (OUR COUNTRY) you trust public authorities to protect your rights as a consumer As in the case of trust in consumer protection organisations, levels of trust have varied somewhat between 2006 and In general consumers are now more likely to trust public authorities to protect their rights. However, in Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Malta, and the Netherlands the proportion of respondents who agree with the statement is equal to or lower than the results in the 2006 survey. The greatest increase in agreement is recorded in Poland (+19 points). Over the last two waves of the survey, the largest increase in trust can be observed in Bulgaria (+12 points), France (+11) and Belgium (+11) while a considerable fall is registered in Italy (-18) and Ireland (-11). 122

124 FLASH Respect of consumer rights by sellers/providers Base: all respondents, % by country Over 80% of consumers in Austria (84%) and Luxembourg (83%) agree that sellers/providers in their countries respect their rights as consumers, followed by more than three-quarters of respondents in Finland (79%), the UK (78%), Ireland (77%) and Denmark (76%). Respondents in Austria (22%) and Germany (20%) are the most likely to strongly agree with the statement. However, half of the respondents or less agree with that statement in Bulgaria (41%), Greece (42%), Cyprus (47%) and Italy (50%). 123

125 FLASH In general, sellers/providers in (OUR COUNTRY) respect your rights as a consumer: % total agree Base: all respondents, % by country Q14.6 For each of the following statements, please tell me if you agree or disagree with it. In (OUR COUNTRY) in general, sellers\ providers in (OUR COUNTRY) respect your rights as a consumer Once again, the trends in the longer term indicate that consumers in most Member States are now more likely to agree that domestic sellers/providers respect their consumer rights than in However, this feeling has declined in Finland (79% in 2011, 88% in 2006), Belgium (75% in 2011, 83% in 2006), Sweden (71% in 2011, 76% in 2006), the Netherlands (68% in 2011, 79% in 2006), Cyprus (47% in 2011, 49% in 2006) and Greece (42% in 2011, 44% in 2006), and has remained stable in France (68% in 2011, 68% in 2006), Hungary (60% in 2011, 58% in 2006) Germany (74% in 2011, 74% in 2006), and the UK (78% in 2011, 78% in 2006). The largest upward shifts since 2006 are observed in Latvia, Slovakia and Poland (+18 points). Evolutions over the past year show that in Lithuania, consumers are now considerably more likely to trust domestic sellers/providers (+13 points) whereas a sharp decline is observed in Italy (-8). 124

126 FLASH Confidence in existing consumer protection measures Base: all respondents, % by country More than four in five consumers in Austria (84%) and Denmark (81%) agree that they are adequately protected by existing consumer protection measures, followed by around three-quarters of respondents in the UK (75%) and the Netherlands (74%). A quarter or more of respondents in Austria (28%), Denmark (27%) and Germany (25%) strongly agree with the statement. 125

127 FLASH The lowest levels of agreement are observed in Greece (28%), Bulgaria (32%), Slovenia (37%) and Lithuania (39%). You feel that you are adequately protected by existing measures to protect consumers: % total agree Base: all respondents, % by country Q14.5 For each of the following statements, please tell me if you agree or disagree with it. In (OUR COUNTRY) you feel that you are adequately protected by existing measures to protect consumers In most countries consumers are now more likely to feel that they are adequately protected by existing measures than they did in Exceptions to this are recorded in the Netherlands (74% in 2011, 79% in 2006), Finland (72% in 2011, 73% in 2006), Germany (69% in 2011, 69% in 2006), Sweden (63% in 2011, 72% in 2006), the Czech Republic (51% in 2011, 54% in 2006), Cyprus (42% in 2011, 50% in 2006), Slovenia (37% in 2011, 47% in 2006) and Greece (28% in 2011, 36% in 2006) where fewer or an equal proportion of consumers now feel sufficiently protected than in The greatest increase in agreement with this statement over the last five years has occurred in Austria (+21 points). Over the last two waves of the survey, agreement has risen most in Latvia (+14 points) and Belgium (+14) while a considerable fall is registered, again, in Italy (- 17) and Ireland (-10). 126

128 FLASH 5.2 Dispute resolution Using alternative dispute resolution bodies Base: all respondents, % by country Consumers in Luxembourg (67%), the UK (64%), Ireland (62%), Finland (62%) and France (61%) think that dispute resolution through arbitration, mediation or conciliation body is easy, with scores above 60% in each country. A fifth of respondents in Germany (20%) strongly agree with the statement. Less than 4 consumers out of 10 agree with that statement in Estonia (27%), Bulgaria (30%), Slovakia (31%), Slovenia (32%), Czech Republic (35%) and Sweden (37%). Relatively high proportions of respondents in Estonia (30%), Sweden (29%) and Iceland (29%) are unable to answer to this question. 127

129 FLASH It is easy to resolve disputes with sellers/providers through an arbitration, mediation or conciliation body (malfunctioning goods, late/non-delivery, etc.): % total agree Base: all respondents, % by country Q14.1 For each of the following statements, please tell me if you agree or disagree with it. In (OUR COUNTRY) it is easy to resolve disputes with sellers\providers through an arbitration, mediation or conciliation body (malfunctioning goods, late\ non-delivery, etc.) In comparison with the 2010 survey, consumers in most countries are now more likely to agree with this statement, particularly in Latvia (+23 points), Luxembourg (+15), Denmark (+14), Portugal (+13), Romania (+13) and Belgium (+12). 128

130 FLASH Resolving disputes through the courts Base: all respondents, % by country Consumers in France (52%), Luxembourg (48%) and Austria (47%) are most likely to think that dispute resolution through the courts is easy. 16% of Germans strongly agree with the statement. More respondents agree than disagree in just eight countries, all EU15 Member States: Austria (47% agree, 32% disagree), the UK (44% agree, 31% disagree), Ireland (46% agree, 33% disagree), Luxembourg (48% agree, 37% disagree), Germany (46% agree, 35% disagree), Denmark (41% agree, 30% disagree), France (52% agree, 42% disagree) and the Netherlands (43% agree, 41% disagree). This is also the case in Norway (42% agree, 33% disagree). 129

131 FLASH The lowest levels of agreement are found in Slovenia (10%) and Estonia (12%). The proportion of Don t know answers is high in a number of countries, including Sweden (38%), Hungary (36%) and Estonia (34%). It is easy to resolve disputes with sellers/providers through the courts: % total agree Base: all respondents, % by country Q14.2 For each of the following statements, please tell me if you agree or disagree with it. In (OUR COUNTRY) it is easy to resolve disputes with sellers\ providers through the courts In comparison to 2010, more consumers in Latvia now think it is easy (+20) to resolve disputes through the courts, while fewer (-9) agree with the statement in Italy. 130

132 FLASH 5.3 The role of media Consumer broadcasts Base: all respondents, % by country Two-thirds or more of respondents in Romania (74%), Denmark (68%) and Bulgaria (68%) agree that they watch/listen to TV and radio consumer programmes. Around a quarter strongly agree with the statement in Germany (26%) and Denmark (25%). Respondents who agree with the statement outnumber those who disagree in most EU countries except eight countries: Slovenia, Sweden, Poland, Spain, Greece, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Latvia. It is also the case in Iceland. The lowest overall levels of agreement with the statement are observed in Slovenia (40%), Poland (40%), Sweden (41%) and Spain (42%). 131

133 FLASH Impact of media stories on consumer behaviour Base: all respondents, % by country In most countries, a majority of respondents have not changed their consumer behaviour as a result of a media story. Respondents in Estonia (64%), Denmark (62%), Slovenia (62%), the Netherlands (62%), the Czech Republic (62%) and Hungary (62%) are the least inclined to change their consumer behaviour due to a media story. In Estonia 44% strongly disagree with the statement, followed by around a third in Hungary (33%), Germany (32%) and Austria (31%). However, less than half of the respondents disagree with that statement in Belgium (38%), Romania (46%), Greece (46%), Bulgaria (48%) and Cyprus (48%) 132

134 FLASH You have changed your consumer behaviour as a result of a media story (e.g. changed shop or product): % total agree Base: all respondents, % by country Q14.7 For each of the following statements, please tell me if you agree or disagree with it. In (OUR COUNTRY) you have changed your consumer behaviour as a result of a media story (e.g. changed shop or product) When comparing the results of the present survey to those of 2010, the following can be observed: The largest increases in respondents who agree that they have changed their behaviour as a consequence of a media story can be observed in Belgium (+27 points) and Portugal (+16). The sharpest decreases are recorded in Italy (-17 points), the Czech Republic (- 10) and Ireland (-10). 133

135 FLASH 6. PRODUCT SAFETY ENVIRONMENT The sixth chapter examines how far EU consumers trust the safety of products, their personal experience of product recalls and its influence on perceived safety levels. 6.1 Perceptions of the safety of food and non-food products Perceived safety of products currently on the market Base: all respondents, % EU27 Respondents were asked two separate questions regarding the perceived safety of nonfood and food products in their respective countries. The majority of consumers think that a small number of products are unsafe whether non-food (56%) or food products (55%). However, respondents are more likely to believe that all food products than all non-food products are essentially safe (19% vs. 12%). Consequently, interviewees are more likely to believe that a significant number of non-food products than food products are unsafe (25% vs. 22%). Fewer consumers are convinced of the safety of both product groups now than in 2010, but the decline is steeper in the case of non-food products: a quarter (25%) of EU consumers now think that a significant number of such products are unsafe, compared to one-fifth in 2010 (20%). 134

136 FLASH Perceived safety of non-food products currently on the market Base: all respondents, % EU27 Over a longer period, two trends can be observed in perceptions of the safety of non-food products: EU consumers are now (12%) less likely to believe that essentially all products are safe than in 2008 (17%); There is a corresponding increase in the proportions of respondents who think both that a small number of products are unsafe (56%, +8 points) and that a significant number of products are unsafe (25%, +7%). 135

137 FLASH Safety of non-food products Base: all respondents, % by country In the case of non-food products, just over a fifth of consumers in Ireland (23%), Denmark (22%), Luxembourg (22%) and the UK (21%) think that essentially all products are safe. However, around half of respondents in Romania (51%) and Greece (47%) think a significant number of products are unsafe, followed by just over a third in Lithuania (36%), Portugal (35%) and Spain (34%). A number of changes have occurred since 2010: There is a decrease of 10 points or more in the number of respondents who believe that essentially all non-food products are safe in Luxembourg (-12 points), Slovakia (-12), Portugal (-11), the Czech Republic (-11), the Netherlands (-11), Spain (-10) and Austria (-10). A similar although less pronounced trend is observable across all countries except Denmark (+5). 136

138 FLASH In Portugal (+18 points), Spain (+14) and Slovakia (+12), this shift is accompanied by a substantial increase in the proportion of those who think that a significant number of non-food products are unsafe. In the Netherlands (+17), Lithuania (+13), Czech Republic (+12), Bulgaria (+11), Romania (+11), Belgium (+10), there is a substantial rise in the number of people who now think that a small number of products are unsafe. However, in most Member States consumers are now more likely than in 2010 to think that a significant number of products are unsafe. Essentially all non-food products are safe: Base: all respondent, % by country 137

139 FLASH A small number of non-food products are unsafe: Base: all respondents, % by country A significant number of non-food products are unsafe: Base: all respondents, % by country 138

140 FLASH Safety of food products Base: all respondents, % by country The perceived safety of food products follows similar patterns and trends as for non-food products. Consumers in Finland (43%) are most likely to think that essentially all food products are safe, followed by around a third of consumers in Ireland (36%), the UK (33%) and Luxembourg (32%). Consumers in Bulgaria (5%), Greece (5%), Lithuania (4%), Latvia (4%) and Romania (3%) are less likely to think that essentially all food products are safe. Significantly fewer respondents in Slovakia (-13 points), the Czech Republic (-12), Portugal (-9) and Austria (-9) think that essentially all food products are safe now than in In Slovakia (+9), the Czech Republic (+10) and Portugal (+13) the shift is accompanied by a considerable increase in respondents who believe that a significant number of food products are unsafe. 139

141 FLASH Essentially all food products are safe: Base: all respondents, % by country A small number of food products are unsafe: Base: all respondents, % by country 140

142 FLASH A significant number of food products are unsafe: Base: all respondents Base: all respondents, % by country Socio-demographic analysis There are few socio-demographic differences. Women appear to be significantly more concerned about safety than men, particularly when it comes to food products (25% of women believe that a significant number of food products are unsafe against 20% of men). This is perhaps explained by the fact that in many countries women are primarily responsible for the food purchases. Base: all respondents 141

143 FLASH Base: all respondents 142

144 FLASH 6.2 Experiences of product recall Have you ever been personally affected by a product recall? Base: all respondents, % EU27 Since 2008 there has been a slow rise in the proportions of respondents who say they have been personally affected by a food or non-food product recall (18% in 2011, 15% in 2010 and 10% in 2009 and Nevertheless, an overwhelming majority of EU consumers (81%) say they have never been affected by a product recall. 8% have experienced a food product recall and 6% a non-food recall. They are slightly more likely (+2 points, 4%) now than in 2010 to say they have been affected by a recall of both types of products. 143

145 FLASH Experiences of product recall Base: all respondents, % by country Consumers in Greece are the most likely to say that they have been affected by a product recall (total Yes 58%), followed by those in Cyprus (39%). Most of the recalls experienced in these countries relate to food products (22% and 25% respectively). Overall, EU consumers are considerably more likely to be affected by recalls of food products than non-food products. The highest level of non-food recalls (11%) is recorded in the Netherlands. The fewest recalls are experienced in Sweden and Italy (both total Yes 10%). 144

146 FLASH Food and non-food product recalls Base: all respondents, % by country The following evolutions are observed in comparison to the 2010 survey: Respondents in the Netherlands now report considerably more recalls of non-food products (+6 points) than in Consumers in Cyprus (+11 points), Malta (+9) and Romania (+8) are significantly more likely to say that they have been affected by a food product recall. In the current survey, more respondents in Greece (+6), Romania (+5) and Finland (+5) report that they have encountered a recall of both food and non-food products. The incidence of product recalls has also risen in the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland and Portugal by 3-4 points. 145

147 FLASH Yes a non-food product: Base: all respondents, % by country Yes a food product: Base: all respondents, % by country 146

148 FLASH Yes both: Base: all respondents, % by country 147

149 FLASH Socio-demographic analysis There are few socio-demographic differences. As in 2010, those being the least likely to have experienced a product recall were: Respondents aged 55 or older (15% vs. 18% on average), Those who stopped their full-time education before the age of 16 (13%), Those who are not working (16%). Base: all respondents 148

150 FLASH 7. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND PURCHASING DECISIONS Finally, EU consumers were asked whether the environmental impact of a product/service had an influence on their purchasing decision during the week prior the interview. Does a product s environmental impact influence consumers purchasing decisions? Base: all respondents, % EU27 In 2011, 29% of consumers say that the environmental impact of a product or service influenced their purchasing decision (a slight decline on the 2010 figure of 32%) while for the large majority of 69% the environmental impact had no influence on their choice. 149

151 FLASH Influence of environmental considerations on consumer choices Evolution FL (09/2011) - FL (09/2010) Base: all respondents, % by country Respondents whose consumer choices were not influenced by environmental concerns outnumber those who considered the environmental impact of a product in every country, most strikingly in Lithuania (a 57-point difference), the UK (55 points), Bulgaria (54 points) and Spain (54 points). Conversely, respondents in Greece (47%), Hungary (42%), the Netherlands (40%) and Sweden (40%) are the most likely to say that the environmental impact of a product influenced their choice in the week prior to the survey. A number of evolutions have taken place since the 2010 study: respondents in Romania (+17 points) are now significantly more likely to be influenced by the environmental impact while a clear decline in the influence of environmental considerations is observed in Malta (-18), Portugal (-16), Belgium (-11) and Spain (-10). 150

152 FLASH Socio-demographic analysis Women (31% vs. 27% for men), respondents aged (around a third against 23% in the youngest and 27% in the oldest age group), the most educated respondents (37% against 16-25% in the groups with a lower level of education) and self-employed and white-collar respondents (34-35% against 21% for manual workers and 26% for nonactive respondents) show greener attitudes when it comes to choosing a product. Base: all respondents 151

153 ANNEXES

154 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

155 FLASH FLASH EUROBAROMETER TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Between the 19th of September and the 21st of September 2011, TNS Political & Social, a consortium created between TNS political & social, TNS UK and TNS opinion, carried out the survey FLASH EUROBAROMETER about "Consumer Attitudes towards Cross-border Trade and Consumer Protection ". This survey has been requested by the EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Directorate-General for Health and Consumer. It is a general public survey co-ordinated by the Directorate-General for Communication ("Research and Speechwriting" Unit). The FLASH EUROBAROMETER covers the population of the respective nationalities of the European Union Member States, resident in each of the 27 Member States and aged 15 years and over. It was also conducted in Norway and Iceland. The survey covers the national population of citizens (in these countries) as well as the population of citizens of all the European Union Member States that are residents in these countries and have a sufficient command of the national languages to answer the questionnaire. All interviews were carried using the TNS e-call center (our centralized CATI system). In every country respondents were called both on fixed lines and mobile phones. The basic sample design applied in all states is multi-stage random (probability). In each household, the respondent was drawn at random following the "last birthday rule". TNS have developed their own RDD sample generation capabilities based on using contact telephone numbers from responders to random probability or random location face to face surveys, such as Eurobarometer, as seed numbers. The approach works because the seed number identifies a working block of telephone numbers and reduces the volume of numbers generated that will be ineffective. The seed numbers are stratified by NUTS2 region and urbanisation to approximate a geographically representative sample. From each seed number the required sample of numbers are generated by randomly replacing the last two digits. The sample is then screened against business databases in order to exclude as many of these numbers as possible before going into field. This approach is consistent across all countries. TS1

156 FLASH ABBR. COUNTRIES INSTITUTES N INTERVIEWS FIELDWORK DATES POPULATION 15+ BE Belgium TNS Dimarso 1,000 19/09/ /09/ BG Bulgaria TNS BBSS 1,009 19/09/ /09/ CZ Czech Rep. TNS Aisa s.r.o 1,004 19/09/ /09/ DK Denmark TNS Gallup A/S 1,008 19/09/ /09/ DE Germany TNS Infratest 1,000 19/09/ /09/ EE Estonia TNS Emor 1,008 19/09/ /09/ EL Greece TNS ICAP 1,005 19/09/ /09/ ES Spain TNS Demoscopia S.A 1,002 19/09/ /09/ FR France TNS Sofres 1,000 19/09/ /09/ IE Ireland IMS Millward Brown 1,000 19/09/ /09/ IT Italy TNS Infratest 1,011 19/09/ /09/ CY Rep. of Cyprus CYMAR /09/ /09/ LV Latvia TNS Latvia 1,010 19/09/ /09/ LT Lithuania TNS Lithuania 1,000 19/09/ /09/ LU Luxembourg TNS Dimarso /09/ /09/ HU Hungary TNS Hoffmann Kft 1,001 19/09/ /09/ MT Malta MISCO International 515 Ltd 19/09/ /09/ NL Netherlands TNS NIPO 1,032 19/09/ /09/ AT Austria TNS Austria 1,012 19/09/ /09/ PL Poland TNS OBOP 1,001 19/09/ /09/ PT Portugal TNS EUROTESTE 1,012 19/09/ /09/ RO Romania TNS CSOP 1,014 19/09/ /09/ SI Slovenia RM PLUS 1,001 19/09/ /09/ SK Slovakia TNS AISA Slovakia 1,001 19/09/ /09/ FI Finland TNS Gallup Oy 1,012 19/09/ /09/ SE Sweden TNS SIFO 1,000 19/09/ /09/ UK United Kingdom TNS UK 1,002 19/09/ /09/ TOTAL EU27 25,665 19/09/ /09/ IS Iceland Capacent ehf /09/ /09/ NW Norway TNS Gallup AS 1,000 19/09/ /09/ TOTAL 27,168 19/09/ /09/ For each country a comparison between the sample and the universe was carried out. The Universe description was derived from Eurostat population data or from national statistics offices. For all countries surveyed, a national weighting procedure, using marginal and intercellular weighting, was carried out based on this Universe description. In all countries, gender, age, region and size of locality were introduced in the iteration procedure. For international weighting (i.e. EU averages), TNS Political & Social applies the official population figures as provided by EUROSTAT or national statistic offices. The total population figures for input in this post-weighting procedure are listed above. Readers are reminded that survey results are estimations, the accuracy of which, everything being equal, rests upon the sample size and upon the observed percentage. With samples of about 1,000 interviews, the real percentages vary within the following confidence limits: Observed percentages 10% or 90% 20% or 80% 30% or 70% 40% or 60% 50% Confidence limits ± 1.9 points ± 2.5 points ± 2.7 points ± 3.0 points ± 3.1 points TS2

157 QUESTIONNAIRE

158 FLASH Consumers attitudes towards cross-border trade and consumer protection ASK ALL D1 How old are you? (WRITE DOWN - IF "REFUSAL" CODE '99') D11 D2 Gender. Male Female 1 2 D10 A SELLER IS THE RETAILER OF THE GOOD-EITHER SHOP OR WSITE \ A PROVIDER IS THE SELLER OF A SERVICE ASK ALL Q1 In the past 12 months, have you purchased any goods or services, by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways? (M) (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) (READ OUT) Yes, from a seller\provide r located in (OUR COUNTRY) Yes, from a seller\provide r located in another EU country Yes, from a seller\provide r located outside the EU No DK\NA (DO NOT READ OUT) Via the Internet (website, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, , etc.) By phone 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, By post (catalogues, mail order, etc.) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, FL Q1 TREND MODIFIED Q1

159 FLASH ASK Q2.1 IF Yes, from a seller\ provider located in (OUR COUNTRY), CODE 1 IN Q1.1 OR\AND Q1.2 OR\AND Q1.3 OTHERS GO TO Q2.2 PROG: The amount has to be entered directly in local currency, this amount will be automatically converted into Euros (the conversion table has been sent) Q2.1 You said you bought something over the Internet, by phone or post from a seller\ provider located in (OUR COUNTRY). Please tell me how much you spent in total on goods and services you bought by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) in the last 12 months, even if it s an approximate amount. (INT.: IF "DK" CODE "999999") [insert local currency] NEW ASK Q2.2 IF Yes, from a seller\ provider located in another EU country, CODE 2 IN Q1.1 OR\AND Q1.2 OR\AND Q1.3 OTHERS GO TO Q2.3 PROG: The amount has to be entered directly in local currency, this amount will be automatically converted into Euros (the conversion table has been sent) Q2.2 You said you bought something over the Internet, by phone or post from a seller\provider located in ANOTHER EU COUNTRY. Please tell me how much you spent in total on goods and services you bought by Internet, phone or post from another EU-country in the last 12 months, even if it s an approximate amount. (M) (INT.: IF "DK" CODE "999999") [insert local currency] FL Q1A TREND MODIFIED ASK Q2.3 IF Yes, from a seller\ provider located outside the EU, CODE 3 IN Q1.1 OR\AND Q1.2 OR\AND Q1.3 OTHERS GO TO Q3 PROG: The amount has to be entered directly in local currency, this amount will be automatically converted into Euros (the conversion table has been sent) Q2.3 You said you bought something over the Internet, by phone or post from a seller\ provider located outside the EU. Please tell me how much you spent in total on goods and services you bought by Internet, phone or post outside the EU in the last 12 months, even if it s an approximate amount. (INT.: IF "DK" CODE "999999") [insert local currency] NEW Q2

160 FLASH ASK Q3 IF CODE 1 OR 2 IN Q1.1 OR\AND Q1.2 OR\AND Q1.3 OTHERS GO TO Q4 Q3 During the past 12 months have any of the following situations happened to you when purchasing something by internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere? (M) (ONE ANSWER PER LINE) (READ OUT) Happened Did not happen DK\NA (DO NOT READ OUT) (ONLY IF CODE 1 IN Q1.1 OR\AND Q1.2 OR\AND Q1.3) A delay in the delivery of something purchased from a seller\provider located in (OUR COUNTRY) (ONLY IF CODE 1 IN Q1.1 OR\AND Q1.2 OR\AND Q1.3) You purchased something from a seller\provider located in (OUR COUNTRY) and it was not delivered at all (ONLY IF CODE 2 IN Q1.1 OR\AND Q1.2 OR\AND Q1.3) A delay in the delivery of something purchased from a seller\provider located in another EU country (ONLY IF CODE 2 IN Q1.1 OR\AND Q1.2 OR\AND Q1.3) You purchased something from a seller\provider located in another EU country and it was not delivered at all (ONLY IF CODE 2 IN Q1 OR\AND Q1.2 OR\AND Q1.3) You wanted to purchase something from a seller\provider in another EU country but the seller did not deliver or sell to (OUR COUNTRY) (M) FL Q3 TREND MODIFIED ASK ALL Q4 In the past 12 months have you purchased any goods while on holiday, shopping or business trip in another EU country? (ONE ANSWER ONLY) Yes No DK\NA (DO NOT READ OUT) FL Q2 Q3

161 FLASH Q5 Thinking generally about purchasing goods or services from sellers\ providers located elsewhere in the EU, which we refer to as "cross-border shopping", please tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. (ONE ANSWER PER LINE) (READ OUT) Totally agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Totally disagree DK\NA (DO NOT READ OUT) You are prepared to purchase goods and services using another EU language You know where to get information and advice about cross border shopping in the EU In the next 12 months, you intend to make cross-border purchases worth more than those you made in the past 12 months You are not interested in making a cross border transaction in the EU in the next 12 months FL Q5 Q6 For each of the following, are you more confident making purchases from sellers\providers located in another EU country, in (OUR COUNTRY) or equally confident in both? (M) (ONE ANSWER PER LINE) (READ OUT) More confident in sellers from another EU country More confident in sellers from (OUR COUNTRY) than in another EU country Equally confident DK\NA (DO NOT READ OUT) 1 2 Purchasing goods or services via the Internet Purchasing goods or services by phone or post FL Q6 TREND MODIFIED Q4

162 FLASH Q7 Have any of the following happened to you in the past 12 months? (ONE ANSWER PER LINE) (READ OUT) Yes No DK\NA (DO NOT READ OUT) You came across unsolicited commercial advertisements, statements or offers (cold calls, spam s, commercial SMS, etc.) You came across misleading or deceptive advertisements, statements or offers (ONLY IF YES (CODE 1) IN Q7.2) You responded to an advertisement or offer that turned out to be misleading or deceptive You came across fraudulent advertisements, statements or offers (ONLY IF YES (CODE 1) IN Q7.4) You responded to an advertisement or offer that turned out to be fraudulent You came across exaggerated or misleading statements about the beneficial effects of products for the environment (N) FL Q8 TREND MODIFIED Q8 Suppose you ordered a good by post, phone or the Internet, do you think you have the right to return the good you ordered 4 days after its delivery and get your money back, without giving any reason? (ONE ANSWER ONLY) Yes No DK\NA (DO NOT READ OUT) QA6 Q9 Imagine that a new fridge you bought 18 months ago breaks down without any fault from your side. You didn't buy any extended commercial guarantee. Do you have the right to have it repaired or replaced for free? (M) (ONE ANSWER ONLY) Yes No DK\NA (DO NOT READ OUT) QA7 TREND MODIFIED Q5

163 FLASH Q10 Imagine you receive two educational DVDs by post that you have not ordered, together with a 20 euros invoice for the products. Are you obliged to pay the invoice? (M) (READ OUT - ONE ANSWER ONLY) No, and you are not obliged to send the DVDs back No, provided that you send the DVDs back Yes, you are obliged to pay DK\NA (DO NOT READ OUT) QA11 TREND MODIFIED Q11 In the past 12 months, have you encountered any problem when you bought something in (OUR COUNTRY)? (M) (READ OUT - ONE ANSWER ONLY) Yes and you complained about it to the seller\provider\manufacturer (M) Yes but you did not complain about it to the seller\provider\manufacturer (M) No DK\NA (DO NOT READ OUT) FL Q9 TREND MODIFIED ASK Q12.1 IF Yes and you complained about it to the seller\provider\manufacturer, CODE 1 IN Q11 OTHERS GO TO Q12.2 Q12.1 In general, were you satisfied or not with the way your complaint(s) was (were) dealt with by the seller\ provider\manufacturer? (READ OUT - ONE ANSWER ONLY) Very satisfied Fairly satisfied Not very satisfied Not at all satisfied DK\NA (DO NOT READ OUT) FL Q10A Q6

164 FLASH ASK Q12.2 IF Yes but I did not complain about it to the seller\provider\manufacturer, CODE 2 IN Q11 OTHERS GO TO Q13 Q12.2 What were the main reason(s) why you did not make a complaint? (M) (READ OUT MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) It was unlikely you would get a satisfactory solution to the problem you encountered (M) The sums involved were too small You did not know how or where to complain You were not sure of your rights as a consumer (N) You thought it would take too long (N) You tried to complain for other problems in the past but were not successful (N) You did not complain to the seller/provider but went straight to a third party (consumer association, solicitor, arbitration, mediation, conciliation body, to court) Other (SPONTANEOUS) DK\NA (DO NOT READ OUT) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, NEW (BASED ON FL Q10B) ASK Q13 IF Not very satisfied (CODE 3) OR Not at all satisfied (CODE 4) IN Q12.1 OTHERS GO TO Q14 Q13 How did you proceed further? (READ OUT MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) You took no further action You asked for the advice of a consumer association\consumer help desk You asked for the advice of a lawyer You brought the matter to an arbitration, mediation or conciliation body You brought the matter to court You complained to a public authority (consumer authority, regulator or local\regional authority) Other (SPONTANEOUS) DK\NA (DO NOT READ OUT) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, FL Q11 Q7

165 FLASH ASK ALL Q14 For each of the following statements, please tell me if you agree or disagree with it. In (OUR COUNTRY) (ONE ANSWER PER LINE) (READ OUT) Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree DK\NA (DO NOT READ OUT) 1...it is easy to resolve disputes with sellers\providers through an arbitration, mediation or conciliation body (malfunctioning goods, late\ non-delivery, etc.) it is easy to resolve disputes with sellers\ providers through the courts you trust independent consumer organisations to protect your rights as a consumer you trust public authorities to protect your rights as a consumer you feel that you are adequately protected by existing measures to protect consumers in general, sellers\ providers in (OUR COUNTRY) respect your rights as a consumer you have changed your consumer behaviour as a result of a media story (e.g. changed shop or product) you regularly watch/listen to TV or Radio programmes related to consumer issues (N) FL Q12 TREND MODIFIED (ITEM 8 NEW) Q8

166 FLASH READ OUT: Product safety relates to consumer products only and does not include industrial products. Unsafe products are failing to comply with safety standards, not rifles or knives. Q15 Thinking about all non-food products currently on the market in (OUR COUNTRY), do you think that...? (READ OUT - ONE ANSWER ONLY) Essentially all products are safe A small number of products are unsafe A significant number of products are unsafe It depends on the product (SPONTANEOUS) DK\NA (DO NOT READ OUT) FL Q13 Q16 And thinking about all food products currently on the market in (OUR COUNTRY), do you think that...? (READ OUT - ONE ANSWER ONLY) Essentially all food products are safe A small number of food products are unsafe A significant number of food products are unsafe It depends on the product (SPONTANEOUS) DK\NA (DO NOT READ OUT) FL Q14 Q17 Have you ever been personally affected by a recall of a product from the market? (READ OUT - ONE ANSWER ONLY) Yes a non-food product Yes a food product Yes, for both No DK\NA (DO NOT READ OUT) FL Q15 Q9

167 FLASH Q18 Considering everything you bought last week, did the environmental impact of any product or service influence your choice? (ONE ANSWER ONLY) Yes No DK\NA (DO NOT READ OUT) FL Q17 ASK ALL DEMOGRAPHICS D4 How old were you when you stopped full-time education? (INT.: IF "STILL STUDYING", CODE 00 - IF "NO EDUCATION" CODE '01' - IF "REFUSAL" CODE '98' - IF "DK" CODE '99') FL 999 D4 D5 As far as your current occupation is concerned, would you say you are self-employed, an employee, a manual worker or would you say that you are without a professional activity? Does it mean that you are a(n) IF A RESPONSE TO THE MAIN CATEGORY IS GIVEN, READ OUT THE RESPECTIVE SUB- CATEGORIES SELF-EMPLOYED Farmer, forester, fisherman Owner of shop, craftsman Professional (lawyer, medical practitioner, accountant, architect ) Manager of a company Other (SPECIFY) EMPLOYEE Professional (employed doctor, lawyer, accountant, architect ) General management, director or top management Middle management Civil servant Office clerk Other employee (salesman, nurse, etc ) Other (SPECIFY) MANUAL WORKER Supervisor \ foreman (team manager, etc ) Manual worker Unskilled manual worker Other (SPECIFY) WITHOUT A PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY Looking after the home Student (full time) Retired Seeking a job Other (SPECIFY) Refusal (SPONTANEOUS) FL 999 D5 Q10

168 FLASH D6 Do you have an Internet connection at home? Yes No 1 2 FL 999 D6 D12 In which region do you currently live? (READ OUT IF NECESSARY - ONE ANSWER ONLY) NEW D13 Would you say you live in a...? (READ OUT - ONE ANSWER ONLY) Rural area or village Small or middle sized town Large town DK (DO NOT READ OUT) D25 D18 Have you got a mobile phone? (DO NOT READ OUT) Yes No 1 2 D43b MODIFIED D20 Have you got a landline phone? (DO NOT READ OUT) Yes No 1 2 NEW Q11

169 TABLES

170 FLASH Q1.1 Au cours des 12 derniers mois, avez-vous acheté des biens ou des services, par internet, par téléphone ou par la poste en (NOTRE PAYS) ou ailleurs de l une des façons suivantes? (PLUSIEURS REPONSES POSSIBLES) Par Internet (site Web, courrier électronique, etc.) Q1.1 In the past 12 months, have you purchased any goods or services, by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) Via the Internet (website, , etc.) Q1.1 Bitte sagen Sie mir, ob Sie in den letzten 12 Monaten in (UNSER LAND) oder anderswo auf einem der folgenden Wege irgendwelche Produkte oder Dienstleistungen [über das Internet, Telefon oder per Post] gekauft haben. (MEHRFACHNENNUNGEN MÖGLICH) Über das Internet (Website, etc.) Oui, auprès d un vendeur/fournisseur établi en (NOTRE PAYS) Oui, auprès d un vendeur/fournisseur établi dans un autre pays de l UE Oui, auprès d un vendeur/fournisseur établi en dehors de l UE Yes, from a seller/provider located in (OUR COUNTRY) Yes, from a seller/provider located in another EU country Yes, from a seller/provider located outside the EU % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents Ja, von einem Verkäufer/Anbieter mit Sitz in (UNSER LAND) Ja, von einem Verkäufer/Anbieter mit Sitz in einem anderen EU- Mitgliedsland Ja, von einem Verkäufer/Anbieter mit Sitz außerhalb der EU BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO T1

171 FLASH Q1.1 Au cours des 12 derniers mois, avez-vous acheté des biens ou des services, par internet, par téléphone ou par la poste en (NOTRE PAYS) ou ailleurs de l une des façons suivantes? (PLUSIEURS REPONSES POSSIBLES) Par Internet (site Web, courrier électronique, etc.) Q1.1 In the past 12 months, have you purchased any goods or services, by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) Via the Internet (website, , etc.) Q1.1 Bitte sagen Sie mir, ob Sie in den letzten 12 Monaten in (UNSER LAND) oder anderswo auf einem der folgenden Wege irgendwelche Produkte oder Dienstleistungen [über das Internet, Telefon oder per Post] gekauft haben. (MEHRFACHNENNUNGEN MÖGLICH) Über das Internet (Website, etc.) Non NSP Total 'Oui' No DK Total 'Yes' Nein WN Gesamt 'Ja' % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO T2

172 FLASH Q1.2 Au cours des 12 derniers mois, avez-vous acheté des biens ou des services, par internet, par téléphone ou par la poste en (NOTRE PAYS) ou ailleurs de l une des façons suivantes? (PLUSIEURS REPONSES POSSIBLES) Par téléphone Q1.2 In the past 12 months, have you purchased any goods or services, by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) By phone Q1.2 Bitte sagen Sie mir, ob Sie in den letzten 12 Monaten in (UNSER LAND) oder anderswo auf einem der folgenden Wege irgendwelche Produkte oder Dienstleistungen [über das Internet, Telefon oder per Post] gekauft haben. (MEHRFACHNENNUNGEN MÖGLICH) Übers Telefon Oui, auprès d un vendeur/fournisseur établi en (NOTRE PAYS) Oui, auprès d un vendeur/fournisseur établi dans un autre pays de l UE Oui, auprès d un vendeur/fournisseur établi en dehors de l UE Yes, from a seller/provider located in (OUR COUNTRY) Yes, from a seller/provider located in another EU country Yes, from a seller/provider located outside the EU % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents Ja, von einem Verkäufer/Anbieter mit Sitz in (UNSER LAND) Ja, von einem Verkäufer/Anbieter mit Sitz in einem anderen EU- Mitgliedsland Ja, von einem Verkäufer/Anbieter mit Sitz außerhalb der EU BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO T3

173 FLASH Q1.2 Au cours des 12 derniers mois, avez-vous acheté des biens ou des services, par internet, par téléphone ou par la poste en (NOTRE PAYS) ou ailleurs de l une des façons suivantes? (PLUSIEURS REPONSES POSSIBLES) Par téléphone Q1.2 In the past 12 months, have you purchased any goods or services, by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) By phone Q1.2 Bitte sagen Sie mir, ob Sie in den letzten 12 Monaten in (UNSER LAND) oder anderswo auf einem der folgenden Wege irgendwelche Produkte oder Dienstleistungen [über das Internet, Telefon oder per Post] gekauft haben. (MEHRFACHNENNUNGEN MÖGLICH) Übers Telefon Non NSP Total 'Oui' No DK Total 'Yes' Nein WN Gesamt 'Ja' % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO T4

174 FLASH Q1.3 Au cours des 12 derniers mois, avez-vous acheté des biens ou des services, par internet, par téléphone ou par la poste en (NOTRE PAYS) ou ailleurs de l une des façons suivantes? (PLUSIEURS REPONSES POSSIBLES) Par la poste (catalogue, vente par correspondance, etc.) Q1.3 In the past 12 months, have you purchased any goods or services, by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) By post (catalogues, mail order, etc.) Q1.3 Bitte sagen Sie mir, ob Sie in den letzten 12 Monaten in (UNSER LAND) oder anderswo auf einem der folgenden Wege irgendwelche Produkte oder Dienstleistungen [über das Internet, Telefon oder per Post] gekauft haben. (MEHRFACHNENNUNGEN MÖGLICH) Per Post (Kataloge, postalische Bestellung etc.) Oui, auprès d un vendeur/fournisseur établi en (NOTRE PAYS) Oui, auprès d un vendeur/fournisseur établi dans un autre pays de l UE Oui, auprès d un vendeur/fournisseur établi en dehors de l UE Yes, from a seller/provider located in (OUR COUNTRY) Yes, from a seller/provider located in another EU country Yes, from a seller/provider located outside the EU % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents Ja, von einem Verkäufer/Anbieter mit Sitz in (UNSER LAND) Ja, von einem Verkäufer/Anbieter mit Sitz in einem anderen EU- Mitgliedsland Ja, von einem Verkäufer/Anbieter mit Sitz außerhalb der EU BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO T5

175 FLASH Q1.3 Au cours des 12 derniers mois, avez-vous acheté des biens ou des services, par internet, par téléphone ou par la poste en (NOTRE PAYS) ou ailleurs de l une des façons suivantes? (PLUSIEURS REPONSES POSSIBLES) Par la poste (catalogue, vente par correspondance, etc.) Q1.3 In the past 12 months, have you purchased any goods or services, by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere in any of the following ways? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) By post (catalogues, mail order, etc.) Q1.3 Bitte sagen Sie mir, ob Sie in den letzten 12 Monaten in (UNSER LAND) oder anderswo auf einem der folgenden Wege irgendwelche Produkte oder Dienstleistungen [über das Internet, Telefon oder per Post] gekauft haben. (MEHRFACHNENNUNGEN MÖGLICH) Per Post (Kataloge, postalische Bestellung etc.) Non NSP Total 'Oui' No DK Total 'Yes' Nein WN Gesamt 'Ja' % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO T6

176 FLASH Q2.1 Vous avez déclaré avoir acheté quelque chose par internet, par téléphone ou par la poste auprès d un vendeur/fournisseur établi en (NOTRE PAYS). Veuillez me dire combien vous avez dépensé au total pour les biens et services que vous avez achetés par internet, par téléphone ou par la poste en (NOTRE PAYS) dans les 12 derniers mois, même s il ne s agit que d un montant approximatif. Q2.1 You said you bought something over the Internet, by phone or post from a seller/provider located in (OUR COUNTRY). Please tell me how much you spent in total on goods and services you bought by Internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) in the last 12 months, even if it s an approximate amount. Q2.1 Sie sagen, Sie haben etwas über das Internet, das Telefon oder per Post von einem Verkäufer/Anbieter mit Sitz in (UNSER LAND) gekauft. Bitte sagen Sie mir, wie viel Sie in den letzten 12 Monaten insgesamt für Waren und Dienstleistungen ausgegeben haben, die Sie in (UNSER LAND) über das Internet, das Telefon oder per Post gekauft haben. Ein ungefährer Betrag genügt. 100 euros ou moins Entre 101 et 500 euros Entre 501 et 1000 euros Plus de 1000 euros NSP 100 euros or less Between 101 and 500 euros Between 501 and 1000 euros More than 1000 euros DK % (Total N) EU BE 363 BG 280 CZ 628 DK 642 DE 692 EE 409 IE 410 EL 251 ES 357 FR 645 IT 270 CY 47 LV 374 LT 312 LU 99 HU 327 MT 98 NL 745 AT 527 PL 549 PT 227 RO 407 SI 449 SK 550 FI 680 SE 719 UK 779 IS 203 NO euros ou moins Entre 101 et 500 euros Entre 501 et 1000 euros Plus de 1000 euros WN Base: respondents who bought something over the Internet, by phone or post from a seller/provider located in (OUR COUNTRY) T7

177 FLASH Q2.2 Vous avez déclaré avoir acheté quelque chose par internet, par téléphone ou par la poste auprès d un vendeur/fournisseur établi dans UN AUTRE PAYS DE L UE. Veuillez me dire combien vous avez dépensé au total pour les biens et services que vous avez achetés par internet, par téléphone ou par la poste dans un autre pays de l UE dans les 12 derniers mois, même s il ne s agit que d un montant approximatif. Q2.2 You said you bought something over the Internet, by phone or post from a seller/provider located in ANOTHER EU COUNTRY. Please tell me how much you spent in total on goods and services you bought by Internet, phone or post from another EU-country in the last 12 months, even if it s an approximate amount. Q2.2 Sie sagen, Sie haben etwas über das Internet, das Telefon oder per Post von einem Verkäufer/Anbieter mit Sitz in einem ANDEREN EU-LAND gekauft. Bitte sagen Sie mir, wie viel Sie in den letzten 12 Monaten insgesamt für Waren und Dienstleistungen ausgegeben haben, die Sie über das Internet, das Telefon oder per Post aus einem anderen EU-Land gekauft haben. Ein ungefährer Betrag genügt. 100 euros ou moins Entre 101 et 500 euros Entre 501 et 1000 euros Plus de 1000 euros NSP 100 euros or less Between 101 and 500 euros Between 501 and 1000 euros More than 1000 euros DK % (Total N) 100 euros ou moins Entre 101 et 500 euros Entre 501 et 1000 euros Plus de 1000 euros EU BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO WN Base: respondents who bought something over the Internet, by phone or post from a seller/provider located in ANOTHER EU COUNTRY T8

178 FLASH Q2.3 Vous avez déclaré avoir acheté quelque chose par internet, par téléphone ou par la poste auprès d un vendeur/fournisseur établi en dehors de l UE. Veuillez me dire combien vous avez dépensé au total pour les biens et services que vous avez achetés par internet, par téléphone ou par la poste en dehors de l UE dans les 12 derniers mois, même s il ne s agit que d un montant approximatif. Q2.3 You said you bought something over the Internet, by phone or post from a seller/provider located outside the EU. Please tell me how much you spent in total on goods and services you bought by Internet, phone or post outside the EU in the last 12 months, even if it s an approximate amount. Q2.3 Sie sagen, Sie haben etwas über das Internet, das Telefon oder per Post von einem Verkäufer/Anbieter mit Sitz außerhalb der EU gekauft. Bitte sagen Sie mir, wie viel Sie insgesamt für Waren und Dienstleistungen ausgegeben haben, die Sie in den letzten 12 Monaten über das Internet, das Telefon oder per Post aus einem Land außerhalb der EU gekauft haben. Ein ungefährer Betrag genügt. 100 euros ou moins Entre 101 et 500 euros Entre 501 et 1000 euros Plus de 1000 euros NSP 100 euros or less Between 101 and 500 euros Between 501 and 1000 euros More than 1000 euros DK % (Total N) EU BE 53 BG 40 CZ 42 DK 99 DE 63 EE 59 IE 146 EL 48 ES 58 FR 60 IT 35 CY 68 LV 68 LT 47 LU 33 HU 24 MT 105 NL 96 AT 54 PL 20 PT 40 RO 20 SI 50 SK 34 FI 103 SE 82 UK 160 IS 122 NO euros ou moins Entre 101 et 500 euros Entre 501 et 1000 euros Plus de 1000 euros WN Base: respondents who bought something over the Internet, by phone or post from a seller/provider located outside the EU T9

179 FLASH Q3.1 Au cours des 12 derniers mois, vous êtes vous retrouvé(e) dans l une des situations suivantes lors de l achat de quelque chose par internet, par téléphone ou par la poste en (NOTRE PAYS) ou ailleurs? Un retard dans la livraison d un achat chez un fournisseur/vendeur situé en (NOTRE PAYS) Q3.1 During the past 12 months have any of the following situations happened to you when purchasing something by internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere? A delay in the delivery of something purchased from a seller/provider located in (OUR COUNTRY) Q3.1 Ist während der letzten 12 Monate eine der folgenden Situationen vorgekommen, als sie etwas über das Internet, das Telefon oder per Post in (UNSER LAND) oder woanders gekauft haben? Eine Verzögerung bei der Lieferung von etwas, was bei einem Verkäufer/Anbieter mit Sitz in (UNSER LAND) gekauft wurde S est produit Ne s est pas produit NSP Happened Did not happen DK Ist vorgekommen Ist nicht vorgekommen WN % (Total N) EU BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO Base: respondents who bought something over the Internet, by phone or post from a seller/provider located in (OUR COUNTRY) T10

180 FLASH Q3.2 Au cours des 12 derniers mois, vous êtes vous retrouvé(e) dans l une des situations suivantes lors de l achat de quelque chose par internet, par téléphone ou par la poste en (NOTRE PAYS) ou ailleurs? Vous avez acheté quelque chose chez un vendeur/fournisseur en (NOTRE PAYS) et cela n a jamais été livré Q3.2 During the past 12 months have any of the following situations happened to you when purchasing something by internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere? You purchased something from a seller/provider located in (OUR COUNTRY) and it was not delivered at all Q3.2 Ist während der letzten 12 Monate eine der folgenden Situationen vorgekommen, als sie etwas über das Internet, das Telefon oder per Post in (UNSER LAND) oder woanders gekauft haben? Sie haben etwas von einem Verkäufer/Anbieter mit Sitz in (UNSER LAND) gekauft und es wurde überhaupt nicht geliefert S est produit Ne s est pas produit NSP Happened Did not happen DK Ist vorgekommen Ist nicht vorgekommen WN % (Total N) EU BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO Base: respondents who bought something over the Internet, by phone or post from a seller/provider located in (OUR COUNTRY) T11

181 FLASH Q3.3 Au cours des 12 derniers mois, vous êtes vous retrouvé(e) dans l une des situations suivantes lors de l achat de quelque chose par internet, par téléphone ou par la poste en (NOTRE PAYS) ou ailleurs? Un retard dans la livraison d un achat chez un vendeur/fournisseur situé dans un autre pays de l UE Q3.3 During the past 12 months have any of the following situations happened to you when purchasing something by internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere? A delay in the delivery of something purchased from a seller/provider located in another EU country Q3.3 Ist während der letzten 12 Monate eine der folgenden Situationen vorgekommen, als sie etwas über das Internet, das Telefon oder per Post in (UNSER LAND) oder woanders gekauft haben? Eine Verzögerung bei der Lieferung von etwas, was bei einem Verkäufer/Anbieter mit Sitz in einem anderen EU-Land gekauft wurde S est produit Ne s est pas produit NSP Happened Did not happen DK Ist vorgekommen Ist nicht vorgekommen WN % (Total N) EU BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO Base: respondents who bought something over the Internet, by phone or post from a seller/provider located in ANOTHER EU COUNTRY T12

182 FLASH Q3.4 Au cours des 12 derniers mois, vous êtes vous retrouvé(e) dans l une des situations suivantes lors de l achat de quelque chose par internet, par téléphone ou par la poste en (NOTRE PAYS) ou ailleurs? Vous avez acheté quelque chose chez un vendeur/fournisseur situé dans un autre pays de l UE et cela n a jamais été livré Q3.4 During the past 12 months have any of the following situations happened to you when purchasing something by internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere? You purchased something from a seller/provider located in another EU country and it was not delivered at all Q3.4 Ist während der letzten 12 Monate eine der folgenden Situationen vorgekommen, als sie etwas über das Internet, das Telefon oder per Post in (UNSER LAND) oder woanders gekauft haben? Sie haben etwas von einem Verkäufer/Anbieter mit Sitz in einem anderen EU-Land gekauft und es wurde überhaupt nicht geliefert S est produit Ne s est pas produit NSP Happened Did not happen DK Ist vorgekommen Ist nicht vorgekommen WN % (Total N) EU BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO Base: respondents who bought something over the Internet, by phone or post from a seller/provider located in ANOTHER EU COUNTRY T13

183 FLASH Q3.5 Au cours des 12 derniers mois, vous êtes vous retrouvé(e) dans l une des situations suivantes lors de l achat de quelque chose par internet, par téléphone ou par la poste en (NOTRE PAYS) ou ailleurs? Vous avez voulu acheter quelque chose chez un vendeur/fournisseur dans un autre pays de l UE mais le vendeur ne livrait ou ne vendait pas en (NOTRE PAYS) Q3.5 During the past 12 months have any of the following situations happened to you when purchasing something by internet, phone or post in (OUR COUNTRY) or elsewhere? You wanted to purchase something from a seller/provider in another EU country but the seller did not deliver or sell to (OUR COUNTRY) Q3.5 Ist während der letzten 12 Monate eine der folgenden Situationen vorgekommen, als sie etwas über das Internet, das Telefon oder per Post in (UNSER LAND) oder woanders gekauft haben? Sie wollten etwas von einem Verkäufer/Anbieter mit Sitz in einem anderen EU-Land kaufen, aber der Verkäufer lieferte oder verkaufte nicht nach (UNSER LAND) S est produit Ne s est pas produit NSP Happened Did not happen DK Ist vorgekommen Ist nicht vorgekommen WN % (Total N) EU BE 181 BG 62 CZ 77 DK 291 DE 117 EE 126 IE 386 EL 75 ES 87 FR 107 IT 79 CY 127 LV 144 LT 76 LU 238 HU 34 MT 191 NL 174 AT 388 PL 64 PT 103 RO 45 SI 112 SK 126 FI 230 SE 153 UK 165 IS 77 NO Base: respondents who bought something over the Internet, by phone or post from a seller/provider located in ANOTHER EU COUNTRY T14

184 FLASH Q4 Au cours des 12 derniers mois, avez-vous acheté des marchandises pendant vos vacances, en faisant du shopping ou un voyage d affaires dans un autre pays de l Union Européenne? Q4 In the past 12 months have you purchased any goods while on holiday, shopping or business trip in another EU country? Q4 Haben Sie in den letzten 12 Monaten irgendwelche Waren in einem anderen EU-Land gekauft, während Sie im Urlaub waren, einen Shoppingtrip gemacht haben oder auf Geschäftsreise waren? Oui Non NSP Yes No DK Ja Nein WN % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO T15

185 FLASH Q5.1 En pensant aux achats de biens ou de services que vous faites généralement chez des fournisseurs/vendeurs situés ailleurs dans l UE, que nous appelons achats transfrontaliers, veuillez me dire dans quelle mesure vous êtes d accord ou non avec chacune des phrases suivantes. Vous êtes prêt à acheter des biens et services en utilisant une autre langue de l UE Q5.1 Thinking generally about purchasing goods or services from sellers/providers located elsewhere in the EU, which we refer to as "cross-border shopping", please tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. You are prepared to purchase goods and services using another EU language Q5.1 Wenn Sie einmal ganz allgemein an den Kauf von Waren oder Dienstleistungen bei Verkäufern/Anbietern mit Sitz in einem anderen EU-Land denken - was wir als grenzüberschreitendes Einkaufen bezeichnen -, bitte sagen Sie mir zu jeder der folgenden Aussagen, wie sehr Sie dieser zustimmen oder nicht zustimmen. Sie sind dazu bereit, Waren und Dienstleistungen in einer anderen Sprache der Europäischen Union zu kaufen Tout à fait d accord Plutôt d accord Plutôt pas d accord Pas du tout d accord NSP Total 'D'accord' Total 'Pas d'accord' % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents Totally agree Stimme voll und ganz zu Tend to agree Stimme eher zu Tend to disagree Stimme eher nicht zu Totally disagree Stimme überhaupt nicht zu Total 'Disagree' Gesamt 'Stimme nicht zu' BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO DK WN Total 'Agree' Gesamt 'Stimme zu' T16

186 FLASH Q5.2 En pensant aux achats de biens ou de services que vous faites généralement chez des fournisseurs/vendeurs situés ailleurs dans l UE, que nous appelons achats transfrontaliers, veuillez me dire dans quelle mesure vous êtes d accord ou non avec chacune des phrases suivantes. Vous savez où obtenir des informations et des conseils sur les achats transfrontaliers dans l Union européenne Q5.2 Thinking generally about purchasing goods or services from sellers/providers located elsewhere in the EU, which we refer to as "cross-border shopping", please tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. You know where to get information and advice about cross border shopping in the European Union Q5.2 Wenn Sie einmal ganz allgemein an den Kauf von Waren oder Dienstleistungen bei Verkäufern/Anbietern mit Sitz in einem anderen EU-Land denken - was wir als grenzüberschreitendes Einkaufen bezeichnen -, bitte sagen Sie mir zu jeder der folgenden Aussagen, wie sehr Sie dieser zustimmen oder nicht zustimmen. Sie wissen, wo Sie Informationen und Ratschläge zu grenzüberschreitenden Einkäufen in der EU erhalten Tout à fait d accord Plutôt d accord Plutôt pas d accord Pas du tout d accord NSP Total 'D'accord' Total 'Pas d'accord' % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents Totally agree Stimme voll und ganz zu Tend to agree Stimme eher zu Tend to disagree Stimme eher nicht zu Totally disagree Stimme überhaupt nicht zu Total 'Disagree' Gesamt 'Stimme nicht zu' BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO DK WN Total 'Agree' Gesamt 'Stimme zu' T17

187 FLASH Q5.3 En pensant aux achats de biens ou de services que vous faites généralement chez des fournisseurs/vendeurs situés ailleurs dans l UE, que nous appelons achats transfrontaliers, veuillez me dire dans quelle mesure vous êtes d accord ou non avec chacune des phrases suivantes. Au cours des 12 prochains mois, vous avez l intention de faire des achats transfrontaliers plus importants que ceux que vous avez fait au cours des 12 derniers mois Q5.3 Thinking generally about purchasing goods or services from sellers/providers located elsewhere in the EU, which we refer to as "cross-border shopping", please tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. In the next 12 months, you intend to make cross-border purchases worth more than those you made in the past 12 months Q5.3 Wenn Sie einmal ganz allgemein an den Kauf von Waren oder Dienstleistungen bei Verkäufern/Anbietern mit Sitz in einem anderen EU-Land denken - was wir als grenzüberschreitendes Einkaufen bezeichnen -, bitte sagen Sie mir zu jeder der folgenden Aussagen, wie sehr Sie dieser zustimmen oder nicht zustimmen. Sie planen in den nächsten 12 Monaten grenzüberschreitende Einkäufe zu machen, die einen höheren Wert haben als die, die Sie in den letzten 12 Monaten gemacht haben Tout à fait d accord Plutôt d accord Plutôt pas d accord Pas du tout d accord NSP Total 'D'accord' Total 'Pas d'accord' % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents Totally agree Stimme voll und ganz zu Tend to agree Stimme eher zu Tend to disagree Stimme eher nicht zu Totally disagree Stimme überhaupt nicht zu BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO DK WN Total 'Agree' Gesamt 'Stimme zu' Total 'Disagree' Gesamt 'Stimme nicht zu' T18

188 FLASH Q5.4 En pensant aux achats de biens ou de services que vous faites généralement chez des fournisseurs/vendeurs situés ailleurs dans l UE, que nous appelons achats transfrontaliers, veuillez me dire dans quelle mesure vous êtes d accord ou non avec chacune des phrases suivantes. Vous n êtes pas intéressé(e) par le fait de faire une transaction transfrontalière dans l UE au cours des 12 prochains mois Q5.4 Thinking generally about purchasing goods or services from sellers/providers located elsewhere in the EU, which we refer to as "cross-border shopping", please tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. You are not interested in making a cross border transaction in the EU in the next 12 months Q5.4 Wenn Sie einmal ganz allgemein an den Kauf von Waren oder Dienstleistungen bei Verkäufern/Anbietern mit Sitz in einem anderen EU-Land denken - was wir als grenzüberschreitendes Einkaufen bezeichnen -, bitte sagen Sie mir zu jeder der folgenden Aussagen, wie sehr Sie dieser zustimmen oder nicht zustimmen. Sie sind in den nächsten 12 Monaten nicht an einer grenzüberschreitenden Transaktion in der Europäischen Union interessiert Tout à fait d accord Plutôt d accord Plutôt pas d accord Pas du tout d accord NSP Total 'D'accord' Total 'Pas d'accord' % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents Totally agree Stimme voll und ganz zu Tend to agree Stimme eher zu Tend to disagree Stimme eher nicht zu Totally disagree Stimme überhaupt nicht zu Total 'Disagree' Gesamt 'Stimme nicht zu' BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO DK WN Total 'Agree' Gesamt 'Stimme zu' T19

189 FLASH Q6.1 Pour chacune des options suivantes, avez-vous davantage confiance en faisant des achats chez des vendeurs/fournisseurs situés dans un autre pays de l UE, en (NOTRE PAYS) ou avez-vous tout autant confiance dans les deux cas? Acheter des biens ou des services via Internet Q6.1 For each of the following, are you more confident making purchases from sellers/providers located in another EU country, in (OUR COUNTRY) or equally confident in both? Purchasing goods or services via the Internet Q6.1 Bitte sagen Sie mir für jede der folgenden Situationen, ob Sie dabei mehr Vertrauen zu Verkäufern / Anbietern mit Sitz in einem anderen EU-Land oder zu Verkäufern/Anbietern mit Sitz in (UNSER LAND) haben, oder haben Sie zu beiden gleich viel Vertrauen? Kauf von Waren oder Dienstleistungen über das Internet % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents Plus confiant dans les vendeurs d un autre pays de l UE More confident in sellers from another EU country Habe mehr Vertrauen zu Verkäufern mit Sitz in anderem EU-Land Plus confiant dans les vendeurs de (NOTRE PAYS) que dans un autre pays de l UE More confident in sellers from (OUR COUNTRY) than in another EU country Habe mehr Vertrauen zu Verkäufern mit Sitz in (UNSER LAND) Tout autant confiant Equally confident Habe zu beiden gleich viel Vertrauen BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO NSP DK WN T20

190 FLASH Q6.2 Pour chacune des options suivantes, avez-vous davantage confiance en faisant des achats chez des vendeurs/fournisseurs situés dans un autre pays de l UE, en (NOTRE PAYS) ou avez-vous tout autant confiance dans les deux cas? Acheter des biens ou des services par téléphone ou par la poste Q6.2 For each of the following, are you more confident making purchases from sellers/providers located in another EU country, in (OUR COUNTRY) or equally confident in both? Purchasing goods or services by phone or post Q6.2 Bitte sagen Sie mir für jede der folgenden Situationen, ob Sie dabei mehr Vertrauen zu Verkäufern / Anbietern mit Sitz in einem anderen EU-Land oder zu Verkäufern/Anbietern mit Sitz in (UNSER LAND) haben, oder haben Sie zu beiden gleich viel Vertrauen? Kauf von Waren oder Dienstleistungen über das Telefon oder per Post % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents Plus confiant dans les vendeurs d un autre pays de l UE More confident in sellers from another EU country Habe mehr Vertrauen zu Verkäufern mit Sitz in anderem EU-Land Plus confiant dans les vendeurs de (NOTRE PAYS) que dans un autre pays de l UE More confident in sellers from (OUR COUNTRY) than in another EU country Habe mehr Vertrauen zu Verkäufern mit Sitz in (UNSER LAND) Tout autant confiant Equally confident Habe zu beiden gleich viel Vertrauen BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO NSP DK WN T21

191 FLASH Q7.1 Pour chacune des situations suivantes, pourriez-vous me dire si cela vous est arrivé au cours des 12 derniers mois? Vous êtes tombé(e) sur des publicités ou offres commerciales non-sollicitées (démarchage téléphonique, spams, SMS commerciaux,etc.) Q7.1 Have any of the following happened to you in the past 12 months? You came across unsolicited commercial advertisements, statements or offers (cold calls, spam s, commercial SMS, etc.) Q7.1 Ist Ihnen irgendeines der folgenden Dinge in den letzten 12 Monaten passiert? Sie haben nicht angeforderte kommerzielle Werbung, Aussagen oder Angebote erhalten (Vertreteranrufe, Spam s, Werbe-SMS etc.) Oui Non NSP Yes No DK Ja Nein WN % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO T22

192 FLASH Q7.2 Pour chacune des situations suivantes, pourriez-vous me dire si cela vous est arrivé au cours des 12 derniers mois? Vous êtes tombé(e) sur des publicités, des déclarations ou des offres mensongères ou trompeuses Q7.2 Have any of the following happened to you in the past 12 months? You came across misleading or deceptive advertisements, statements or offers Q7.2 Ist Ihnen irgendeines der folgenden Dinge in den letzten 12 Monaten passiert? Ihnen sind irreführende oder täuschende Werbung, Aussagen oder Angebote aufgefallen Oui Non NSP Yes No DK Ja Nein WN % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO T23

193 FLASH Q7.3 Pour chacune des situations suivantes, pourriez-vous me dire si cela vous est arrivé au cours des 12 derniers mois? Vous avez répondu à une publicité ou à une offre qui s est avérée être mensongère ou trompeuse Q7.3 Have any of the following happened to you in the past 12 months? You responded to an advertisement or offer that turned out to be misleading or deceptive Q7.3 Ist Ihnen irgendeines der folgenden Dinge in den letzten 12 Monaten passiert? Sie haben auf eine Werbung oder ein Angebot geantwortet, das sich als irreführend oder täuschend herausgestellt hat Oui Non NSP Yes No DK Ja Nein WN % (Total N) EU BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO Base: respondents who came across misleading or deceptive advertisements, statements or offers T24

194 FLASH Q7.4 Pour chacune des situations suivantes, pourriez-vous me dire si cela vous est arrivé au cours des 12 derniers mois? Vous êtes tombé(e) sur des publicités, des déclarations ou offres frauduleuses Q7.4 Have any of the following happened to you in the past 12 months? You came across fraudulent advertisements, statements or offers Q7.4 Ist Ihnen irgendeines der folgenden Dinge in den letzten 12 Monaten passiert? Sie haben betrügerische Werbung, Aussagen oder Angebote erhalten. Oui Non NSP Yes No DK Ja Nein WN % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO T25

195 FLASH Q7.5 Pour chacune des situations suivantes, pourriez-vous me dire si cela vous est arrivé au cours des 12 derniers mois? Vous avez répondu à une publicité ou à une offre qui s est avérée être frauduleuse Q7.5 Have any of the following happened to you in the past 12 months? You responded to an advertisement or offer that turned out to be fraudulent Q7.5 Ist Ihnen irgendeines der folgenden Dinge in den letzten 12 Monaten passiert? Sie haben auf eine Werbung oder ein Angebot geantwortet, das sich als betrügerisch herausgestellt hat Oui Non NSP Yes No DK Ja Nein WN % (Total N) EU BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO Base: respondents who came across fraudulent advertisements, statements or offers T26

196 FLASH Q7.6 Pour chacune des situations suivantes, pourriez-vous me dire si cela vous est arrivé au cours des 12 derniers mois? Vous êtes tombé(e) sur des déclarations exagérées ou trompeuses vantant les effets bénéfiques de certains produits sur l environnement Q7.6 Have any of the following happened to you in the past 12 months? You came across exaggerated or misleading statements about the beneficial effects of products for the environment Q7.6 Ist Ihnen irgendeines der folgenden Dinge in den letzten 12 Monaten passiert? Ihnen sind überzogene oder irreführende Aussagen über die Umweltfreundlichkeit von Produkten aufgefallen Oui Non NSP Yes No DK Ja Nein WN % (Total N) EU BE 1000 BG 1009 CZ 1004 DK 1008 DE 1000 EE 1008 IE 1000 EL 1005 ES 1002 FR 1000 IT 1011 CY 503 LV 1010 LT 1000 LU 502 HU 1001 MT 515 NL 1032 AT 1012 PL 1001 PT 1012 RO 1014 SI 1001 SK 1001 FI 1012 SE 1000 UK 1002 IS 503 NO Base: all respondents T27

197 FLASH Q8 Supposons que vous ayez commandé un produit par la poste, le téléphone ou Internet, pensez-vous que vous avez le droit de retourner le produit commandé 4 jours après sa livraison et d être remboursé(e), sans donner de raison? Q8 Suppose you ordered a good by post, phone or the Internet, do you think you have the right to return the good you ordered 4 days after its delivery and get your money back, without giving any reason? Q8 Angenommen, Sie hätten eine Ware per Post, Telefon oder über das Internet bestellt, hätten Sie Ihrer Meinung nach das Recht, die bestellte Ware 4 Tage nach Zustellung ohne Angabe von Gründen zurückzugeben und das Geld zurückzubekommen? Oui Non NSP Yes No DK Ja Nein WN % (Total N) EU BE 1000 BG 1009 CZ 1004 DK 1008 DE 1000 EE 1008 IE 1000 EL 1005 ES 1002 FR 1000 IT 1011 CY 503 LV 1010 LT 1000 LU 502 HU 1001 MT 515 NL 1032 AT 1012 PL 1001 PT 1012 RO 1014 SI 1001 SK 1001 FI 1012 SE 1000 UK 1002 IS 503 NO Base: all respondents T28

198 FLASH Q9 Imaginez qu un nouveau réfrigérateur que vous avez acheté il y a 18 mois tombe en panne sans que vous en soyez responsables. Vous n avez pas souscrit d extension de garantie commerciale. Avez-vous le droit de le faire réparer ou remplacer gratuitement? Q9 Imagine that a new fridge you bought 18 months ago breaks down without any fault from your side. You didn't buy any extended commercial guarantee. Do you have the right to have it repaired or replaced for free? Q9 Stellen Sie sich vor, dass ein neuer Kühlschrank, den Sie vor 18 Monaten gekauft haben, ohne Ihr Verschulden kaputt geht und Sie haben keine verlängerte Garantie erworben. Hätten Sie Anspruch darauf, dass der Kühlschrank kostenlos repariert oder ersetzt wird? Oui Non NSP Yes No DK Ja Nein WN % (Total N) EU BE 1000 BG 1009 CZ 1004 DK 1008 DE 1000 EE 1008 IE 1000 EL 1005 ES 1002 FR 1000 IT 1011 CY 503 LV 1010 LT 1000 LU 502 HU 1001 MT 515 NL 1032 AT 1012 PL 1001 PT 1012 RO 1014 SI 1001 SK 1001 FI 1012 SE 1000 UK 1002 IS 503 NO Base: all respondents T29

199 FLASH Q10 Imaginez que vous recevez par courrier deux DVD éducatifs que vous n avez pas commandés, accompagnés d une facture de 20 euros. Êtes-vous obligé(e) de payer cette facture? Q10 Imagine you receive two educational DVDs by post that you have not ordered, together with a 20 euros invoice for the products. Are you obliged to pay the invoice? Q10 Angenommen, Sie erhalten per Post zwei Schulungs-DVDs, die Sie gar nicht bestellt haben, zusammen mit einer Rechnung in Höhe von 20 Euro für die gelieferte Ware. Sind Sie verpflichtet, die Rechnung zu bezahlen? % (Total N) EU BE 1000 BG 1009 CZ 1004 DK 1008 DE 1000 EE 1008 IE 1000 EL 1005 ES 1002 FR 1000 IT 1011 CY 503 LV 1010 LT 1000 LU 502 HU 1001 MT 515 NL 1032 AT 1012 PL 1001 PT 1012 RO 1014 SI 1001 SK 1001 FI 1012 SE 1000 UK 1002 IS 503 NO 1000 Base: all respondents Non, et vous n êtes pas obligé(e) de renvoyer les DVD No, and you are not obliged to send the DVDs back Nein, und Sie sind nicht verpflichtet, die DVDs zurückzuschicken Non, à condition de renvoyer les DVD No, provided that you send the DVDs back Nein, sofern Sie die DVDs zurückschicken Oui, vous êtes obligé(e) de payer Yes, you are obliged to pay Ja, Sie sind zur Zahlung verpflichtet NSP DK WN T30

200 FLASH QC Connaissance des droits de consommateurs Moyenne QC Knowledge of consumers' rights Average QC Wissen über Verbraucherrechte Durchschnitt Moyenne des bonnes réponses Moyenne des mauvaises réponses NSP Average of correct answers Average of wrong answers DK % (Total N) EU BE 3000 BG 3027 CZ 3012 DK 3024 DE 3000 EE 3024 IE 3000 EL 3015 ES 3006 FR 3000 IT 3033 CY 1509 LV 3030 LT 3000 LU 1506 HU 3003 MT 1545 NL 3096 AT 3036 PL 3003 PT 3036 RO 3042 SI 3003 SK 3003 FI 3036 SE 3000 UK 3006 IS 1509 NO 3000 Durchschnitt der richtigen Antworten Durchschnittlich falsche Antworten WN Base: all respondents-average T31

201 FLASH QC Connaissance des droits de consommateurs QC Knowledge of consumers' rights QC Wissen über Verbraucherrechte % (Total N) EU BE 1000 BG 1009 CZ 1004 DK 1008 DE 1000 EE 1008 IE 1000 EL 1005 ES 1002 FR 1000 IT 1011 CY 503 LV 1010 LT 1000 LU 502 HU 1001 MT 515 NL 1032 AT 1012 PL 1001 PT 1012 RO 1014 SI 1001 SK 1001 FI 1012 SE 1000 UK 1002 IS 503 NO 1000 Base: all respondents Au moins une réponse correcte At least one correct answer Au moins une réponse correcte 0 réponse correcte 0 correct answer 0 réponse correcte 1 réponse correcte 1 correct answer 1 réponse correcte 2 réponses correctes 2 correct answers 2 réponses correctes 3 réponses correctes 3 correct answers 3 réponses correctes Au moins une mauvaise réponse At least one wrong answer Mindestens ein falsche Ant Au moins une réponse NSP At least one answer DK Mindestens ein Antwort WN T32

202 FLASH Q11 Au cours des 12 derniers mois, avez-vous rencontré des problèmes lorsque vous avez acheté quelque chose en (NOTRE PAYS)? Q11 In the past 12 months, have you encountered any problem when you bought something in (OUR COUNTRY)? Q11 Gab es in den letzten 12 Monaten Probleme, wenn Sie etwas in (UNSER LAND) gekauft haben? % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents Oui - et vous vous Oui - mais vous ne en êtes plaint(e) vous en êtes pas auprès du plaint auprès du vendeur/fournisseur/ vendeur/fournisseur/ fabricant fabricant Yes and you Yes but you did complained about it not complain about to the it to the seller/provider/ seller/provider/ manufacturer manufacturer Ja - und ich habe mich darüber beim Verkäufer/Anbieter/ Hersteller beschwert Ja - aber ich habe mich darüber nicht beim Verkäufer/Anbieter/ Hersteller beschwert BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO Non No Nein NSP DK WN Total 'Oui' Total 'Yes' Gesamt 'Ja' T33

203 FLASH Q12.1 D une manière générale, étiez-vous satisfait(e) ou non de la façon dont le vendeur/fournisseur/fabricant a traité votre(vos) plainte(s)? Q12.1 In general, were you satisfied or not with the way your complaint(s) was (were) dealt with by the seller/ provider/manufacturer? Q12.1 Waren Sie im Allgemeinen mit der Art und Weise, wie Ihre Beschwerde durch den Verkäufer/Anbieter/Hersteller aufgenommen wurde, zufrieden oder nicht? Très satisfait(e) Plutôt satisfait(e) Plutôt pas satisfait(e) Pas du tout satisfait(e) NSP Total 'Satisfait(e)' Total 'Pas satisfait(e)' % (Total N) Very satisfied Sehr zufrieden Fairly satisfied Ziemlich zufrieden Not very satisfied Nicht sehr zufrieden Not at all satisfied Überhaupt nicht zufrieden EU BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO Base: respondents who encountered any problem and complained about it to the seller/provider/manufacturer DK WN Total 'Satisfied' Total 'Satisfait(e)' Total 'Not satisfied' Total 'Pas satisfait(e)' T34

204 FLASH Q12.2 Quelles ont été les principales raisons pour lesquelles vous n avez pas déposé de plainte? (PLUSIEURS REPONSES POSSIBLES) Q12.2 What were the main reason(s) why you did not make a complaint? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) Q12.2 Was waren die Hauptgründe, aus denen Sie keine Beschwerde eingereicht haben? (MEHRFACHNENNUNGEN MÖGLICH) Il était peu probable que le recours à votre problème aboutisse à une solution satisfaisante Les sommes en jeu étaient trop faibles Vous ne saviez comment et où vous plaindre It was unlikely you would get a satisfactory solution to the problem you encountered The sums involved were too small You did not know how or where to complain Es war unwahrscheinlich, dass für Ihr Problem eine zufriedenstellende Lösung gefunden worden wäre Die Summe, um die es ging, war zu gering Sie wussten nicht, wo und wie Sie sich beschweren sollten % (Total N) EU BE 15 BG 103 CZ 59 DK 10 DE 16 EE 75 IE 21 EL 42 ES 13 FR 20 IT 23 CY 11 LV 71 LT 54 LU 11 HU 71 MT 14 NL 22 AT 14 PL 82 PT 20 RO 121 SI 29 SK 56 FI 32 SE 20 UK 34 IS 12 NO Base: respondents who encountered any problem but did not complain about it to the seller/provider/manufacturer T35

205 FLASH Q12.2 Quelles ont été les principales raisons pour lesquelles vous n avez pas déposé de plainte? (PLUSIEURS REPONSES POSSIBLES) Q12.2 What were the main reason(s) why you did not make a complaint? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) Q12.2 Was waren die Hauptgründe, aus denen Sie keine Beschwerde eingereicht haben? (MEHRFACHNENNUNGEN MÖGLICH) Vous n étiez pas certain(e) de vos droits en tant que consommateur Vous pensiez que cela prendrait trop de temps Vous avez essayé de déposer une plainte pour d autres problèmes par le passé mais cela n avait pas abouti You were not sure of your rights as a consumer You thought it would take too long You tried to complain for other problems in the past but were not successful Sie waren sich Ihrer Verbraucherrechte nicht bewusst Sie dachten, es würde zu lange dauern Sie hatten sich in der Vergangenheit schon einmal aufgrund anderer Probleme beschwert, hatten aber keinen Erfolg % (Total N) EU BE 15 BG 103 CZ 59 DK 10 DE 16 EE 75 IE 21 EL 42 ES 13 FR 20 IT 23 CY 11 LV 71 LT 54 LU 11 HU 71 MT 14 NL 22 AT 14 PL 82 PT 20 RO 121 SI 29 SK 56 FI 32 SE 20 UK 34 IS 12 NO Base: respondents who encountered any problem but did not complain about it to the seller/provider/manufacturer T36

206 FLASH Q12.2 Quelles ont été les principales raisons pour lesquelles vous n avez pas déposé de plainte? (PLUSIEURS REPONSES POSSIBLES) Q12.2 What were the main reason(s) why you did not make a complaint? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) Q12.2 Was waren die Hauptgründe, aus denen Sie keine Beschwerde eingereicht haben? (MEHRFACHNENNUNGEN MÖGLICH) Vous ne vous êtes pas plaint auprès du vendeur/fournisseur, mais vous êtes dirigé vers une tierce partie (association de consommateurs, avocat, arbitrage, médiation, conciliation, au tribunal) Autre (SPONTANE) NSP You did not complain to the seller/provider but went straight to a third party (consumer association, solicitor, arbitration, mediation, conciliation body, to court) Other (SPONTANEOUS) DK Sie haben sich nicht beim Verkäufer/Anbieter beschwert, haben sich aber direkt an eine dritte Partei gewandt (Verbraucherverbände, Anwalt, Schiedsgericht, Mediator, Schlichtungsstelle, Gericht) Sonstige (SPONTAN) WN % (Total N) EU BE 15 BG 103 CZ 59 DK 10 DE 16 EE 75 IE 21 EL 42 ES 13 FR 20 IT 23 CY 11 LV 71 LT 54 LU 11 HU 71 MT 14 NL 22 AT 14 PL 82 PT 20 RO 121 SI 29 SK 56 FI 32 SE 20 UK 34 IS 12 NO Base: respondents who encountered any problem but did not complain about it to the seller/provider/manufacturer T37

207 FLASH Q13 Qu'avez-vous fait de plus? (PLUSIEURS REPONSES POSSIBLES) Q13 How did you proceed further? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) Q13 Wie sind Sie weiter vorgegangen? (MEHRFACHNENNUNGEN MÖGLICH) Vous n avez rien entrepris Vous avez demandé conseil auprès d une association d aide aux consommateurs Vous avez demandé conseil auprès d un avocat You took no further action You asked for the advice of a consumer association You asked for the advice of a solicitor Sie haben nichts weiter unternommen Sie haben eine Verbraucherschutzorganisation oder Beratungsstelle um Rat gefragt Sie haben einen Anwalt um Rat gefragt % (Total N) EU BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO Base: respondents who were not very satisfied or not at all satisfied with the way their complaint(s) was (were) dealt with by the seller/ provider/manufacturer T38

208 FLASH Q13 Qu'avez-vous fait de plus? (PLUSIEURS REPONSES POSSIBLES) Q13 How did you proceed further? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) Q13 Wie sind Sie weiter vorgegangen? (MEHRFACHNENNUNGEN MÖGLICH) Vous avez soumis le cas à un organisme d arbitrage, de médiation ou de conciliation Vous avez porté l affaire devant un tribunal Vous vous êtes plaint auprès d une autorité publique (autorité de défense des consommateurs, organisme de réglementation ou les collectivités régionales et locales) You brought the matter to an arbitration, mediation or conciliation body You brought the matter to court You complained to a public authority (consumer authority, regulator or local\regional authority) Sie haben die Angelegenheit vor ein Schiedsgericht, eine Vermittlungsstelle oder Schlichtungsstelle gebracht Sie haben die Angelegenheit vor Gericht gebracht Sie haben sich bei einer öffentlichen Behörde beschwert (Verbraucherschutzbehörde, Regulierungsbehörde oder örtliche Behörde) % (Total N) EU BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO Base: respondents who were not very satisfied or not at all satisfied with the way their complaint(s) was (were) dealt with by the seller/ provider/manufacturer T39

209 FLASH Q13 Qu'avez-vous fait de plus? (PLUSIEURS REPONSES POSSIBLES) Q13 How did you proceed further? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) Q13 Wie sind Sie weiter vorgegangen? (MEHRFACHNENNUNGEN MÖGLICH) Autre (SPONTANE) NSP Other (SPONTANEOUS) DK Sonstige (SPONTAN) WN % (Total N) EU BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO Base: respondents who were not very satisfied or not at all satisfied with the way their complaint(s) was (were) dealt with by the seller/ provider/manufacturer T40

210 FLASH Q14.1 Pourriez-vous me dire si vous êtes d accord ou pas avec chacune des propositions suivantes. En (NOTRE PAYS),... il est facile de résoudre des litiges avec des vendeurs/fournisseurs via un organisme d arbitrage, de médiation ou de conciliation (produits défectueux, livraison en retard, pas de livraison, etc.) Q14.1 For each of the following statements, please tell me if you agree or disagree with it. In (OUR COUNTRY)...it is easy to resolve disputes with sellers/providers through an arbitration, mediation or conciliation body (malfunctioning goods, late/non-delivery, etc.) Q14.1 Sagen Sie mir bitte für jede der folgenden Aussagen, ob Sie ihr zustimmen oder nicht. In (UNSER LAND)...ist es leicht, Streitfragen mit Verkäufern/Anbietern mit Hilfe eines Schiedsgerichts, einer Vermittlungsstelle oder einer Schlichtungsstelle zu klären (defektes Produkt, späte/keine Lieferung etc.) Tout à fait d accord D accord Pas d accord Pas du tout d accord NSP Total 'D'accord' Total 'Pas d'accord' % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents Strongly agree Stimme voll und ganz zu Agree Stimme eher zu Disagree Stimme eher nicht zu Strongly disagree Stimme überhaupt nicht zu Total 'Disagree' Gesamt 'Stimme nicht zu' BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO DK WN Total 'Agree' Gesamt 'Stimme zu' T41

211 FLASH Q14.2 Pourriez-vous me dire si vous êtes d accord ou pas avec chacune des propositions suivantes. En (NOTRE PAYS),......il est facile de résoudre des litiges avec des vendeurs/fournisseurs devant des tribunaux Q14.2 For each of the following statements, please tell me if you agree or disagree with it. In (OUR COUNTRY)...it is easy to resolve disputes with sellers/providers through the courts Q14.2 Sagen Sie mir bitte für jede der folgenden Aussagen, ob Sie ihr zustimmen oder nicht. In (UNSER LAND)...ist es leicht, Streitfragen mit Verkäufern/Anbietern vor Gericht zu klären Tout à fait d accord D accord Pas d accord Pas du tout d accord NSP Total 'D'accord' Total 'Pas d'accord' % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents Strongly agree Stimme voll und ganz zu Agree Stimme eher zu Disagree Stimme eher nicht zu Strongly disagree Stimme überhaupt nicht zu Total 'Disagree' Gesamt 'Stimme nicht zu' BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO DK WN Total 'Agree' Gesamt 'Stimme zu' T42

212 FLASH Q14.3 Pourriez-vous me dire si vous êtes d accord ou pas avec chacune des propositions suivantes. En (NOTRE PAYS),... vous avez confiance dans les organisations de consommateurs indépendantes pour protéger vos droits en tant que consommateur Q14.3 For each of the following statements, please tell me if you agree or disagree with it. In (OUR COUNTRY) you trust independent consumer organisations to protect your rights as a consumer Q14.3 Sagen Sie mir bitte für jede der folgenden Aussagen, ob Sie ihr zustimmen oder nicht. In (UNSER LAND)...vertrauen Sie unabhängigen Verbraucherorganisationen, Ihre Rechte als Verbraucher zu schützen Tout à fait d accord D accord Pas d accord Pas du tout d accord NSP Total 'D'accord' Total 'Pas d'accord' % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents Strongly agree Stimme voll und ganz zu Agree Stimme eher zu Disagree Stimme eher nicht zu Strongly disagree Stimme überhaupt nicht zu Total 'Disagree' Gesamt 'Stimme nicht zu' BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO DK WN Total 'Agree' Gesamt 'Stimme zu' T43

213 FLASH Q14.4 Pourriez-vous me dire si vous êtes d accord ou pas avec chacune des propositions suivantes. En (NOTRE PAYS),... vous avez confiance dans les pouvoirs publics pour protéger vos droits en tant que consommateur Q14.4 For each of the following statements, please tell me if you agree or disagree with it. In (OUR COUNTRY) you trust public authorities to protect your rights as a consumer Q14.4 Sagen Sie mir bitte für jede der folgenden Aussagen, ob Sie ihr zustimmen oder nicht. In (UNSER LAND)...vertrauen Sie Behörden, Ihre Rechte als Verbraucher zu schützen Tout à fait d accord D accord Pas d accord Pas du tout d accord NSP Total 'D'accord' Total 'Pas d'accord' % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents Strongly agree Stimme voll und ganz zu Agree Stimme eher zu Disagree Stimme eher nicht zu Strongly disagree Stimme überhaupt nicht zu Total 'Disagree' Gesamt 'Stimme nicht zu' BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO DK WN Total 'Agree' Gesamt 'Stimme zu' T44

214 FLASH Q14.5 Pourriez-vous me dire si vous êtes d accord ou pas avec chacune des propositions suivantes. En (NOTRE PAYS),... vous pensez que vous êtes suffisamment protégé(e) par les mesures actuelles de protection des consommateurs Q14.5 For each of the following statements, please tell me if you agree or disagree with it. In (OUR COUNTRY) you feel that you are adequately protected by existing measures to protect consumers Q14.5 Sagen Sie mir bitte für jede der folgenden Aussagen, ob Sie ihr zustimmen oder nicht. In (UNSER LAND)...fühlen Sie sich durch bestehende Verbraucherschutzmaßnahmen angemessen geschützt Tout à fait d accord D accord Pas d accord Pas du tout d accord NSP Total 'D'accord' Total 'Pas d'accord' % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents Strongly agree Stimme voll und ganz zu Agree Stimme eher zu Disagree Stimme eher nicht zu Strongly disagree Stimme überhaupt nicht zu Total 'Disagree' Gesamt 'Stimme nicht zu' BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO DK WN Total 'Agree' Gesamt 'Stimme zu' T45

215 FLASH Q14.6 Pourriez-vous me dire si vous êtes d accord ou pas avec chacune des propositions suivantes. En (NOTRE PAYS),... d une manière générale, les vendeurs/fournisseurs en (NOTRE PAYS) respectent vos droits en tant que consommateur Q14.6 For each of the following statements, please tell me if you agree or disagree with it. In (OUR COUNTRY) in general, sellers/providers in (OUR COUNTRY) respect your rights as a consumer Q14.6 Sagen Sie mir bitte für jede der folgenden Aussagen, ob Sie ihr zustimmen oder nicht. In (UNSER LAND)...respektieren Verkäufer/Anbieter im Allgemeinen Ihre Rechte als Verbraucher Tout à fait d accord D accord Pas d accord Pas du tout d accord NSP Total 'D'accord' Total 'Pas d'accord' % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents Strongly agree Stimme voll und ganz zu Agree Stimme eher zu Disagree Stimme eher nicht zu Strongly disagree Stimme überhaupt nicht zu Total 'Disagree' Gesamt 'Stimme nicht zu' BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO DK WN Total 'Agree' Gesamt 'Stimme zu' T46

216 FLASH Q14.7 Pourriez-vous me dire si vous êtes d accord ou pas avec chacune des propositions suivantes. En (NOTRE PAYS),... vous avez changé votre comportement en matière de consommation à la suite d une histoire rapportée par les médias (par exemple, changé de boutique ou de produit) Q14.7 For each of the following statements, please tell me if you agree or disagree with it. In (OUR COUNTRY) you have changed your consumer behaviour as a result of a media story (e.g. changed shop or product) Q14.7 Sagen Sie mir bitte für jede der folgenden Aussagen, ob Sie ihr zustimmen oder nicht. In (UNSER LAND)...haben Sie Ihr Konsumverhalten aufgrund eines Medienberichts geändert (z. B. Geschäft oder Produkt gewechselt) Tout à fait d accord D accord Pas d accord Pas du tout d accord NSP Total 'D'accord' Total 'Pas d'accord' % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents Strongly agree Stimme voll und ganz zu Agree Stimme eher zu Disagree Stimme eher nicht zu Strongly disagree Stimme überhaupt nicht zu Total 'Disagree' Gesamt 'Stimme nicht zu' BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO DK WN Total 'Agree' Gesamt 'Stimme zu' T47

217 FLASH Q14.8 Pourriez-vous me dire si vous êtes d accord ou pas avec chacune des propositions suivantes. En (NOTRE PAYS),... vous regardez/écoutez régulièrement des programmes à la télévision ou la radio portant sur des questions concernant les consommateurs Q14.8 For each of the following statements, please tell me if you agree or disagree with it. In (OUR COUNTRY) you regularly watch/listen to TV or Radio programmes related to consumer issues Q14.8 Sagen Sie mir bitte für jede der folgenden Aussagen, ob Sie ihr zustimmen oder nicht. In (UNSER LAND)...sehen/hören Sie regelmäßig Sendungen über Verbraucherthemen im Fernsehen/im Radio an Tout à fait d accord D accord Pas d accord Pas du tout d accord NSP Total 'D'accord' Total 'Pas d'accord' % (Total N) EU BE 1000 BG 1009 CZ 1004 DK 1008 DE 1000 EE 1008 IE 1000 EL 1005 ES 1002 FR 1000 IT 1011 CY 503 LV 1010 LT 1000 LU 502 HU 1001 MT 515 NL 1032 AT 1012 PL 1001 PT 1012 RO 1014 SI 1001 SK 1001 FI 1012 SE 1000 UK 1002 IS 503 NO 1000 Strongly agree Stimme voll und ganz zu Agree Stimme eher zu Disagree Stimme eher nicht zu Strongly disagree Stimme überhaupt nicht zu DK WN Total 'Agree' Gesamt 'Stimme zu' Total 'Disagree' Gesamt 'Stimme nicht zu' Base: all respondents T48

218 FLASH Q15 Si vous pensez à tous les produits non-alimentaires actuellement sur le marché en (NOTRE PAYS), pensez-vous que...? Q15 Thinking about all non-food products currently on the market in (OUR COUNTRY), do you think that...? Q15 Wenn Sie an alle Produkte denken, die keine Lebensmittel sind und derzeit in (UNSER LAND) auf dem Markt sind, denken Sie, dass? % (Total N) EU BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO Base: all respondents Pour l essentiel, tous les produits sont sûrs Essentially all products are safe im Wesentlichen alle Produkte sicher sind Un petit nombre de produits ne sont pas sûrs A small number of products are unsafe eine geringe Anzahl von Produkten unsicher ist Un nombre significatif de produits ne sont pas sûrs A significant number of products are unsafe eine große Anzahl von Produkten unsicher ist Cela dépend du produit (SPONTANE) It depends on the product (SPONTANEOUS) Das kommt auf das Produkt an (SPONTAN) NSP DK WN Total 'Pas sûrs' Total 'Unsafe' Gesamt 'Unsicher' T49

219 FLASH Q16 Et en pensant à tous les produits alimentaires actuellement sur le marché en (NOTRE PAYS) pensez-vous que...? Q16 And thinking about all food products currently on the market in (OUR COUNTRY), do you think that...? Q16 Und wenn Sie an alle Lebensmittelprodukte denken, die derzeit in (UNSER LAND) auf dem Markt sind, denken Sie, dass? Pour l essentiel, tous les produits alimentaires sont sûrs Un petit nombre de produits alimentaires ne sont pas sûrs Un nombre significatif de produits alimentaires ne sont pas sûrs Cela dépend du produit (SPONTANE) NSP Total 'Pas sûrs' Essentially all food products are safe A small number of food products are unsafe A significant number of food products are unsafe It depends on the product (SPONTANEOUS) DK Total 'Unsafe' % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents im Wesentlichen alle Lebensmittelprodukte sicher sind eine geringe Anzahl von Lebensmittelprodukten unsicher ist eine große Anzahl von Lebensmittelprodukten unsicher ist Das kommt auf das Produkt an (SPONTAN) BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO WN Gesamt 'Unsicher' T50

220 FLASH Q17 Avez-vous déjà été personnellement touché par le rappel d un produit du marché? Q17 Have you ever been personally affected by a recall of a product from the market? Q17 Waren Sie schon einmal persönlich davon betroffen, dass ein Produkt vom Markt zurückgerufen wurde? Oui - un produit non alimentaire Oui - un produit alimentaire Oui, pour les deux Non NSP Total 'Oui' Yes a non-food product Yes a food product Yes, for both No DK Total 'Yes' Ja - bei einem Produkt, das kein Lebensmittel ist Ja - bei einem Lebensmittelprodukt Ja, bei beidem Nein WN Gesamt 'Ja' % (Total N) EU BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO Base: all respondents T51

221 FLASH Q18 En prenant en compte tout ce que vous avez acheté la semaine dernière, l impact environnemental d un produit ou service a-t-il influencé votre choix? Q18 Considering everything you bought last week, did the environmental impact of any product or service influence your choice? Q18 Wenn Sie an alles denken, was Sie letzte Woche gekauft haben: haben die Auswirkungen irgendeines Produkts oder einer Dienstleistung auf die Umwelt Ihre Wahl beeinflusst? Oui Non NSP Yes No DK Ja Nein WN % (Total N) EU Base: all respondents BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK IS NO T52