How we check websites

From submission to report

1. Anyone can submit a website and say what kind of website it is. Websites that sell are reviewed first.
2. Our analyser visits the website's public pages (home page, legal notice, terms, privacy policy, contact page) and looks for the information listed below.
3. A person reviews every finding, can correct it, and adds what a program can't judge, such as false countdowns or misleading price reductions.
4. The report is published with its date. A review usually takes 24 to 48 hours.
5. Published websites are checked again every 90 days, or sooner if their operator asks.

The compliance rate

The percentage on a report is the share of checked requirements that are met. Some requirements count more than others: those about who runs the website count most. Requirements that could not be checked are left out, and so are requirements that don't apply to that kind of website. A report always shows how many requirements were checked.

The rate is a summary, not a grade. Read the findings: they say what is missing and why it matters.

What each finding means

Met

The information was found.

Not found

We looked for the information on the pages listed above and didn't find it.

Not met

The information is there but doesn't meet the requirement, or a prohibited practice was observed.

Could not be checked

The page was unavailable or the item could not be assessed.

The requirements

Each requirement is based on European Union law. Where we know them, we also cite the national laws that apply it.

Who runs the website

• Trader name

  The legal name of the business operating the shop must be clearly displayed.

  Applies to: all websites · checked automatically, then reviewed

  • Directive 2000/31/EC (e-commerce) — Art. 5(1)(a)
    National law in Belgium: Code de droit économique, Art. XII.6
  • Directive 2011/83/EU (consumer rights) — Art. 6(1)(b)
    National law in Belgium: Code de droit économique, Art. VI.45

• Geographic address

  A full geographic address where the business is established must be displayed (not only an e-mail or a P.O. box).

  Applies to: all websites · checked automatically, then reviewed

  • Directive 2000/31/EC (e-commerce) — Art. 5(1)(b)
    National law in Belgium: Code de droit économique, Art. XII.6
  • Directive 2011/83/EU (consumer rights) — Art. 6(1)(c)
    National law in Belgium: Code de droit économique, Art. VI.45

• E-mail address

  An e-mail address allowing rapid and direct contact must be displayed.

  Applies to: all websites · checked automatically, then reviewed

  • Directive 2000/31/EC (e-commerce) — Art. 5(1)(c)
    National law in Belgium: Code de droit économique, Art. XII.6
  • Directive 2011/83/EU (consumer rights) — Art. 6(1)(c)

• Telephone number

  A telephone number must be provided to consumers before they are bound by a distance contract.

  Applies to: shops selling products, websites selling services · checked automatically, then reviewed

  • Directive 2011/83/EU (consumer rights), as amended by Directive (EU) 2019/2161 — Art. 6(1)(c)
    National law in Belgium: Code de droit économique, Art. VI.45

• Company registration

  Where the business is entered in a trade or similar public register, the register and the registration number must be displayed.

  Applies to: all websites · checked automatically, then reviewed

  • Directive 2000/31/EC (e-commerce) — Art. 5(1)(d)
    National law in Belgium: Code de droit économique, Art. III.74 and XII.6

• VAT number

  Where the activity is subject to VAT, the VAT identification number must be displayed. The number is checked against the EU VIES database.

  Applies to: all websites · checked automatically, then reviewed

  • Directive 2000/31/EC (e-commerce) — Art. 5(1)(g)
    National law in Belgium: Code de droit économique, Art. XII.6

Information before you buy

• Terms and conditions

  Contract terms and general conditions must be made available in a way that allows consumers to store and reproduce them.

  Applies to: shops selling products, websites selling services · checked automatically, then reviewed

  • Directive 2000/31/EC (e-commerce) — Art. 10(3)
  • Directive 2011/83/EU (consumer rights) — Art. 6(1)

• Right of withdrawal

  Consumers must be informed of their 14-day right of withdrawal, its conditions and the model withdrawal form.

  Applies to: shops selling products, websites selling services · checked automatically, then reviewed

  • Directive 2011/83/EU (consumer rights) — Art. 6(1)(h), Art. 9 and Annex I(B)
    National law in Belgium: Code de droit économique, Art. VI.45 and VI.47

• Legal guarantee

  Consumers must be reminded of the existence of the legal guarantee of conformity for goods.

  Applies to: shops selling products · checked automatically, then reviewed

  • Directive 2011/83/EU (consumer rights) — Art. 6(1)(l)
  • Directive (EU) 2019/771 (sale of goods) — Art. 10

• Order button

  The button that places the order must state clearly that the order implies an obligation to pay (e.g. "order with obligation to pay").

  Applies to: shops selling products, websites selling services · checked by a person

  • Directive 2011/83/EU (consumer rights) — Art. 8(2)

Unfair commercial practices

• False urgency

  Falsely stating that a product will only be available for a very limited time, to push an immediate decision, is prohibited in all circumstances.

  Applies to: shops selling products, websites selling services · checked by a person

  • Directive 2005/29/EC (unfair commercial practices) — Annex I, point 7
    National law in Belgium: Code de droit économique, Art. VI.100

• Price reductions

  Any announced price reduction must show the prior price, i.e. the lowest price applied during at least the 30 days before the reduction.

  Applies to: shops selling products · checked by a person

  • Directive 98/6/EC (price indication), as amended by Directive (EU) 2019/2161 — Art. 6a
    National law in Belgium: Code de droit économique, Art. VI.18

• Consumer reviews

  Where consumer reviews are shown, the shop must explain whether and how it checks that they come from actual buyers.

  Applies to: shops selling products, websites selling services · checked by a person

  • Directive 2005/29/EC (unfair commercial practices), as amended by Directive (EU) 2019/2161 — Art. 7(6) and Annex I, points 23b-23c

• Material information

  Omitting or hiding material information that consumers need to take an informed decision is a misleading practice.

  Applies to: shops selling products, websites selling services · checked by a person

  • Directive 2005/29/EC (unfair commercial practices) — Art. 7
    National law in Belgium: Code de droit économique, Art. VI.99

Product safety

• Product safety information

  Online offers must show the manufacturer (and, where applicable, the responsible person in the EU), product identification and safety warnings.

  Applies to: shops selling products · checked by a person

  • Regulation (EU) 2023/988 (General Product Safety Regulation) — Art. 19

Personal data and cookies

• Privacy policy

  A privacy notice must identify the data controller, the purposes of processing and the rights of the persons concerned.

  Applies to: all websites · checked automatically, then reviewed

  • Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) — Art. 13

• EU representative

  A business established outside the EU that processes data of people in the EU must designate a representative in the EU.

  Applies to: all websites · checked by a person

  • Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) — Art. 27

• Cookie consent

  Non-essential cookies and trackers may only be set after the visitor has given consent.

  Applies to: all websites · checked automatically, then reviewed

  • Directive 2002/58/EC (ePrivacy) — Art. 5(3)

Limits

• We only look at public pages. Information shown only during checkout may be missed; operators can tell us through the right of reply.
• A report describes the website on its date. Websites change.
• Our reports are not legal advice and don't decide whether a website is lawful.