Austrian Internet complaints reached 6,534, Chinese businesses were named

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic , most businesses have turned their attention to the Internet. However, the boom in digitalization, home offices, and online shopping has also led to a significant increase in online complaints in 2020. The Austrian Internet Ombudsman Office recorded a total of 6,534 complaints last year, an increase of 37.4% over the previous year , setting a new record . In addition, the consultation center provided 5,526 free inquiries .

Austrian Minister of Social Affairs Rudolf   The most common reasons for complaints were subscription scams, fake stores and delayed deliveries , Anschober said in a statement on Tuesday .

The supervision report pointed out that in 2020, the number of complaints about "subscription traps" was the highest . In this scam, consumers enter their data information , but the page does not clearly display the duration and price , using so-called discounts to induce consumers to click the "Subscribe" button . This deception is also particularly common on movie media platforms .

In addition, fake stores accounted for a very large proportion of complaints. During the pneumonia pandemic, hygiene products became very popular, and fake store operators responded sensitively to the increase in demand for hygiene products , promoting epidemic prevention products such as masks, disinfectants or protective clothing in fake stores .

In addition, the boom in online shopping and the disruption of the supply chain have resulted in many e-commerce providers being unable to deliver goods on time, leading to a large increase in complaints about delayed deliveries . In addition, complaints about travel order cancellations have also increased significantly due to lockdown measures.

The Ombudsman also singled out an increasing number of complaints about orders from Chinese online retailers. According to the investigation, the websites of these merchants are often set up in a way that makes consumers believe that the company address is in the EU, but the origin is only revealed when the goods are delayed for weeks or there are problems with customs duties and import VAT. Sometimes, it even happens that the goods are destroyed by customs authorities due to trademark infringement.

Another important reason for the large number of complaints against Chinese merchants is related to local suppliers in Austria. The manufacturers or wholesalers of these local suppliers are usually located in China, and the goods are shipped from China, and they do not have the products in their own hands . In this case, order cancellation and return problems often occur.

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