Twelve of the hundred largest webshops in the Netherlands do not comply with the legal requirement to display a working phone number and email address on their website. This was revealed in an inventory by NOS. According to the Dutch Consumers’ Association, this often leads to complaints from consumers, both for large and smaller webshops. This situation raises questions about the accessibility of webshops and their compliance with new regulations.

What Are the New Rules?

Since May 28, 2022, webshops are required to display their contact details online. Contact details, such as a phone number and email address, must be provided in a clear and understandable manner. The goal is to make it easy for consumers to directly contact the webshop. This information cannot be hidden in terms and conditions or only provided after navigating through a chatbot.

Companies that fail to meet this information obligation risk a fine from the Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM). However, some major webshops, such as Asos, VidaXL, and Shein, remain non-compliant. For consumers, this leads to frustration, especially when issues arise with orders or returns. It can also create a sense of insecurity and distrust.

The NOS Survey

For this survey, the NOS investigated whether the hundred largest webshops in the Netherlands clearly display a customer service phone number on their website. The Twinkle100 ranking was used as a basis. Twelve webshops that do not have a phone number on their site were contacted for comment.

Four companies – Asos, VidaXL, Shein, and Jack & Jones – provided no response. Other webshops, including Amazon, Veepee, HelloFresh, and Zara, did not address the questions directly but referred to alternative ways for customers to contact them by phone. HelloFresh’s phone number, for instance, is easily found via Google and is provided through their chatbot.

Some companies indicated they are working on improvements: Conrad and HBM Machines are currently exploring how to comply with the phone number requirement. Greetz is in the process of implementation, and Flink added a phone number to their website after being questioned by NOS.

Webshops Amazon, Greetz, and VidaXL hold the Thuiswinkel certification but do not display a phone number on their website. Thuiswinkel.nl did not comment on individual cases but stated that companies are given time to comply with new rules before certification is revoked.

‘A Step Backward’

Industry organization Thuiswinkel.org is not pleased with the new regulations. “The obligation to always display a phone number and email feels like a step backward,” explains director Marlene ten Ham.

“Of course, webshops must be accessible, but this can now be achieved in other ways, such as chat, Facebook Messenger, or WhatsApp. Furthermore, it’s essential that webshops enable quick communication, but how they do this should, in our view, be up to the entrepreneur.”

Consumer Reactions

NOS spoke to several consumers who experienced significant frustration due to the lack of a phone number on webshop websites. One of them is Laura Appelo, who ordered €850 worth of clothing from Asos. When she wanted to return some items and had a question about the return label, it turned out to be impossible to contact them by phone.

“It took thirty days to get a response to my email. If I could have called someone, I could have resolved it quickly,” Laura explains. Due to the delay, the return period had expired, and she didn’t get her money back. Asos eventually offered her a voucher for the value of the returned clothing.

According to a spokesperson for the Consumers’ Association, complaints about inaccessible webshops are common. “This is partly due to technological developments. Many companies replace their staff with chatbots, but these often do not function well enough. People want personal contact.”

The Consumers’ Association also faces challenges due to a tight labor market. “We sometimes struggle to meet the strict response times we used to maintain. That’s not always possible now. But for a webshop, specific obligations apply, and good accessibility is an essential part of that.”

An Obligation for Consumer Protection

The obligation to provide contact details is an important part of legislation on consumer protection. The Consumers’ Association states that this is essential for upholding the right of withdrawal and providing good customer service. Webshops that circumvent this legislation can expect action from the Authority for Consumers & Markets.

Clearly displaying contact information is important (and mandatory), but excellent customer service goes beyond that. For example, check out our handy tips for creating a customer-friendly menu.