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Online retailers can no longer deny customers from other EU countries access to their web shops. However, applying different sales prices per country is still allowed, and delivery abroad is not an obligation.
No discrimination
The decision comes as a result of the European decision against geoblocking, which was approved in February and is now being enforced. Under the new law, web retailers are not allowed to discriminate against customers based on their country of residence or nationality. In the past, shoppers have often encountered barriers when visiting foreign web shops: they were denied access, were automatically redirected to another site or had their credit card refused. Such practices are now a thing of the past, as the European Union wants to stimulate trade across its internal borders, both to the customers’ advantage and that of the companies involved.
“It can be very frustrating for consumers to try to buy a pair of shoes or festival tickets from a foreign website just to find out they cannot make the purchase because they are in the ‘wrong’ country,” says Monique Goyens, Director General of The European Consumer Organisation. “This is not what you would expect to happen in a single market and it is very good news this nuisance will stop. A single market offers consumers more choice and better offers. With geo-blocking finally coming to an end when shopping online, consumers can even better reap the advantages of being in a market of 500 million people.”
Delivery optional
Denying access to members of different EU countries is no longer allowed, as is redirecting them to a different website without permission. Retailers do retain the liberty to determine which payment methods they accept, but they can not continue to treat shoppers differently on the basis of nationality or country of residence.
On the other hand, web shop owners can still sell products at different prices in different countries and they are not obligated to deliver their products across the borders in a country where their company is not active. In that case, consumers will have to take care of the delivery or they will have to come fetch their orders themselves. Retailers are also free to refuse certain national debit cards from other EU member states.
Other geoblocking practices remain in effect: the ban does not affect broadcasting, so television providers are still free to keep foreign viewers from watching their programmes.
