←back to thread

573 points gausswho | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.214s | source
Show context
pjmlp ◴[] No.44507998[source]
The consumer protection laws are so bad the other side of Atlantic.

Most European countries, have their own version of consumer protection agencies, usually any kind of complaint gets sorted out, even if takes a couple months.

If they fail for whatever reason, there is still the top European one.

Most of the time I read about FTC, it appears to side with the wrong guys.

replies(8): >>44508075 #>>44508495 #>>44508884 #>>44508987 #>>44509501 #>>44510263 #>>44512025 #>>44512341 #
mrtksn ◴[] No.44508884[source]
True but generally speaking American companies usually have much better customer service and better refund policies than European ones. The issues usually stem when a company corners the market or has no viable alternatives.

So maybe the American way of doing things can also work if a healthy competitive environment is preserved.

The problem lately is that American companies have become monopolies and the formula firms extracting profits or stock hikes for the shareholders dictate that they screw the user up until barely legal territory.

So maybe America can roll without consumer protection laws and agencies if they can fix the business environment.

They just need to find a way out of enshittification, a process US companies perfected.

replies(3): >>44509021 #>>44509221 #>>44512583 #
okanat ◴[] No.44512583[source]
In Germany companies have to have 14 days, no questions asked return for products and services ordered online. If they don't accept it, you can report to a consumer protection agency and sue the company.
replies(1): >>44513689 #
1. skeletal88 ◴[] No.44513689[source]
This is everywhere in Europe

So it is sometimes better to buy stuff online, because the reasoning is that you haven't seen or tried them, but when you buy it in a physical shop, then you were aware what you bough and can't claim that you couldn't check the colour of a thing or how it fit you or whatever else reason you can think of.