EU sweep 2025: 52% of second-hand online sellers may break consumer-law basics

Second-hand is booming — but a 2025 EU enforcement sweep shows that many online sellers still fail on the basics.

The European Commission and the CPC Network screened 356 online traders selling second-hand goods and identified 185 (52%) as potentially in breach of EU consumer law.

What the sweep found (EU, 2025)

The published breakdown is unusually practical for anyone doing price intelligence:

• 40% did not clearly explain the right of withdrawal (e.g., returning within 14 days without justification/cost).
• 45% did not correctly inform consumers about their right to return faulty goods or goods not as advertised.
• 57% did not respect the minimum one‑year legal guarantee for second-hand goods.
• Environmental claims: among the 34% of traders showing environmental claims, 20% were not sufficiently substantiated and 28% were manifestly false, deceptive, or likely unfair.
• Pricing transparency gaps: 8% did not provide the total price including taxes.

Why this matters for competitor pricing

In second-hand markets, the “best price” often isn’t the cheapest sticker price:

• If returns are unclear or the guarantee is reduced, the effective value drops.
• “Green” positioning can be part of the offer; misleading claims change conversion and perceived premium.
• Tax‑inclusive pricing and fee transparency shift the checkout reality.

What to track (Trackabl-style)

When monitoring second-hand competitors, store price plus the rights/terms that change value:

• Return policy surface: withdrawal window, who pays return shipping, clarity of instructions.
• Legal guarantee: explicit duration for second-hand items (look for one‑year minimum signals).
• Condition + fault language: “as is”, refurbished grading, warranty terms.
• Environmental claims: claim text + proof (certifications, lifecycle statements, repairability language).
• Total price at checkout: taxes included, fees, delivery charges.

Alerts that actually help

• “Price down” AND “returns/guarantee worsened” (value drop masked as discount)
• “Green claim added/changed” (positioning change)
• “Total price changed at checkout” (fees/taxes/shipping)
• “Return/guarantee page changed” (risk shift)

Second-hand isn’t just a cheaper channel — it’s a different value equation. Your competitor tracking should reflect that.