Customers struggle with poor support from leading webshops
Many well-known online retailers and platforms in the Netherlands fail to provide easily accessible customer support, despite being legally required to do so by the Autoriteit Consument & Markt (ACM). An investigation by RTL Nieuws into 75 prominent webshops revealed that 16 of them do not prominently display a customer service phone number on their websites.
The ACM reports receiving over 70,000 consumer complaints annually, with a significant portion concerning webshops. "A large number of these complaints involve inaccessible customer service," said Fleur Severijns, manager of consumer protection at the ACM.
Among the 75 webshops reviewed, several major platforms, including Uber Eats, Vinted, Etsy, Temu, Ryanair, Shein, Loavies, and Zara, lacked publicly available phone numbers on their websites.
"When you purchase something, it’s crucial that you can easily reach the company if you have questions or issues with your order," Severijns emphasized. "If that’s not possible, customers are left frustrated and without solutions."
Kim van Rijsoort, one of many affected consumers, shared her experience. During a Black Friday sale, she placed an order with lingerie retailer Sapph, which was never delivered. Attempts to contact the company were futile. "I reached out via WhatsApp and sent two emails. Aside from an automated response, I never received a reply," Van Rijsoort said.
After posting a negative review on Trustpilot, Sapph finally responded. "It’s disappointing that you have to go public before being taken seriously," she noted. Van Rijsoort eventually received a refund after waiting 30 days and requesting contract termination. Sapph acknowledged its issues and confirmed ongoing discussions with the ACM.
Uber Eats, Vinted, and Shein defended their practices, citing alternative contact options such as email or chat services. Shein claimed phone support is available but did not provide clear instructions on how to access it. Other platforms, including Asos and Expedia, did not respond to requests for comment.
The Consumentenbond, a consumer advocacy organization, criticized this trend. "Customers prefer phone support, followed by email," said spokesperson Joyce Donat. "Chatbots are fine for simple queries, but complex issues require personal contact."
Donat noted that many companies are reducing their customer service resources due to staffing shortages, often making phone contact intentionally difficult. "They aim to keep you away from the phone for as long as possible," she said.
Under Dutch law, webshops must clearly display phone numbers on customer service pages. Hiding this information in terms and conditions or company details violates these requirements. RTL Nieuws found that companies such as Bol, Marktplaats, Thuisbezorgd, and Expedia complied minimally by listing phone numbers in less accessible sections like legal documents.
Some webshops, including Flink, expressed willingness to improve accessibility. "We are investigating whether the phone number can be added directly to the webshop," the company said.
In December, a court ruled that Coolblue, a major Dutch retailer, met its obligations by listing phone numbers on order pages, delivery pages, invoices, and terms and conditions, despite omitting the information from its help pages.
Severijns stated that smaller shops and dropshipping businesses are most likely to violate these regulations. "Dropshippers often lack any contact details altogether," she said.
