The ICA's enforcement against unfair commercial practices on the web

Investigations against on-line UCPs were launched on the basis of complaints submitted by consumers who did not receive the goods they had purchased on the web and for which they were not able to obtain refunds. The ICA, thus, has carried out formal investigations concerning false information on traders’ websites as regards: a) availability of products never delivered; b) product delivering status; c) expected date of delivery; d) refund rights for undelivered products. Many traders stopped their conducts as soon as the Authority stepped in, but in some cases there was evidence that website owners registered new domain names and reiterated the same infringements. In those cases, the ICA was empowered to start non-compliance proceedings capable of even leading to the temporary closing of the trader’s activity (in case of reiterated non-compliance), according to what provided for by the Italian Consumer Code.