Austrian e-commerce quality mark
The Austrian e-commerce quality mark identifies online shops that are operated by Österr. E-Commerce Gütezeichen - Association for the promotion of customer-friendly use of the Internet have been tested for their quality and security.
Award criteria
The following criteria, which correspond to the European code of conduct for electronic sales and take into account national regulations , form the basis for the award of symbols :
- A clear provider identification must be available, i. H. Name and address of the company, email address, etc.
- The general terms and conditions must be easily accessible and constantly available for online purchases.
- The performance features and precise description of the products (including price information) as well as the warranty and guarantee conditions must be made clear.
- The consumer must be clearly informed of the steps necessary to order online.
- The prices must be clearly stated including all taxes, duties, customs duties and other additional costs (e.g. shipping).
- Before submitting his order, the consumer receives a printable representation of the order in order to make corrections if necessary. A clear indication of the possibility of withdrawal must be shown here.
- The online shop must provide clear information about the payment process and provide adequate security based on the current state of the art, i.e. H. encrypted transmission of the data.
- Every receipt of an order must be confirmed to the consumer by the user of the quality mark immediately by email. In addition, the online shop must inform the consumer about the details of the service provision.
- The customer must - without giving reasons - be granted a right of withdrawal and return of at least fourteen days from receipt of the goods. Before placing the order, the consumer must be informed of this right.
- The goods must be delivered as quickly as possible, at least within 30 days of receipt of the order. The delivery time must be clearly stated.
- Offsetting or debiting may not take place before delivery of the goods.
- The user of the quality mark must inform the consumer about the purpose of the collection and use of personal data. Sensitive data may only be stored with the consent of the person concerned for the processing of a specific transaction. Personal data may not be transmitted to third parties.
- The user of the e-commerce quality mark undertakes to work towards a quick and unbureaucratic solution in the event of disputes. He recognizes the Internet Ombudsman and the Association of the E-Commerce Quality Mark as an out-of-court arbitration body. The existence of the out-of-court arbitration board must be pointed out.
- An advertisement or other commercial communication must be clearly recognizable and clearly marked.
- The user of the trademark undertakes to comply with all other relevant statutory provisions (e.g. Data Protection Act 2000, Telecommunications Act, Trade Regulations, Youth Protection Act, Consumer Protection Act, etc.)
Award procedure
The quality mark is supported by the Austrian Ministry of Economic Affairs , the Chamber of Labor and the Chamber of Commerce . As the implementing organization, the Austrian Institute for Applied Telecommunications (ÖIAT) is responsible for the allocation of symbols.
Compliance with the criteria is initially checked as part of an initial certification and then regularly by independent institutions. If the criteria are violated, the labeling may be withdrawn. Each quality mark is clearly assigned to a company by means of an award number. All certified pages are also listed on the website of the quality mark.
The Austrian e-commerce quality mark is part of the Europe-wide European Trustmark for secure online shopping. As a founding member of the previous European network Euro-Label , the Austrian e-commerce quality mark has been involved in establishing a European network from the very beginning.
quality and safety
The Austrian e-commerce quality mark is intended to set standards for quality and security in the processing of electronic transactions and other electronic transactions. The main aim of the labeling is to make reputable online shops recognizable at first glance and to enable consumers to shop safely on the Internet. The requirements for the quality mark are based in particular on the requirements of Austrian and international law and go beyond these in the essential points.
The seal has been awarded 285 times. The requirements on which the labeling is based are published on the website of the Austrian E-Commerce Gütezeichen (Association of Austrian E-Commerce Gütezeichen) and are therefore transparent for users. The Austrian e-commerce quality mark is intended to provide consumers with an orientation for tested and trustworthy online offers.