This report uses a standard gravity setup to analyse the determinants of e-commerce, using data on online credit card payments by private Spanish customers of the multinational bank BBVA. The results show that the gravity model applies well to credit card payments, explaining up to 95% of the...

This paper aims to complement the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Consumer Protection in E-Commerce by elaborating on its key principles in the context of online advertising and offering practical guidance on how to apply these principles. For these purposes, the guide provides a number of...

Computer and video games is a young industry with rapid growth underpinned by technological development. The global market in 2003 was over USD 21 billion compared with USD 32 billion for the recorded music industry. The main segments are off-line consoles and PCs; online and wireless games are...

Information technology, especially the electronic network known as the World Wide Web, is changing the way that businesses and consumers interact. This expansive electronic network allows both businesses and consumers to transcend global barriers, gaining access to products and information in...

The e-commerce marketplace has evolved dramatically in recent years and consumer trust in such a complex and interactive environment has become crucial. In order to adapt consumer protection to the current environment and reinforce fair business practices, information disclosures, payment...

This brief discusses how the COVID-19 crisis is accelerating an expansion of e-commerce towards new firms, customers and types of products, likely involving a long-term shift of e-commerce transactions from luxury goods and services to everyday necessities. It also highlights how policy makers...

This study provides an overview of government- and industry-specific measures to address the abuse of online platforms by counterfeiters. In recent years, trading platforms have been instrumental in the growth in e-commerce, but at the same time, they can be abused by illicit trade networks. The...

Problems in e-commerce can lead to significant consumer harm (detriment), for example, when consumers have to pay more for a product than they reasonably expected (e.g. due to hidden costs); suffer from unfair contract terms; or receive products that do not conform to their reasonable...