The investigation covered 369 websites selling six of the most popular electronics goods to consumers in the EU, including digital cameras, mobile phones, personal music players and game consoles.

Meglena Kuneva
EU Consumer Commissioner

It covered 200 of the biggest websites selling electronic equipment as well as more than 100 websites which were targeted based on consumer complaints.  The investigation revealed 55 percent of the websites had misleading information about consumer rights, the total cost of a product or incomplete contact details.

"We targeted websites selling electronic goods because I know from my own mail bag, and we know from the level of complaints coming into European Consumer Centres that these are a real problem area for consumers," said Meglena Kuneva, EU Consumer Commissioner.

"We discovered that more than half of the retailers selling on-line electronic goods are letting consumers down. This is a Europe-wide problem which needs a European solution. There is a lot of work to be done in the months ahead to clean up this sector, Europe’s consumers deserve better."

The EU says authorities will contact the websites and ask them to correct the problems identified. If a website does not comply the EU said it would take legal action leading to fines or the closing of such sites.

"It is unacceptable that one in three consumers going to book a plane ticket online is being ripped off or misled and confused," Kuneva told a news conference.

"But my message to industry is clear, act now or we will act. We will need to see credible evidence of improvement to clean up these sales and marketing practices within the airline sector by May 1st next year or we will be left with no choice but to intervene."

Kuneva was speaking after the release of a report of an investigation by Brussels into misleading advertising and unfair practices on airline ticket selling Web sites. The investigation revealed that over half of the 226 Web sites found to have broken EU consumer rules last November had not addressed their problems.

Many sites had multiple problems including pre-selcting the most expensive option, misleading pricing, unfair contract terms and advertising offers which were unavailable.

"This report shows there are serious and persistent problems with ticket sales throughout the airline industry as a whole," Kuneva said.