1 March, 2001

　

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) conducted "the 4th Internet Surf Days" until 15th of February. This paper summarizes the result of this conduct.

The

1. Purpose and history

(1) The purpose of the "Internet Surf Days" is to educate businesses and consumers about the basic rules of e-commerce as well as to regulate businesses based on "Door to Door Sales and Other Direct Sales Regulation Law" to protect consumers' interest.

(2) METI conducted such "Internet Surf Days" in 1998, 1999, 2000 previously, and from last year, METI conducted it in conjunction with foreign agencies such as US Federal Trade Commission and Australian Competition and Consumer Commission(ACCC). 29 countries joined this exercise this year under the name of "International Internet Sweep Days".

This year, it is worth mentioning that Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Japan Fair Trade Commission joined this exercise in the Government of Japan.

2. Result of Surf

(1) METI surfed and checked 2389 sites this year.(Last year, MITI checked 1850 sites.) Out of 2389 sites, there are 1616 sites which on-line traders established. And 200 sites are specified service companies' sites where those companies advertises their continuous services to consumers such as esthetic salons, foreign language conversation classes, and remainders are the sites which METI targeted last year and evaluated again.

(2) Out of 1616 sites, there are 511 sites where on-line traders do not represent necessary items such as (a) legal name, (b) principal geographic address, (c) telephone number, (d) itemization of total cost, (e) terms of delivery, (f) terms and methods of payment, (g) conditions related to return, (h) terms and conditions of guarantees.

(3) Out of 1616 sites, there are 96 sites which have exaggerated advertisements.

(4) Concerning specified service companies' sites, out of 200 sites, 27 sites have exaggerated advertisements.

(5) METI sent e-mails to the companies in order to educate them about the requirement of the Law and advised them to amend their sites. And METI will follow up on these sites. METI believes this "Internet Surf Days" will enhance the consumer awareness about the basic rules of e-commerce and will encourage the businesses to improve their market conduct.

3. OECD Committee on Consumer Policy Meeting in Berlin

OECD Committee on Consumer Policy Meeting is scheduled to be held in Berlin on March 14-15, 2001. As "International Internet Sweep Days" is to assist implementation of the OECD guideline for consumer protection in the context of electronic commerce, the representative of METI will report the result of METI's "Internet Surf Days" at the OECD Committee on Consumer Policy Meeting.