NICOSIA, CYPRUS—23 OCTOBER 2026
When one makes an online purchase and does not receive it, when there is a conflict with the airline that spans multiple countries, or when an international retailer is unwilling to settle a complaint, many consumers’ main problem is finding help, not recovering their lost money.
The European Consumer Centre Cyprus dealt with 864 cross-border complaints as well as 557 requests for information in 2025, allowing for us to see the importance of consumer protection in the new marketplace where shopping and travel are no longer limited by any borders. The information was provided by Cyprus Mail on Thursday, the 22nd of October, 2026, with reference to the centre’s annual report.
In total, the complaint and information requests account for 1,421 consumer contacts in a year, which not only reflects the number of conflicts but also indicates that approximately 53% of inquiries and cases were resolved successfully, highlighting the importance of cooperation between consumer protection organizations and enterprises from various countries.
The process of cross-border buying can be very complicated
Buying from an international retailer can provide you with access to a larger product range at lower prices. Unfortunately, if issues arise, individuals may have to navigate complex legal processes, language barriers, and communication challenges due to the business being located in a different country.
The European Consumer Centre Cyprus is an institution of the Consumer Protection Service of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, and Industry. This organization provides help to people who carry out cross-border transactions between EU countries, Norway, and Iceland for free of charge.
The center’s annual report indicates that only 4.8% of cases were sent to other organizations providing alternative dispute resolution services. At the same time, it has been revealed that 95.24% of people were satisfied with the services offered. Still, it shouldn’t be interpreted that each customer got the problem resolved or received compensation.
Consumer protection begins prior to any purchases.
The approach taken by the Cypriots demonstrates that citizens’ rights go beyond receiving assistance when the transaction goes wrong. In the course of 2025, the center has organized the “Safe Online Shopping” course for more than 1,114 children in elementary school. Moreover, the authorities managed to promote the importance of consumer rights through a variety of programs, including TV and radio shows.
It is worth noticing that in the modern world digital commerce makes international transactions much easier, and therefore the issues become more and more urgent. The consumers will manage to avoid possible mischief by verifying the seller, learning the policies of return and refund, and keeping track of receipts.
The experience of Cyprus indicates the larger issue for the single European market: consumer confidence is based not only on the freedom to buy goods internationally but also on many working mechanisms that provide solutions to grievances.
