Last month the UK European Consumer Centre to help people make choices when shopping online.
The tool allows you to type in an internet address or company number and the country the company is based in. From this it is supposed to provide some information based on this.
It will tell you when the website was first registered
It will provide archive.org search results. If it shows similar content over a period of time, then this suggests it is a genuine and reliable website. There can sometimes be a lot of information there.
It will provide a google search on the company name (the basis being that results will show up complaints). This is rather flawed though. It only searches the company name - it doesn't search, for example, "complaints about". I done a few searches using the facility (one is a well known and much complained about company but it was about 6 pages before I found one with a complaint). You can acheive quicker and better results by doing your own search (or of course check out CAG forums)!
It will tell you the general cancellation period of the country the website is based (in the EU 7 days. Given that it only shows EU countries anyway I don't se the point in including this)
It will state the limitation period for that country (UK - 6 years). It varies in some countries, but I don't know how accurate it is. It says there is none for the netherlands but I know this is not true.
It will state whether the company is trustmark accredited. In the UK these are IDIS (internet delivery is safe) and there are a lot of companies signed up to this. However, several companies I searched on that are members did not come up with a trustmark at all. You can however click on the trustmark link and do a search for members.
It will provide a price comparison website for that company. I have only tried the Netherlands and the UK. None come up for the netherlands and Kelkoo came up for UK. That'sa shame as there are plenty more, and using a particular one can be seen as an endorsement of that site when it may not be the best one.
This site would be good if it actually worked. You can still get some info, but it is only things that you can do elsewhere and probably get better results. In a world where there is so much confusion, and where internet shopping is universal, it is a shame that this site does not offer that much at all. In my view, it is a great opportunity that has been squandered.
To access the service, click the following link, scroll down until you see Howard the Owl (I kid you not) and click on him (opens new window). full instructions there.
ECC: Trading Standards Institute
If you do use it and you do get better results, please let me know - I may be using it wrong, but then if I am, then probbly many more may also.
New tool for shopping online - what a shame it doesn't work... 
