ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. The book looks at the aspects of consumer protection pertaining to two online shopping platforms, namely shopping agents, which find and compare available product offerings on the internet, and automated marketplaces, which allow for the task of finding and buying a product to be performed by software on behalf of the consumer. It focuses on the role of the two relevant platforms as gateways to merchants who sell their products online or as intermediaries bringing such merchants and consumers together. The book shows that there must be a clear and viable route to compensation for damage that arises due to the use of an automated marketplace, otherwise their use will be a risky and potentially harmful consumer choice. It illustrates the different types of damage that may arise in this context, as well as the possible causes of each ‘damage’ type.
