The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) has initiated a follow-up investigation into Wish, one of the world's largest e-commerce marketplaces, to assess compliance with commitments made in 2023. During a previous competition enforcement procedure, Wish proposed a complex remedy package, including financial compensation for approximately 100,000 to 150,000 Hungarian consumers, to avoid fines.

The GVH concluded its investigation in February 2023, which began in 2021 due to concerns that Wish's operators may not have exercised the expected professional diligence in establishing and monitoring pricing and discount practices on the platform. The authority suspected that some prices listed by merchants on the platform could be misleading, with certain products advertised at unrealistically high discounts and false claims, while consumers were pressured by countdown timers to accept certain 'immediate offers.'

As part of the remedy package, Wish committed to providing a credit compensation of 1500 HUF to every Hungarian user who made a purchase through an immediate offer in 2021. This compensation is expected to affect around 100,000 to 150,000 consumers. Additionally, the company pledged to launch a consumer awareness campaign and implement more effective measures, verified by independent audits, to monitor the behavior of merchants selling on their platform. They also agreed to cease the criticized discount advertising practices and their 'immediate offers.'

The GVH will conduct a detailed follow-up investigation to ensure that the commitments made by the companies are fulfilled as mandated. The national competition authority emphasizes the importance of compliance with its decisions and the necessity for companies to provide proper and timely evidence of fulfillment. Failure to comply or provide adequate proof may result in significant fines imposed by the GVH's Competition Council.