Consumer Protection in E-Commerce: Legal Guide for Digital Platforms in Spain

Why Digital Consumer Law Matters for E-Commerce in Spain

The digital marketplace has fundamentally transformed how consumers and businesses interact across borders. In Spain, e-commerce turnover exceeded €84 billion in 2025, with over 30 million active online shoppers. Whether you are launching a Shopify store targeting Spanish consumers, selling through Amazon or Etsy, operating a SaaS platform, or building a marketplace, understanding your legal obligations under Spanish and EU consumer law is not optional — it is existential.

Non-compliance carries severe consequences: fines of up to €600,000 under the LSSI-CE, up to €1,000,000 under the TRLGDCU, and up to 6% of global annual turnover under the Digital Services Act. Beyond sanctions, consumer law violations erode trust, trigger chargebacks, and invite regulatory scrutiny that can shut down your business.

This comprehensive guide analyses the legal framework governing online consumer contracts in Spain and the EU, with practical, actionable compliance steps for entrepreneurs, e-commerce operators, and digital platform builders.

The Regulatory Framework: Four Pillars of Digital Consumer Law

1. TRLGDCU (Real Decreto Legislativo 1/2007)

The *Texto Refundido de la Ley General para la Defensa de los Consumidores y Usuarios* is the cornerstone of Spanish consumer protection. For e-commerce businesses, the critical provisions are:

• Articles 92-106: Distance contracts (*contratos a distancia*) — the core legal framework governing all online sales
• Articles 114-126: Legal guarantees for goods — since the 2022 reform, a 3-year warranty applies to all consumer goods
• Articles 66 bis-ter: Digital content and services provisions, transposing Directive 2019/770
• Articles 59-67: General contracting conditions and unfair terms protection

2. LSSI-CE (Ley 34/2002)

The *Ley de Servicios de la Sociedad de la Información y de Comercio Electrónico* specifically regulates information society services:

• Article 10: Mandatory *aviso legal* (legal notice) with company identity, CIF, registered address, and contact details
• Articles 23-29: The contracting process — including the "triple click" rule requiring pre-contractual information, order confirmation, and post-contractual acknowledgement
• Articles 38-39: Sanctions regime with fines up to €600,000 for very serious infringements

3. Digital Services Act (Regulation EU 2022/2065)