What?? Am I missing something? Some experiences from Germany: You cannot open the box with the item you want to buy even when there is no seal of any sort. All you are allowed to do is to pay for the item and take it away. If it turns out not quite the product you wanted, you have no right to return. I.e. all you are allowed to do is to pay for a cat in a bag. (Similar experience in other EU countries.) Car rental experience: I reserve on-line with an on-line price. After I return it, they charge me a substantially higher walk-in price I would have never been interested in. After arguments at the rental place and over the phone they still insist on the walk-in price and this was one of the main rental agencies in Germany. They have a Ministry of Consumer Protection in Germany, but all they apparently do is to issue some empty declarations - there is no office of any sort where I can file a complaint. Locals told me that all I could do is to file a civil suit. Well, I persisted and after a 7th call to company headquarters they refunded my money. US adopting consumer protection from elsewhere? rethinking something? thank you, I will pass.