Why Zalando's accessibility statement and CRD-aligned T&Cs are exemplary

Zalando's German storefront, en.zalando.de in our scan, is one of the cleanest EU e-commerce structures we have audited on Consumer Rights Directive and European Accessibility Act coverage. The accessibility statement is published at its own URL. The T&Cs cover every CRD Article 6 disclosure. Pricing is VAT-inclusive across 15 EU languages. The checkout flow does not use pre-ticked boxes. For any Shopify or WooCommerce merchant trying to model their own structure, Zalando's approach is a useful reference.

The dedicated accessibility statement at zalando.de/accessibility-statement

Directive 2019/882, the European Accessibility Act, applies to e-commerce services placed on the market from 28 June 2025. National transpositions of the Act expect storefronts above the microenterprise threshold to publish an accessibility statement. Zalando publishes one at a stable, predictable URL.

The structure of that page (statement of conformance, accessibility features, known limitations, feedback mechanism) is the format DGCCRF, Bundesnetzagentur, and AgID have signalled they expect.

How Zalando's T&Cs cover Consumer Rights Directive Article 6

Zalando's terms and conditions at zalando.de/zalando-agb cover every required CRD Article 6 clause. The 14-day right of withdrawal is named in German, with the model withdrawal form embedded.

The delivery timeframe is stated. The complaints procedure is included. The ADR reference required by Directive 2013/11/EU on Alternative Dispute Resolution is named.

VAT-inclusive pricing across 15 EU languages

PAngV Section 1 in Germany, and CRD Article 6(1)(e) across the EU, both require that the price shown to a consumer includes VAT. Zalando's site-level pricing block names this in German.

Our scan detected the equivalent phrasing across EN, DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, PT, PL, SV, DA, FI, CS, EL, RO, and HU. A site that publishes in any of those languages is covered by the same pricing rule.

What Zalando does NOT do at checkout

Two patterns are missing from the Zalando checkout in a defensible way. There are no pre-ticked boxes for paid add-ons, satisfying CRD Article 22 (which requires express consent for additional payments). There are no pre-ticked marketing consent boxes either, which would breach GDPR Article 4(11) and Recital 32.

What a smaller Shopify or WooCommerce store can copy

• Publish a dedicated accessibility statement at a stable URL (yourstore.com/accessibility-statement) with statement of conformance, accessibility features, known limitations, and a feedback mechanism. EAA enforcement from 28 June 2025 expects this.
• Put every CRD Article 6 disclosure in one terms-and-conditions document, not scattered across the FAQ, the footer, and the checkout. Reference the model withdrawal form by embedding it, not by linking to an English-only summary.
• Surface VAT-inclusive pricing in the language of the buyer, not just the trader's primary language.
• Audit every checkbox on the checkout. None should be ticked by default if it is tied to marketing, profiling, or any paid add-on.