While consumer rights are pretty much cut and dry when it comes to buying on the high street, online shopping seems like a grey area.
Despite what you might think, there is a rule book when it comes to shopping online - providing you buy from a business in the EU.
- You have rights when buy online from a business in the EU, however these rights don’t apply if you buy from an individual (eg on eBay or DoneDeal) and if you buy from a website outside the EU.
- You have 14 days to change your mind and return the item for any reason.
- You can return something if it is not as described or advertised.
- You can return faulty items and you don’t have to pay for the cost of returning it.
- We have more info about your rights shopping online up on our Facebook page and at consumerhelp.ie.
Some important rights include..
RIGHT TO CANCEL
When you buy online you are given a right to cancel of 14 days starting from the date you receive your order. During this time, you can cancel the order and you then have a further 14 days to return the item. You can return the item for any reason, even if it was on sale. But if you cancel the order because you change your mind, you may have to pay for the cost of returning it. But any standard delivery costs you paid should be refunded to you. You should receive a refund within 14 days from when you notified the business you wished to cancel the order.
DELIVERY DATE NOT MET
If you bought goods online from a website within the EU, it should be delivered within 30 days unless you agreed otherwise with the seller. If your goods are not delivered you also have the right to a refund. If the retailer included a notification on their site of a last day to order to guarantee delivery of goods before Christmas and you ordered goods by this date and the goods don’t arrive by the guaranteed date, then you should contact the business and arrange another date that is suitable to you or cancel the contract and receive a full refund. The business should refund you without any delay.
FAULTY GOODS
Whether you are shopping online what you buy must be as described to you, fit for the intended purpose and be of satisfactory quality. If you have a faulty product you have the right to return it. There are a number of options open to you depending on the type of fault. These can vary from repair, replacement, reduction in the price or a full refund. Once you notice a fault with something you bought online, you should return it as soon as possible to the business with proof of purchase and explain what has happened. If you have to return a faulty item, the seller must pay for the postage costs.
INFO BEFORE YOU BUY
Before you complete an online purchase, the seller must clearly give you specific information, including the price, any taxes, the delivery costs if there are any and details of what to do if you change your mind and a copy of the cancellation form.
