John Shine, Director of Commercial Practices with the National Consumer Agency, spoke to Chris on Breakfast this morning, and offered tips for those planning to shop online over the coming weeks. Listen back via the player above, and read five of his tips below.
1. Be aware of what expected delivery dates are. The trader is obliged to deliver goods within thirty days - which means there’s now no legal guarantee before Christmas. However, as John says, “It’s in [retailers'] interests to shift stuff as quickly as possible”, so make sure to check estimated delivery dates as most will send goods out much faster, especially around this time of year. See An Post’s website for general postage deadlines for Christmas - the US date for standard parcels is the end of this week, for example. Order early to avoid disappointment.
2. The rights when people are shopping online are the same as if they shop over the counter. Sales of Goods and Supply of Services legislation protects you if the product you receive is not as described or broken. However, shopping online also provides the consumer with some additional rights, such as a cooling-off period. If you buy something online you have a change of mind right, with seven days to decide whether to keep or return the item as long as it's unopened or resalable (EU sites only, full details & conditions available on the NCA website).
3. Keep additional costs in mind when shopping outside the EU. VAT will be payable on goods, while you might also face customs duty. Shipping may also prove expensive. A seemingly low price can easily increase significantly during the checkout steps, or even when it arrives in Ireland.
4. Stick with credit cards and Paypal. The vast majority of reputable sites will offer these payment options (or safe & reliable alternatives such as Amazon Payments), and you will be well protected by existing legislation. Don’t pay for online goods using services such as wire transfers.
5. Do your research. If you think a site is suspect or offering prices too good to be true, search online to make sure it’s not a scam. Double check that the sites you intend buying from offer the appropriate security level (such as a ‘https’ connection). Generally just make sure you buy from reliable, established and secure retailers.
