Most of us are quite used to buying things online these days and for the large part things rarely go wrong. But what happens when it does?
You will be pleased to know that by and large the law is on your side.
The most important right you have is your right to cancel your order for goods at any time from the date you place your order up to 7 working days (i.e. Monday to Friday) from the day after you receive the goods
However you don't have this right if the item you have ordered is perishable for example flowers, a financial product such as an insurance policy, personalised or bespoke products to you for example a shirt with your initials on or a CD/DVD/computer software where the security seal has been broken.
In addition to that right to change your mind, you also have rights if it turns out there is something wrong with the item you have ordered. The law requires the item to be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. If it is not, then you can ask for it to be repaired, replaced or for a refund.
Note that you don't necessarily have those rights if you buy from a private seller or in an online auction.
In addition to the above, if you pay for something using a credit card or VISA/Maestro debit card you probably have additional rights if it turns out that there is a fault with the item that you bought. In such a case if you paid between £100 and £30,000 you can usually make a claim from the credit or debit card company.
Finally, what happens if you order something online and it doesn't arrive? Provided you ordered the item from a seller based in the European Union then you have the right to cancel the order and get your money back if your item doesn't arrive on the day the seller said it would or if the seller hasn't given you a delivery date if it doesn't arrive within 30 days after you have placed your order.
If you need any further information or advice about online shopping problems please contact Stephen Thompson on 0114 266 6660 or email [email protected].
For information on shopping online, see also Get Safe Online.
