Digital shopping has already been installed on the national scene as a habit that is followed by thousands and thousands of users. This is shown in a recent report by the Observatory for the Evolution of Electronic Commerce in Food. And in which it is found that almost 30% of Spanish consumers purchase mass consumer products online. And that increases in the percentages in relation to other sectors of digital commerce.
But one of the biggest uncertainties these people present is that which refers to their returns and the channels they have at their disposal to formalize their claims or complaints. Given the idea, more or less generalized, that there are certain gaps in the current regulations on this economic activity. To the point that you can retract a positive decision in this regard. In particular, in with his comparative with traditional consumption or more conventional.
In this sense, it must be emphasized that electronic commerce in Spain does have rules so that buyers can make a return of the product or item purchased. But where a series of requirements must be met to carry out the process in a satisfactory way for the interests of the users themselves. In part, unknown by these and that is conformed as the main source of controversy in online shopping habits.
Claims in an Ecommerce
Users must know at all times the rights that assist them when they are going to make a purchase of a product in an Ecommerce or digital store. In addition, it is increasingly common for these companies to expose very clearly on their web pages the conditions of these commercial operations. So that they can be consulted by users and the general public without leaving the domain.
With a whole series of rights that are included in the current consumer law, and that affect any segment of online shopping. From the acquisition of computer equipment to clothing or youth clothing. Passing, on the other hand, through other more innovative sectors that have emerged in recent years due to the positive impact of these habits on consumption among national consumers.
In these cases, you will have recognized rights in some of the online operations from any digital store. We are going to expose you to some that you are entitled to in this kind of online shopping.
An Ecommerce must identify itself to the customer
You may not know it, but these companies must provide their data on the web. As long as they are duly established in the national territory. Such as the following sources of identification:
- Social denomination.
- Your tax identification number or NIF.
- The data to contact them in case of any incident.
Payment methods for purchases
It is contemplated by the current regulations that the commerce or digital store offers its customers a list of the enabled means of payment. Among which are available the following:
- Credit and debit cards.
- Bank transfers, both national and international.
- New technological electronic payment formats.
And finally systems, such as Pay Pal or others with similar characteristics.
In all the cases mentioned, they will not be able to charge their clients or users a surcharge for their use. This can be a fraud of law that requires a timely complaint to the competent authorities, generally consumer services in the autonomous communities or town councils.
Compliance with deadlines
It is one of the aspects that most concerns users, especially due to the delays that the products or items in demand may suffer. In this sense, if there is no express specification, the term up to which the products can be received is a full month.
If for any circumstance they are not fulfilled, the user would have several options to formalize in this process:
Notify the buyer that there is going to be a variation in the terms. Faced with this scenario, you have two alternatives:
Cancel the commercial operation
Go ahead with the process, but have to pay an additional cost.
While on the other hand, in the scenarios of unjustified delays, they can always claim that they pay double the amount assumed for this purchase. Although for you to have it clearer from now on, it all comes down to the fact that the user You have 14 days to cancel the purchase of an asset without justifying the reason, and the amount must be returned within 14 days of withdrawal.
Guarantees in online purchases
It is another of the great concerns among buyers. Know if the product or item purchased has a guarantee. Well, it is the same as if we had bought it in a physical store. That is, it has a maximum period of up to two years and that it is shortened to six when the defect is of origin and therefore it does not take as long to have this protection in the users.
In any of the cases, the regulations resolve any doubt and ultimately provide the same rights as in conventional or more traditional purchases. Which is what in the end it is in these cases.
Withdrawal period
This is another of the most controversial issues in online shopping and that until a few years ago offered more than one doubt. But with the application that is collects in consumer law, has been definitively settled to the satisfaction of new users.
All these explanations reveal a very clear scenario for customers. And it is that the laws protect them in their commercial relations through the Internet. Although not in all, yes at least in the vast majority of daily transactions that have the trade or electronic store. To the point of becoming excellent news, both for entrepreneurs and for the clients of its marketing network.
More consumer rights online
In any case, you can reach a meeting point and that is because users are not unprotected from their purchases in an online store. If not, on the contrary, they have almost the same rights as in physical or conventional purchases. This is a factor that both parties can take advantage of because it offers greater security and respectability to the business process, with no exceptions of any kind.
While on the other hand, it is also necessary to emphasize that the user is supported by the current Retail Trade Regulation Law. Specifically through its articles 39, 40 and 41 in which it leaves very clearly all the information that the user has to know when making their purchase. It does not matter, the nature of the product or article: technological material, reservation of tourist services, sports clothing or mobile phones among some of the most relevant e-commerce sectors.
Estos son los de algunos rights of online consumers and that in a way they do not differ excessively from physical purchases. As for example, those that we expose next.
- The identity of the seller and his address in detail.
- The essential characteristics of the product, such as particularities or its main features.
- The purchase price, and where all taxes should be included.
- Delivery and transport costs, if applicable.
- The form of payment and delivery or execution modalities. Reflecting, for example, if this operation is executed with credit or debit cards or with new technological systems.
- The existence of a right of withdrawal or resolution, or its absence in the contracts referred to in article 45.
- The cost of using the remote communication technique when it is calculated on a basis other than the basic rate.
- The term of validity of the offer and the price. So that in this way, there are no mistakes about the terms of offers and commercial promotions from the Internet.
The minimum duration of the contract, if applicable, in the case of product supply contracts intended for permanent or repeated execution.
The circumstances and conditions in which the seller could supply a product of equivalent quality and price, in substitution of the one requested by the consumer, when this possibility is desired.
Repairs and replacements of the products
Not of minor importance is this other facet within the e-commerce sector. Well, you should remember from now on that these two performances will be completely free for the consumer. Where the following expenses are included:
- Shipping costs.
- Expenses derived from labor.
- Expenses for materials.
These are some of the important ones, but on the other hand you will also have the right to a correct technical service and the existence of spare parts for a minimum period of 5 years from the date the product ceases to be manufactured. That is, many more than you could imagine from the beginning.