Huddsonline - Legal Advice - Shopping Online

Shopping Online

Don't Get Caught On The Net!

Shopping online opens up a whole world of goods and services. With the simple click of a mouse, you can order tulip bulbs directly from Holland, exotic spices from Turkey or hand-woven wall hangings from Mexico or Morocco.

The World Wide Web has expanded the international market place in a way never before possible, giving consumers unlimited choices.

But shopping electronically - especially when you're dealing with vendors in other countries - opens up a whole world of questions.

Are the prices posted in UK pounds or some other currency?

Does the company ship internationally?

How long will it take for an order to be delivered?

Will unexpected taxes or duties be added to the price?

If there's a problem, where can you get it resolved?

The same laws that cover the "real world" also cover the Internet, so if you buy from a UK site, all the laws that apply in the UK apply to your purchases.

Be careful if you buy from a non-UK site, the laws of that country will apply!

Buying Tips

Know who you're dealing with.
Do some homework to make sure a company is legitimate before doing business with it. Identify the company's name, its physical address, including the country where it is based, and an e-mail address or telephone number, so you can contact the company with questions or problems. And consider dealing only with vendors that clearly state their policies. Is the company affiliated with industry groups or trade associations that you trust?

Know what you're buying.
Shop around for the best deal and look for accurate, clear and easily accessible information about the goods or services being offered. Contact the company to clear up any questions before you place an order.

Understand the terms, conditions and costs involved in the sale.
Find out upfront what you're getting for your money and what you're not. Get a full, itemised list of costs involved in the sale, with a clear designation of the currency involved, terms of delivery or performance, and terms, conditions and methods of payment. Make "time the essence of the contract" if you need delivery by a certain date, eg birthday presents, etc.

Look for information about restrictions, limitations or conditions of the purchase; instructions for proper use of products, including safety and health care warnings, warranties and guarantees, cancellation or refund policies and the availability of after-sale service.

Protect yourself when paying online.
Look for information posted online that describes the company's security policies, and check whether the browser is secure and encrypts your personal and financial information during online transmission. That makes the information less vulnerable to hackers.

More information about security when shopping online can be found on the TrustUK* website.

Buy with a credit card for extra security.
Remember when you use your credit card you get extra protection - be secure to check your statements carefully to ensure all entries are correct, also check the prices, especially if they are shown in a foreign currency.

Look out for your privacy.
All businesses require information about you to process an order. Some use it to tell customers about products, services or promotions, but others share or sell the information to other vendors - a practice with which you may not be comfortable.

Shop only from online vendors that respect your privacy. Look for the vendor's privacy policy on the website. The policy statement should reveal what personal identifying information is collected about you and how it will be used, and give you the opportunity to refuse having your information sold or shared with other vendors. It also should tell you whether you can correct or delete information the company already has about you.

Keep copies of documents.
Print off any e-mails, adverts, confirmations, terms and conditions of sale so you have "hard copies" to refer to.

Understand what recourse you have if you run into problems with your purchase.

Do business only with companies that state their commitment to customer satisfaction and their policy to resolve consumer complaints or difficulties quickly and fairly, without imposing excessive charges or inconvenience. Remember if you use UK sites it will be easier to enforce your rights - look for a UK address and make sure the prices are in sterling (just having "UK" in a company name does not necessarily mean the trader is UK based).

Beware of import costs.
Imported goods can be cheaper, but VAT and DUTY can push up the price. Remember only imports under £18 (including postage and packing) are free from duty or VAT and tobacco, perfume and alcohol are liable whatever they cost.

	Legal Advice - Shopping Online

	Shopping Online Don't Get Caught On The Net! Shopping online opens up a whole world of goods and services. With the simple click of a mouse, you can order tulip bulbs directly from Holland, exotic spices from Turkey or hand-woven wall hangings from Mexico or Morocco. The World Wide Web has expanded the international market place in a way never before possible, giving consumers unlimited choices. But shopping electronically - especially when you're dealing with vendors in other countries - opens up a whole world of questions. Are the prices posted in UK pounds or some other currency? Does the company ship internationally? How long will it take for an order to be delivered? Will unexpected taxes or duties be added to the price? If there's a problem, where can you get it resolved? The same laws that cover the "real world" also cover the Internet, so if you buy from a UK site, all the laws that apply in the UK apply to your purchases. Be careful if you buy from a non-UK site, the laws of that country will apply! Buying Tips Know who you're dealing with. Do some homework to make sure a company is legitimate before doing business with it. Identify the company's name, its physical address, including the country where it is based, and an e-mail address or telephone number, so you can contact the company with questions or problems. And consider dealing only with vendors that clearly state their policies. Is the company affiliated with industry groups or trade associations that you trust? Know what you're buying. Shop around for the best deal and look for accurate, clear and easily accessible information about the goods or services being offered. Contact the company to clear up any questions before you place an order. Understand the terms, conditions and costs involved in the sale. Find out upfront what you're getting for your money and what you're not. Get a full, itemised list of costs involved in the sale, with a clear designation of the currency involved, terms of delivery or performance, and terms, conditions and methods of payment. Make "time the essence of the contract" if you need delivery by a certain date, eg birthday presents, etc. Look for information about restrictions, limitations or conditions of the purchase; instructions for proper use of products, including safety and health care warnings, warranties and guarantees, cancellation or refund policies and the availability of after-sale service. Protect yourself when paying online. Look for information posted online that describes the company's security policies, and check whether the browser is secure and encrypts your personal and financial information during online transmission. That makes the information less vulnerable to hackers. More information about security when shopping online can be found on the TrustUK* website. Buy with a credit card for extra security. Remember when you use your credit card you get extra protection - be secure to check your statements carefully to ensure all entries are correct, also check the prices, especially if they are shown in a foreign currency. Look out for your privacy. All businesses require information about you to process an order. Some use it to tell customers about products, services or promotions, but others share or sell the information to other vendors - a practice with which you may not be comfortable. Shop only from online vendors that respect your privacy. Look for the vendor's privacy policy on the website. The policy statement should reveal what personal identifying information is collected about you and how it will be used, and give you the opportunity to refuse having your information sold or shared with other vendors. It also should tell you whether you can correct or delete information the company already has about you. Keep copies of documents. Print off any e-mails, adverts, confirmations, terms and conditions of sale so you have "hard copies" to refer to. Understand what recourse you have if you run into problems with your purchase. Do business only with companies that state their commitment to customer satisfaction and their policy to resolve consumer complaints or difficulties quickly and fairly, without imposing excessive charges or inconvenience. Remember if you use UK sites it will be easier to enforce your rights - look for a UK address and make sure the prices are in sterling (just having "UK" in a company name does not necessarily mean the trader is UK based). Beware of import costs. Imported goods can be cheaper, but VAT and DUTY can push up the price. Remember only imports under £18 (including postage and packing) are free from duty or VAT and tobacco, perfume and alcohol are liable whatever they cost.