The lack of information or provide contradictory information about shipping costs or ineligible for the right of withdrawal exceptions, are just a few of the most common mistakes that can be found when shopping online. Rafael Gómez-Lus, Legal Expert Trusted Shops, identifies the five most common mistakes that online stores and shares some tips to combat these mistakes with the aim of providing a satisfying shopping experience to users.
Information not available or contradictory about shipping costs
Often in online shops lack of information on shipping options. Users often encounter previously indicated that expenses do not match the calculated actual costs of final shipment. This situation must be added that information on shipping costs is usually often incomplete: Not all countries to which the products are supplied listed, missing details and weights of product groups and have not been registered possible costs of reimbursement that may arise.
Before the customer to place a product in the basket, you have to be able to calculate shipping charges, including ancillary costs such as, for example, a shipping carrier. If shipping costs are classified by weight, the weight of the shipment must be indicated in all pages with the possibility of direct order.In addition, the shipping charges shown in the overview and expenses on the final order, must be the same.
Unavailable or contradictory information about the delivery and payment methods
From Trusted Shops we have found that in many product pages lack partial information on delivery times. To which must be added, that on different pages such as product pages, general conditions of sale (CGV), FAQs, customer information or the ordering process, often abounds supplier information that differs.
How do I solve it?
To avoid a welter of conflicting information, online shopping should only provide information on delivery times on the corresponding product pages, but in this case as accurate as possible. Just in the general conditions of sale (CGV) should be avoided to provide concrete information on delivery times.On the one hand, the customer expects first indication of the delivery of the product itself. Moreover, the website maintenance is minimized when only need to update once delivery.
Keep in mind that the information on payment methods is a potential for improvement: PayPal, credit card or purchase on account? The list of final payment methods in the online stores do not always match that shown during the purchase process. If the merchant announced in the main store page the possibility of payment by credit card, you must also provide a section for credit cards for payment transactions.
How does it indicate?
All available payment methods must be visible in an informative page. The link to the page in question should be clearly specified, for example, mentioning the word “payment methods”. Another alternative is also present payment options such as computer graphics or permanently visible in the basket. It is very important that the different pages of the store does not offer conflicting information about the payment methods available to the client.
Lack of information regarding the use of data confidentiality policy
What about client data that is collected through an online store? In examining statements about privacy policy, we have found that most of the documentation is incomplete. On multiple occasions, statements about the privacy policy, you can read the customer data serve exclusively for the processing of the contract. The error comes when these data are used to send, for example, a newsletter. The e-mail may be used for marketing issues and for promotional purposes only if the customer has given their express consent, and this should be made clear in the statement of confidentiality. To all this must be added other factors, such as information about cookies.
How do I implement it?
It is recommended to first check the specific purposes for which personal data are collected in the store and the use made of these. Once they have been checked, it can be reported transparently in the privacy statement.
Misinformation about the right of withdrawal
Constantly it appears without updating or incomplete information in online stores on the right of withdrawal, particularly with regard to the rules on the assumption of shipping charges.
What is there to do?
Rather than establish own rules, owners of online shops should use the current model of return policy of the General Law of Consumers and Users, including the model withdrawal form.
Not permissible exceptions and restrictions of the right of withdrawal
Keep in mind that exercise the right of withdrawal is not unduly restricted by the terms of the general conditions of sale (CGV).
How do you know what?
Exceptions apply the right of withdrawal set out in art. 103 of the General Law of Consumers and Users). They can not expand freely. Even when returning the goods seem economically unacceptable. To determine, in case of doubt, if applicable or not the right of withdrawal of a product, the store owner should contact a lawyer to clarify. During the withdrawal period the customer has the right to check the goods ordered. The online businesses that want to require the consumer to use compensation value should collect information from the consumer information.
