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Internet Shopping

Below you will find some guidelines and advice on Internet Shopping, including the following areas:

Problems when buying from abroad?

If you have a complaint about an overseas Internet business you can register the complaint at http://www.econsumer.gov/ which is an international consumer complaint database. The information you provide may help the participating authorities to crack down on rogue Internet traders as the information you provide will be accessible to government law enforcement agencies. They cannot, however, take up individual complaints and therefore registering will not mean that you will be helped to sort out your problem.  Remember, though, that it may well prevent other consumers from suffering from the same problem in the future.

The site also provides general information about consumer protection in all participating countries which are Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, the USA and the UK.

The econsumer site is only intended for cross-border complaints - if your complaint is about a UK online business you should contact either the Office of Fair Trading or your local Trading Standards authority.

The site has a general guide for consumers regarding on-line shopping and has an on-line shopping assistant tool for helping you to make the right decision as to whether you should use any particular site.

Here is a checklist to help you to avoid some of the pitfalls of cross-border shopping:

Will it work?

Standards and systems vary between countries. Ask the suppliers to confirm the compatibility of, for example, electrical goods.

Valid guarantee?

Check that the guarantee is valid in the UK and whether you will have to return the product to the supplier's country if there is a problem. Hidden Costs? Check for hidden costs such as VAT, customs duties, delivery charges, postage and packaging. The Customs and Excise website gives information on what VAT and duty has to be paid. However, if your supplier is based in the EU, the price you are given should be inclusive of all taxes.

How easy will it be to sort out any problems?

If problems arise, you might have to take legal action in the country of the seller.

There are also some extra things to remember when shopping online:

• A company might have a great website but that doesn't mean it's law-abiding.
• Make sure you know the trader's full address - especially if the Company is based outside the UK.
• Don't assume an Internet Company is based in the UK jut because its web address has 'uk' in it - check out the physical address and phone number.
• Look for websites that have a secure way of paying (known as an encryption facility) - these show a padlock at the bottom of the screen when you are filling in the payment details.
• Check whether the Company has a privacy statement that tells you what it will do with your personal information.