Buyers must be very attentive to prices during the winter discounts and inform themselves about the products they intend to purchase, claims the general director of the National Consumer Protection Authority (ANPC), Paul Anghel.
Winter promotions begin PHOTO: Archive, Adevărul
“During the winter sales period, it is recommended to check the prices by consulting websites that display comparative prices for the same product, a practice that has led to the constant improvement of the methods of presenting prices and discounts by online stores. For advantageous purchases during the period of winter offers, carefully read the product characteristics and check if it really corresponds to your wishes and needs”Paul Anghel wrote on Facebook on Sunday.
Shopping during this period can be done in complete safety if a list is made of the products that buyers wish to purchase and their current prices, thus being informed about price reductions.
“Check existing stock; check the displayed price and whether it is complete (including VAT or not); check if the price includes the delivery cost; if you order online, check, before sending the order, if the price of each product in the shopping basket is the same as the reduced price indicated when you chose the product; if you have any questions, contact the merchant by phone to ask for additional information on the product, after-sales services or delivery conditions. How the merchant answers these questions can give you clues as to the seriousness of the seller.” explained the ANPC representative, according to Agerpres.
According to him, the trader is obliged to inform consumers correctly and completely, providing, among other things, information about the identification data, the essential characteristics of the product, the price with all taxes included, delivery costs and payment methods, the period of validity of the offer or the price, the minimum duration of the contract, the functionality, compatibility and interoperability of goods with digital elements, digital content and digital services, as well as the existence and manner of exercising the right to unilaterally terminate the contract.
At the same time, it recommends that consumers read reviews of products offered online, which can provide clues about their quality or the seriousness of the merchant.
In addition, for contracts concluded on online markets (intermediary sales between traders and consumers), the consumer must know that any online market provider (intermediary website owner) is obliged to provide a series of information in a specific section of the online interface, which is directly and easily accessible from the page where the offers are presented.
Thus, online providers must specify whether or not the third party offering the products is a trader – legal person and if it is not a trader – legal person, but a natural person specify the fact that the rights of consumers arising from the relevant legislation of consumer protection does not apply to the concluded contract.
“For the security of your account, when you want to buy online with payment by bank card, look for “https” in the URL and a lock icon in the address bar. They signal that the site is designed to be secure. For card payments, never submit your 4-digit card PIN and bank passwords if you receive any correspondence that appears to be from the merchant, asking you to do so.”says Paul Angel.
According to the quoted source, regardless of whether it is an online store or a classic one, the price must always be displayed clearly, legibly, in lei and with all taxes included (VAT and other additional taxes), if applicable.
“There are several price comparators where the evolution of product prices over time can be checked. This possibility gives the consumer more control over his decision and makes stores generally avoid displaying unrealistic discounts”warns Anghel.
Thus, the reduced price must be lower than the reference price/previous price. This represents the lowest price applied in the same sales space during the last 30 days, before the date of application of the reduced price. In the case of products liable to damage or perish quickly, the previous price represents the lowest price applied by the seller in the same sales area during the last 10 days before the price reduction date.
In the case of products available for sale in a period of less than 30 days, the previous price represents the lowest price charged by the seller in this period before the date of application of the price reduction. Regarding the contract, Anghel states that it is considered to be concluded, for classic stores, when the payment is made and the product is received.
In the case of online stores, the contract is considered to be concluded when the merchant confirms, on a durable medium, the acceptance of the buyers’ order. In the case of traditional stores, if a consumer wishes to cancel the purchase after concluding the contract, the law does not provide the right to withdraw from the contract.
“Once a good has been purchased, it cannot be replaced or its value refunded to you unless it is defective, the rules regarding guarantees apply here. For online stores, the law establishes a period of 14 calendar days from the moment of receipt of the good in which you can cancel the purchase, without giving any reason and without additional costs”. writes Paul Anghel in the recommendations posted on the social network.
Some online stores, as part of their trading policy, have extended this term to 30 or even 60 days, but buyers should check this with each individual merchant.
The merchant is obliged to refund you the price paid
The 14-day period can be extended by another 12 months if the trader has not expressly mentioned the existence of the right to return the products. If the seller does not send a courier to collect the goods, the buyer must pay for the return.
“The merchant is obliged to reimburse you the price paid (including the costs of delivering the good to you) within a maximum of 14 days from the moment you renounced the contract, and the reimbursement is made using the same payment methods as those used by consumer for the initial transaction, unless the consumer has agreed to another method of payment and on the condition that the payment of commissions after reimbursement is not the responsibility of the consumer”he says.
The ANPC representative mentions that, if the product arrives damaged or destroyed, the seller is the one who bears the loss. The rules regarding guarantees apply regardless of how the goods are purchased and their price, online, from the classic store, at a reduced price or at full price, and GEO 140/2021 is the normative act that regulates the guarantees of goods, respectively establishes that there are two types: the legal guarantee of conformity and the commercial guarantee, which can coexist for a single good.
The legal guarantee applies to any good sold and is the responsibility of the seller under the law, in principle it is two years, although there are exceptions in the case of goods with digital elements, where it can be five years.
In the case of second-hand products, the consumer and the seller can agree on a warranty period of at least one year.
If the product fails or fails to meet specifications, buyers are entitled to repair, replacement, refund, or a corresponding reduction in price if the product fails or fails to meet specifications.
“Contact the seller if you have a problem! What is very important, even if in practice you are told to contact the service directly in case of a defect, the responsibility will always belong to the seller, according to the law. You do not have any kind of contract with the service, and it cannot be held liable for non-compliance with the warranty rules. Therefore, even if you go for service with the product, always inform the seller about the problems that have arisen”Paul Anghel sent on the social network.
He also drew attention to merchants and online markets that are not based in the European Union, stating that if the economic operator who manages the website from which the products are purchased does not have legal personality in the European Union, “the capacity of the authorities to intervene in protecting the interests of consumers is limited”.
