Online stores - a new EU directive

Online stores and the new EU directive

June 2014 will be a month of great changes in European e-commerce. This is when the EU directive comes into force, which will regulate this area of ​​the economy. The new regulations are in most cases more beneficial to customers. Let us discuss in turn the most important modifications managed by the EU, the theme of which will be online stores:

• online stores will be obliged to transparently inform customers about the terms of the transaction. This is to remove various legal loops hidden in small-typed notes. In addition, the e-seller will have to accurately mark the button, the pressing of which is the acceptance of the purchase and the obligation to pay the amount due. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in fines from the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection,
• the time for returning the goods will be extended without giving any reason. Customers will be given two weeks for this (the old law provides for 10 days). In order to make it easier for buyers to make returns, e-sellers will have to place special withdrawal forms on the websites of their stores,
• the time for a complaint will be extended, and significantly longer, without the customer proving the non-compliance of the goods with the contract. From June 2014. this deadline will be one year - the old regulations assume 6 months,
• The e-seller will be given the option to deduct the cost of use when returning the goods. Therefore, the method of calculating such an amount will be problematic,
• e-sales rules are to apply the same wording to online stores across the EU. The exceptions are certain changes negotiated by individual countries. Poland managed to obtain a reduction in the lower purchase amount from which the new standards will apply. PLN 50 was established for our country, and for other Member States - EUR 50, which is more or less four times the amount,
• all disputes relating to purchases in an e-shop from another EU country will be settled according to the law of the buyer's country. This is a great convenience for customers.

The changes that are coming in the middle of next year seem to be focused primarily on the good of customers, but the interests of sellers have also been taken into account in them. The unification of the e-sales market is a step in the right direction, although some fear that the regulations may lead to price increases. How it will be - time will tell.