Although consumers generally are aware of their right to return
faulty goods, they are much more in the dark when it comes to the
cancelling of orders and the return of unwanted or unsuitable
items.
The Distance Selling Regulations of 2000 apply to most products
sold online, which give consumers the right to cancel an order
anytime within a seven working day period for any reason.
The Regulations also mean that, unless the terms and conditions
that the consumer agreed to when placing an order state otherwise,
it is the responsibility of the retailer to arrange collection of
unwanted items, according to guidance issued by the Office of Fair
Trading (OFT) in 2003.
The OFT guidance in full states:
"You must tell consumers whether on
cancelling the contract, they will be liable for the costs of
returning the goods. Consumers can only be made liable for return
charges if the contract contains a positive requirement that they
must return the goods when they cancel. The fact that they will be
responsible for the cost of the return or the recovery of the
cancelled goods must also form part of the durable information
which is supplied, at the latest, at the time of delivery."
A spokesman for SaferShopping.org said: “Our job is to make it
easier for UK consumers to identify online retailers that conduct
their businesses in a trustworthy and responsible manner. Part of
that task includes the education of consumers and retailers
alike.”
