Distance selling regs?

[oatz]

Hey all

Does anyone have list of the minimum bumf I need to add to my website in order to comply with the regulations please?

Many thanks in advance

 

[saxondale]

http://www.oft.gov.uk/advice_and_resources/resource_base/legal/distance-selling-regulations/

 

[oatz]

Great and wow that was quick! So to sumarise it's as simple as:

• you must give consumers clear information including details of the goods or services offered, delivery arrangements and payment, the supplier's details and the consumer's cancellation right before they buy (known as prior information)
• you must also provide this information in writing
• the consumer has a cooling-off period of seven working days.

Easy as that then? Presumably the customer is liable for sending the products back (postage) and ensuring they don;t get lost in the post (sent recorded)?

Thanks once again

 

[MH1]

Customer is liable if you state so on your website. You are liable if you do not.

 

[cjd]

Easy as that then? Presumably the customer is liable for sending the products back (postage) and ensuring they don;t get lost in the post (sent recorded)?

Thanks once again

You need to work your way through that document and work out how it applies to you specifically.

Then go and have a look at how Amazon do it - buy something from them and study their emails to you - they're a good model of how it should be done.

 

[sysops]

Then go and have a look at how Amazon do it - buy something from them and study their emails to you - they're a good model of how it should be done.

While I agree that Amazon have a very good set of procedures, they actually don't comply fully with DSR - they only refund for the item, and not the original delivery cost.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=502480#policy

 

[cjd]

Like I say, good model ;-)

(although I do find that surprising)

 

[sysops]

Like I say, good model ;-)

(although I do find that surprising)

The bottom line is that the part of the DSR which covers this issue is poorly written, and badly thought out. The majority of retailers follow the Amazon model, and don't refund delivery charges. Delivery is treated as a separate service on the invoice.

 

[cjd]

interesting......

 

[Christiane]

The bottom line is that the part of the DSR which covers this issue is poorly written, and badly thought out. The majority of retailers follow the Amazon model, and don't refund delivery charges. Delivery is treated as a separate service on the invoice.

My customers would kick up a fuss if I didn't refund the postage! More often than not, the question always come up when they return something. The only time we don't refund postage is if the item is faulty, broken, or we made the mistake, as per the DSR. This is in our T&C.

 

[sysops]

My customers would kick up a fuss if I didn't refund the postage! More often than not, the question always come up when they return something. The only time we don't refund postage is if the item is faulty, broken, or we made the mistake, as per the DSR. This is in our T&C.

Hang on, I'm confused. You're saying if I return something unwanted, you do refund postage. But if I return it because it's faulty, you don't? Really??

 

[Christiane]

Hang on, I'm confused. You're saying if I return something unwanted, you do refund postage. But if I return it because it's faulty, you don't? Really??

he he sorry, it's the other way round. Shouldn't watch TV as I type

 

[sysops]

So I return something unwanted, you refund price but not postage. I return something faulty, you refund price and postage, right?

Well, that doesn't fully comply with DSR (although it is very common practice).

 

[Christiane]

So I return something unwanted, you refund price but not postage. I return something faulty, you refund price and postage, right?

Well, that doesn't fully comply with DSR (although it is very common practice).

How's that?

It's twofold though:
- item unwanted part of an order with a number of items, I don't refund postage either way
- whole order cancelled, I refund postage paid on the invoice but not to have it returned to us

For faulty returns, I refund postage to send it back to us.

 

[sysops]

How's that?

It's twofold though:
- item unwanted part of an order with a number of items, I don't refund postage either way
- whole order cancelled, I refund postage paid on the invoice but not to have it returned to us

For faulty returns, I refund postage to send it back to us.

In which case that complies fine.

 

[oatz]

That's crazy!

Am I understanding this correctly?
If a customer decides to order say 1000 products which cost lets say £500 to send (heavy items), as long as they return them within the 7 days cooling off period I am liable to pay their £500 return postage costs?! Surely not? Talk about how to put a rival out of business in one foul and legal swoop...

 

[sysops]

That's crazy!

Am I understanding this correctly?
If a customer decides to order say 1000 products which cost lets say £500 to send (heavy items), as long as they return them within the 7 days cooling off period I am liable to pay their £500 return postage costs?! Surely not? Talk about how to put a rival out of business in one foul and legal swoop...

You don't know half of it.

As long as they cancel within 7 working days, you are obliged to refund in full within a reasonable time period (usually accepted as 30 days). They don't even have to return the goods to you, or make them available for you to collect.

What if you refund and they don't return the goods? It's up to you to pursue this through the courts.

Don't believe me? Read the DSR and guidance notes.

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2000/20002334.htm

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/general/oft698.pdf

But what percentage of online retailers do you think follow this? Hint - almost zero, with good reason.

 

[Christiane]

It doesn't apply for B2B though.