To ensure that you actually get the gift you want under the Christmas tree, consumer lawyers from the Upper Austrian Labor Chamber (AK) gave tips on Tuesday about ordering goods online. Especially during Advent, they advise to be careful when it comes to products from abroad and against fake stores that imitate well-known online stores. Anyone who paid fraudsters in advance lost their money.
To clarify the reliability of the Internet provider, those who order on the home page should find a printout with a postal address, telephone number and an e-mail address. “An .at or de domain alone does not mean that you order from Austria or Germany,” the consumer advocates explained.
Be careful when ordering from Asia
When orders mainly come from Asia, there are often unpleasant surprises. Because complaints usually involve costs and the price for returning the item may even be higher than the purchase price. Simply leaving deliveries on customers’ doorsteps is “fundamentally unacceptable,” the report said. They must be delivered personally.
If a package does not arrive for any reason, this is the problem of the sender, who is liable for the goods. To be on the safe side, AK OÖ recommends using pick-up stations.
Then consider returning a gift
And if you don’t like the gift, the person giving it should think in advance about returning it. When trading online, goods can be returned within 14 days (from receipt and cancellation instructions) for a full refund. However, holidays and weekends do not extend this deadline. It is also advisable to keep the original packaging, as companies often require returns in it. However, the absence of the original packaging does not exclude the right of withdrawal. Also be careful about giving away vouchers as they become worthless in the event of bankruptcy.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
