14 day distance selling returns to apply to auction sales

Brooker_Dave

Remember this will apply to auction sales as well as websites.

• Customers would get 14 days, instead of 7 days currently in most European countries, to return goods, with a further 14 days to send them back. Crucially, the merchant would have to give customers a full refund even before receiving the goods to ensure they're not damaged.

• For any order over 40 euros, the merchant would have to offer free returns.

• Merchants would have to offer shipping and free returns across all European countries.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/european-union-consumer-rights-directive-e-commerce-2011-3#ixzz1HyOt18EX

Also:

"Pan-European websites may also be required by the new law to translate into all the languages of the EU"

Joy.

DaveAshton

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

Remember this will apply to auction sales as well as websites.

• Customers would get 14 days, instead of 7 days currently in most European countries, to return goods, with a further 14 days to send them back. Crucially, the merchant would have to give customers a full refund even before receiving the goods to ensure they're not damaged.

• For any order over 40 euros, the merchant would have to offer free returns.

• Merchants would have to offer shipping and free returns across all European countries.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/european-union-consumer-rights-directive-e-commerce-2011-3#ixzz1HyOt18EX

Also:

"Pan-European websites may also be required by the new law to translate into all the languages of the EU"

Joy.

The returns policy should be applied to auctions anyway, ebay isn't technically an auction site (according to german courts, anyway http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/03/ebay_catalogue/ ). There's no face-to-face contact, so DSRs should apply to every ebay transaction (excluding collected items).

Not that it'll make a difference anyway, buyers still get 60 days to tell Paypal there's "something wrong" with an item, and get to send it back.
I'm not sure how ebay will enforce the seller paying the P+P for the return either.

I'm more concerned that we'll "have to offer shipping ... across all European countries". Which includes Italy.

bris

There are thousands of proposals put forward by these loonies every week, doesn't mean they will happen, very few do.

Brooker_Dave

bris wrote: »

There are thousands of proposals put forward by these loonies every week, doesn't mean they will happen, very few do.

It's happened.

http://www.euractiv.com/en/food/eu-consumer-rights-battle-set-continue-news-503522

"MEPs yesterday backed a series of amendments to the directive, but postponed their vote on a final resolution pending further negotiations between Parliament committee coordinators and EU member-state representatives in the Council of Ministers.
"The idea is to secure an agreement with the Council at first reading," the Parliament insider said.
Negotiations will seek to find common ground ahead of a final vote to adopt the law during an upcoming plenary session of the Parliament.
Governments are expected to win concessions on the level of harmonisation between national legislation demanded by MEPs yesterday.
It is not yet clear when the final agreement on the Consumer Rights Directive will be reached. Parliament insiders told EurActiv that the file may return to plenary by mid-May, as hoped for by rapporteur Schwab, but diplomats and lawmakers suggested that the final text could be adopted by July."

Brooker_Dave

DaveAshton wrote: »

I'm more concerned that we'll "have to offer shipping ... across all European countries". Which includes Italy.

I can see a lot of websites becoming trade only...

RFW

DaveAshton wrote: »

I'm more concerned that we'll "have to offer shipping ... across all European countries". Which includes Italy.

I'm sure they can't legislate as to what price you charge though.

Brooker_Dave

RFW wrote: »

I'm sure they can't legislate as to what price you charge though.

But given you are liable for providing the return shipping costs as well as a refund (before recieving the goods back) there's no point ramping up the delivery costs to scare off the Europeans (who by and large are more reliable buyers than the Brits)...

Brooker_Dave

bris wrote: »

There are thousands of proposals put forward by these loonies every week, doesn't mean they will happen, very few do.

"Shoppers who want to return goods for their own reasons, meanwhile, should expect to be given their money back, including delivery fees, within 14 days. Traders will also be expected to pay for any damage to goods in transport."

And if it comes back in pieces it's your problem too.

Oliver14

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

"Shoppers who want to return goods for their own reasons, meanwhile, should expect to be given their money back, including delivery fees, within 14 days. Traders will also be expected to pay for any damage to goods in transport."

And if it comes back in pieces it's your problem too.

You're blowing it out of proportion (what a surprise) buyers are already allowed a refund if they inform within 7 days (including delivery costs) A lot of business's already offer a 14 day return period. A large number of business's already offer free returns. Also the proposal is for items over 40 euros more expensive items are likely to already be returned for free anyway.

As with most european legislation there will be far more negotiation before it's actually brought in. SO it's bound to change. So it's rather silly to scaremonger until the full details are known.

but MEPs postponed adopting a final position on the new law to buy themselves more time to reach agreement with member states on the most controversial issues.

Brooker_Dave

Oliver14 wrote: »

You're blowing it out of proportion (what a surprise) buyers are already allowed a refund if they inform within 7 days (including delivery costs) A lot of business's already offer a 14 day return period. A large number of business's already offer free returns. Also the proposal is for items over 40 euros more expensive items are likely to already be returned for free anyway.

But it didn't apply to auctions, buyers accross Europe didn't get their costs of return refunded, and the person returning the goods was liabile if they were damaged in return transit.

This **is** a big thing for anyone who derives a living from selling things online.

Pembroke

I can see Ebay rubbing their hands together as that ruling only 'seems' to apply to Pan-European websites, so if you only sold to the UK on .co.uk, and only sold to France on .fr and only sold to Germany on .de then it wouldn't apply and Ebay would get loads more fees.

Or you could just list on .com as the Yanks would definitely argue that EU rules don't apply to them, and with Paypal being essentially a US site they could also say the ruling doesn't apply to them.

Unless you offered free postage you generally wouldn't get hit by the return postage fees as you would price yourself out of all but your home market anyway.