Check reviews first, order second
Do you ever buy something from a foreign e-retailer? If they’re based in another EU member state, Norway or Iceland, you have the same rights as you do in the Netherlands, but that doesn’t mean that all shopping sites are equally reliable. If you’re making a purchase from an e-retailer you don’t know yet, check the reviews before submitting your order. It only takes a minute, but it can save a lot of hassle.
Tip 1
Always check the reviews
Shopping on a website you don’t know? Just checking the reviews for a quick minute will often help prevent a lot of hassle.
- Google the website’s URL + the word ‘review’
This is a quick way to find lots of different sources of information. Because some fake shopping sites use a name that resembles the name of a real site, it is smart to type in the entire web address. - Check out reviews on independent review websites
Klachtenkompas.nl and Klacht.nl feature reviews from Dutch consumers. For foreign shopping sites, you can also visit Trustpilot or other English-language review sites. - Check the authenticity of reviews
Sometimes, unreliable shopping sites will write their own fake reviews. Always read reviews on several websites. Look closely at how many reviews the users have posted and when they were written. If lots of reviewers posted reviews around the same time and only wrote reviews about one company, be alert. What’s more: the more reviews a user has posted, the more reliable they are .
Tip 2
Pay later with your credit card or PayPal
Pay later payment methods and insured payments can be useful, especially if it's your first time ordering from a shopping site you're not familiar with. And there’s an added bonus: it doesn’t take any longer than regular payments.
- Pay later
Well known pay-later services such as Riverty (AfterPay) and Klarna allow you to withhold payment if something goes wrong with the delivery of your order. Do let the seller know that you won't pay until you receive the order. - Insured payment
Did you know that payment methods like credit cards and PayPal offer purchase protection? If your order is not delivered or something goes wrong, you can usually get your money back.
Tip 3
Dive into the details
Checking reviews will help you weed out the most problematic shopping sites, but a little extra sleuthing can get you even more certainty.
- Check the website for an address, phone number and email address
With contact details, you’ll know exactly how to reach the seller is something goes wrong. You can also verify contact details by searching the address in Google Maps or calling the phone number to see if someone answers. - Check whether the shopping site is registered in a trade register
For Dutch shopping sites, look in the KVK Business Register (Dutch). For shopping sites based in other EU countries, you can check this European register. If you can’t find the company, it might be a sign that you are dealing with an unreliable seller. - Check the website of the police
The police register (Dutch) will tell you whether any charges have been filed against the site. You can search the register by URL, email address, phone number or bank account number. - Check ScamCheck
ScamCheck is a clever tool that performs multiple checks at once. It checks for possible scams, malware and phishing. All you need to do is enter the url of the website.
Didn't get your order?
Didn't get your order?
Suppose your ordered a PlayStation 5 from a Belgian shopping site. No other seller had it in stock, but after a lot of searching you finally found one for sale. Or did you? You've already sent ten e-mails to the seller. At first, they sent you reassuring emails that your order was just slightly delayed, but now they have stopped responding altogether.
Scroll down to find out what you can do if your order is not delivered on time. The seller is responsible for ensuring that you get what you ordered. In the event of mail delivery issues, the seller is responsible for reaching out to the postal company and finding a solution. If the seller claims that your order has been delivered, they will have to prove it.
If the seller won’t answer your emails or calls or the shopping site disappears all of a sudden, you might have been scammed.
#non-delivery
Never received your order and can’t get in touch with the seller? If so, you may have been scammed. Report the seller to the police (Dutch). Although the chances are slim that you will get your money back, reporting the seller will help the police and other buyers.
#scammed
Long shipping delay?
Long shipping delay?
Suppose your ordered a garden lounge chair from a Spanish furniture shop. You were fine with the 14-day delivery time promised at first, but it’s now two months later and you still don’t have your chair. Summer is almost over already. You love the chair you ordered, but now you’d rather buy another chair to still enjoy the last rays of the summer sun.
For online purchases, a normal delivery time is anywhere up to 30 days. The delivery time is allowed to be longer, but the seller must let you know before you place your order.
#normal-delivery-time
If your order is not delivered within 30 days or within a longer delivery period agreed upon when you ordered, give the seller one more chance to deliver your order first. Send them an email or letter suggesting a new, reasonable deadline, giving them another two weeks to deliver your order, for example.
If you still don’t have your order after the new deadline has passed, you are entitled to cancel your purchase and request a refund.
#late-delivery
What if your order does not meet your expectations?
What if your order does not meet your expectations?
Suppose you ordered a jacket from a French brand through a special Instagram promotion. It seemed like a great deal at first, but the actual product is very disappointing. You ordered a size M, but this looks more like an XS. The fabric is very thin and when you try it on, one of the buttons falls off. You find it hard to believe this brand would sell such shoddy products.
The best course of action varies from one situation to the next and depends on what you want: do you want to exchange the product or do you want a refund?
A lot went wrong in the example above. You can read more about your rights in different situations on our website. Not sure how to complain to the seller? We also have template letters that you can use.
Misinformation
If the seller gave you wrong information or withheld certain information about a product, and they could have known that this might affect your decision to buy the product, you are entitled to cancel your purchase and request a refund.
Cooling-off period
When buying a product from an e-retailer based in another EU member state, Norway or Iceland, you are usually entitled to a 14-day cooling-off period. This means that you are allowed to return products within 14 days without having to give a reason. Please note that you may have to pay the return costs yourself.
Wrong product
If you received the wrong product, for example the wrong size or colour, the seller has to offer you a free solution to ensure you receive the right product.
Damaged product
If the product you received is damaged or defective in any way, you can return the product within your 14-day cooling-off period or exercise your warranty rights. Do let the seller know that the product is damaged or defective and that it was not your fault. If you are responsible for the damage and send the product back during your cooling-off period, the seller does not have to refund the full amount.
Scam or deception?
Have you been scammed or deceived? It can be difficult to draw a line between the two. With scams, you’ll often receive nothing at all or a counterfeit product. In both cases, you can report the seller to the police. Deceptive sellers will make other promises that are not true or overly vague or deliberately withhold certain information. In all of these cases, you can cancel your purchase and request a refund. You can also report deception to the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets and the Advertising Standards Commission.
#different-expectations
European Consumer Centre
The European Consumer Center (ECC) wants to make it just as easy to buy products from foreign sellers as it is from Dutch sellers, which is why we’ll assist you if you run into issues after making a purchase from a foreign shop or shopping site. The ECC in the Netherlands is part of the Legal Aid and Advice Centre (Juridisch Loket).
Our network has offices in all EU countries, Norway and Iceland, and we still have good ties with the United Kingdom. If you run into problems with a seller from one of these countries, our legal experts will gladly solve them for you along with the ECC in the seller’s country. And the best thing is that our services are entirely free.