Online shopping FAQs
Full list of frequently asked questions about online shopping.
Internet shopping basics
Q1. Am I protected by consumer rights when I shop on the Internet?
Q2. How do I know if the website is based in the EU?
Q3. Is shopping online safe?
Q4. What law covers buying and selling on the Internet?
Q5. What other important pieces of legislation are there?
Before you buy
Q6. What information should be provided by the web-trader before I purchase online?
Q7. Is it safe to use my credit card online?
Q8. Can my personal details (name, address etc...) be given to a third party?
Ordering
Q9. How do I know that my order has been received by the web-trader when I purchase online?
Missing goods
Q10. What if I never receive the goods I ordered?
Q11. How long do I have to wait to receive the goods I've ordered?
When you get your goods
Q12. What should I do first when my order is delivered?
Q13. What if the goods I ordered are faulty?
Q14. What if the goods that were delivered are different to the goods I ordered?
Q15. What if I receive an item I ordered but decide I no longer want it?
The "cooling-off" period
Q16. What is the "cooling-off" period?
Q17. Do I need a reason to cancel under the "cooling-off" period?
Q18. Does the "cooling-off" period apply to all online purchases?
Q19. Are purchases made from online auction sites, such as eBay, excluded?
Q20. I bought an item from somebody on eBay who wasn't a 'trader'. Does a "cooling-off" period apply in this case?
Q21. Do I have to pay for returning the product if I change my mind
Q22. How do I go about cancelling an order within the "cooling-off" period?
Q23. Can the "cooling-off" period be longer than 7 working days?
Q24. Can I use goods during the "cooling-off" period and then return them?
Returning goods issues
Q25. How long should it take to get my money back once I return the goods?
Q26. What can I do if the web-trader does not refund my money and I have already sent back the goods?
Problems with Irish traders
Q27. Who can I contact if I have a problem with a web-trader based in Ireland?
Problem with EU traders
Q28. Do I have the same rights purchasing from an EU web-trader as I do from an Irish web-trader?
Q29. Who can I contact if I have a problem with a web-trader based in the EU but outside of Ireland?
Problems with traders outside the EU
Q30. Who can I contact if I have a problem with a web-trader based in the US, Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway and/or Switzerland?
Q31. Who else can I contract if I have a problem with a web-trader based outside the EU?