The online buying quiz
Take our quick quiz, and see how much you really know about your rights when you order stuff online

Question 1 of 8:
If you shop for DVDs online, you can cancel your order...
a. Only up to the day they actually arrive on your doorstep
b. Up to seven days after receiving them
c. Any time

The correct answer is B.
This time in which you can cancel is called the "cooling off period" and is set down in EU laws about online shopping. In some cases you may even be provided with a much longer cooling off period than seven days.

Question 2 of 8:
You are filling in your order on a website to buy some CDs. The web address begins "https://" and there's a padlock symbol in the bottom right corner of the screen. This means:

a. The page is "locked" - you can't leave it until you fill in all the information
b. The online ordering system is secure and safe to use
c. The online ordering system is NOT safe or secure

The correct answer is B.
These things show that the site uses security measures/encryption systems to make sure your personal information is transmitted securely.

Question 3 of 8:

Your brother ordered a new game for his console but a fortnight later it still hasn't arrived. He emailed the website that he ordered it from, but they say it "won't be available for several weeks". What should he do?

a. Cancel the order
b. Ask them to "send something similar"
c. Wait a bit more until it becomes available

The correct answer is A.
If they can't fulfil the order within 30 days, he should cancel the order and is entitled to a refund. Where goods are unavailable, the website must inform the consumer - and refund them within 30 days of informing them.

Question 4 of 8:

You order a DVD of a foreign film from a website in France. Then when it arrives you realise it doesn't have English subtitles (and the website did actually explain this). Do you...

a. Cancel your order immediately
b. Send a letter to the company demanding a refund
c. Chuck the DVD away

The correct answer is A.
You can cancel an online order within seven days of receiving the DVD, and under EU law you don't even have to give a reason. However, you may have to pay the cost of returning it.

Question 5 of 8:

You buy some clothes online, and when they arrive you know they wouldn't suit you. So you post them back. What are you entitled to?

a. Nothing - you can hardly blame the website if you change your mind.
b. A refund plus your postage costs
c. A refund for the clothes themselves (but no postage costs)

The correct answer is A.
Yes, you have to pay the cost of returning the product. Unlike shopping in a physical store (where you're not entitled to a refund if you simply change your mind), when you shop online you have the right to cancel within seven days without giving a reason.

Question 6 of 8:

You place an order with an Irish-based website, and hit the "Submit" button. Then you hear nothing for weeks, the order doesn't arrive, and your credit card statement shows they've billed you. Do you...

a. Wait a bit longer for the stuff to arrive?
b. Look for an acknowledgement of your order and ask what's going on?
c. Cancel your order - and complain to your credit card company too?

The correct answer is C.
Cancel your order. Remember that under EU consumer laws the website should always send you an acknowledgement of your order as soon as possible after you placed it.

Question 7 of 8:

A new laptop turns out to be faulty a month after your mother bought it on an Irish website. They say "There's no refund if you buy a PC from the Web." What are her rights?

a. She should ask for a refund, repair or replacement.
b. The website is right - she hasn't any case
c. The first thing she should do is contact the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation

The correct answer is A.
With faulty goods bought online, the law is that you are entitled to a refund, repair or replacement - just as if you had bought the PC in a shop.

Question 8 of 8:

Two months after your mum bought that laptop, she's getting spam from the website, even though she ticked the box not to receive further communications. She rang to complain but it's still going on. Does she...

a. Put up with it because now she's one of their customers
b. Write to the Taxi Regulator
c. Send a complaint by email to the Data Protection Commissioner

The correct answer is C.
The Data Protection Commissioner who investigate the complaint, and may even decide that a prosecution is necessary.

Results page

If you scored 0-3: You really don't know what you are entitled to when shopping online, and could do with brushing up on your consumer rights. Find out more about typical problems when buying online and what your rights are in the Get Your Rights Online Buying area.

If you scored 4-6: Not bad, but you could still brush up on your consumer rights when shopping online. Find out more about typical problems when buying online and what your rights are in the Get Your Rights Online Buying area.

If you scored 7-8: Well done! You seem to really know your consumer rights when buying stuff online. Read our Buying Online Guide to find out even more about your consumer rights.