It can be easy to be tempted by all the offers. This year, Virke, in collaboration with Kvarud Analyse, estimates that around NOK 16.1 billion will be traded during Black Week. Unscrupulous and fake online shops Amna Haye is a consumer lawyer at the Norwegian Consumer Council and says that fraud in online shopping is a growing problem. Consumer lawyer Amna Haye believes it is important to be critical when shopping from unknown websites. Photo: Forbrukerrådet – It is easy to set up an online store in Norwegian that looks reasonably professional, while in reality it is unknown people far outside Norway who are behind it, says Haye. Lawyer Frode Elton Haug in the legal firm Legalis and, like Haye, has good experience in helping consumers who experience problems when buying goods and services, especially during Black Week. If you have fallen into the trap, Haug says that it is easy to rush into an encounter with non-serious websites, but that you as a consumer have some rights when shopping online if the accident happens. Card complaints – A practically important right for consumers is the right to hold your bank responsible for any monetary claims you have against a professional seller, so-called card complaints, says Haug. Lawyer Frode Elton Haug recommends using a credit card, and not a bank card where the money is withdrawn directly from your account. Photo: Private If you have not received the item you ordered, even after the seller has been given an additional deadline for delivery, you have the right to cancel the purchase and get your money back. If the seller does not repay the purchase price after a written demand from you, you can direct this claim against your bank if the purchase was made with a credit card or Visa card. These rights apply when you buy from a trader. When buying from private individuals through, for example, Finn.no or Tise, it is the agreement with the seller that you must use as a starting point, Haug points out. Illustration: COLOURBOX Right to defects If you receive the item, but there is a fault with it, you have the right to complain. The starting point is that there is a two-year appeal period for goods, but five years if the goods are intended to last significantly longer than two years. This longer appeal period typically applies to more expensive goods such as mobile phones, PCs, and the like. – Even in the event of a fault with the product, it is important to complain in writing as soon as possible. The seller initially has a right to correct the error. It must happen within a reasonable time and at no cost to you. Right of cancellation – When shopping online, you have the right to cancel your purchase. The cancellation period is 14 days and applies from the time you received the item, which means in practice when you picked up the item at the post office or received it in the post box, says Haug. If you have changed your mind within the 14-day cooling-off period, you must send the item back to the seller within 14 days after you reported this. Make sure you get a receipt or other documentation that the item was returned on time. – But, it is common that you have far better rights as a result of the online store’s own return or open purchase policy, which you should check out on the online store’s own website, says Haug. Delay If you find that goods you have ordered are not delivered on time, you have clear rights in the Consumer Purchase Act that you can use. – Delivery of the goods must take place at the agreed time, possibly within 30 days if no delivery date has been agreed. If the item does not appear, you should give the seller a reasonable additional deadline and if the item is not delivered within the deadline, you can cancel the purchase and get your money back. Elton Haug also recommends making sure to communicate and report claims in writing. You will then have documentation that you have behaved correctly towards the seller, and you will be able to complain more easily to your bank if you have to use the card complaint described in more detail above. – Ask for advice and guidance If you are unsure of what to do if problems arise with online shopping, you can contact the Norwegian Consumer Council for advice and guidance, says Haye. – You can also contact Forbruker Europa if you need advice on how to approach a foreign online store.
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This is what you do if the Black Friday deal goes wrong – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
