'Howard' the owl is ready to swoop in to help online Christmas shoppers to buy goods from the continent more easily and safely.
The UK European Consumer Centre (UK ECC), which is hosted by the Trading Standards Institute (TSI), has launched the wise old bird as an 'online shopping assistant' so that consumers can check out internet sites before deciding whether to buy from them.
A third of consumers now shop online, compared with 27% in 2006 and it is now the most common channel for overseas sales.
But in some cases the goods are faulty, broken or just do not arrive - and the disappointed customers often do not know how to gain recompense from sellers based abroad.
UK ECC's advice to guide people buying over the internet from Europe comes during TSI's National Consumer Week, launched on Monday 17 November at the Office of Fair Trading in Salisbury Square, London, for which the theme is 'Be a Savvy Shopper this Christmas'.
"Shopping online can be the easiest and most comfortable option, offering great choice and, very frequently, great value," said Elisabetta Sciallis,UK ECC executive.
"Confidence and trust play a crucial role for consumers when it comes to shopping online and EU legislation aims to help people to become more confident when buying goods from other countries within the EU.
"However, not all online purchases go as smoothly as expected and the UK ECC is frequently contacted by consumers who have had bad experiences due to fraudulent websites and care is needed."
Howard, the animated owl character available at www.ukecc.net, allows consumers to input the name of any website and review information about it before making an online purchase.
By entering the name of a website, the country of the seller or the company registration number, Howard gives useful information, including:
- When the website was registered. If it has been registered very recently, particular care is needed, especially if prices seem extremely attractive and pre-payment is required.
- The results of an internet search engine. If the results show negative comments from other consumers, there is good reason to be cautious.
- Contact details for the advice team at the UK ECC.
Howard also provides general advice and information about shopping online and consumer law - for instance, that customers have seven days to return goods bought over the internet.
Although he cannot guarantee that a website is trustworthy or offer a guarantee of service or quality, Howard can help people to make better choices and provide them with knowledge of consumer related law.
James Roper, chief executive of e-retail industry body IMRG (Interactive Media in Retail Group), said: "Howard is absolutely brilliant! Cross-border shopping - or XB as we know it - offers consumers exciting new possibilities to obtain goods from around the world. But all too often the experience can be accompanied by a nasty surprise: an unexpected tax bill, the wrong size, incompatible plugs or incomprehensible instructions.
"The UK ECC in general, and Howard in particular, are terrific innovations that enable consumers to shop abroad with far more confidence and retailers to reach European markets more easily.
"IMRG shares EC Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva's vision of making shopping online from any EU country as natural as that of shopping in your own country - so XB becomes just another postcode. With Howard's watchful eyes on the lookout, that dream takes wing."
UK ECC's top tips to avoid some of the common Internet shopping pitfalls include:
- Watch out for websites where businesses do not provide clear information on who the vendor is and how to contact them.
- You have a minimum of seven working days to cancel a purchase and the vendor should provide information on these cancellation rights.
- A retailer cannot avoid giving a refund on faulty goods by blaming the manufacturer. When you buy online your contract is with the seller and not the manufacturer.
- If you pay by credit card for an item which cost between £100 and £30,000, the credit card company is jointly liable alongside the retailer for any breach of contract by the retailer, such as the item is faulty or broken. If you cannot gain redress from the retailer, you can contact your credit card company whose card you used to buy the item.
For more online purchase tips, look at the UK ECC website, FAQs page under 'A Merry Christmas or a Sorry Christmas'.
The UK ECC also gives advice on what shoppers can do if they find they have bought a faulty product from a Christmas trade fair, where the traders may be based in the UK only temporarily.
"Continental Christmas markets have become very popular in the UK and are an enjoyable experience for shoppers," said Ms Sciallis.
"If you buy something from a Christmas fair and the trader is based overseas, your purchases are protected by the EC's Consumer Goods and Associated Guarantees Directive - and we can help if you need advice about this."
Ron Gainsford, chief executive of TSI said, "In these tight financial times it is imperative that consumers are given the confidence to continue shopping. The UK ECC advice team here at the Institute has a range of suggestions and assistance to help prevent problems occurring and to help with redress should disputes arise."
The UK ECC can be contacted on 08456 04 05 03 or at ecc@tsi.org.uk and information on consumer rights when shopping across Europe is available at www.ukecc.net
