GVH: When shopping online, everyone should only order from trusted web stores

The office pays special attention to deceptions occurring in the digital space, has initiated numerous procedures due to online fraud, and now it is drawing consumers’ attention to the dangers that arise when shopping online.

The GVH advised everyone to check the URL of the website; if it starts with https:// (or a padlock icon appears), it means that the website has a certificate. This confirms that the given page is indeed operated by the company from which they wish to buy.

When shopping online, the customer has the right to withdraw without giving any reason during the time between ordering the product and delivery. The consumer concerned has another 14 days from the date of receipt of the product to change his mind and exercise his right of withdrawal without giving any reason.

They also drew attention to the fact that the protection afforded to the buyer is not the same whether he orders from a member state of the European Union or from a non-member state of the EU, and this is definitely worth considering.

They pointed out that customer opinions and experiences play an important role in online purchases, but these are not always reliable. Therefore, according to the GVH, it should be suspicious if there are no reviews on a website or there are too many positive reviews, or reviews with very similar wording, or grammatically incorrect reviews.