MAKING CENTS: Follow simple steps for safer online shopping

Despite last Friday being a regular working day here, we were inundated with ads promising mega, never-to-be-repeated deals, as retailers embrace the US import Black Friday, rapidly followed by yesterday’s Cyber Monday. If you bagged a genuine bargain that you are delighted with, well done, writes Gráinne McGuinness

But the psychology of suggesting to stressed customers that they need to move fast to get a deal, combined with the increase in online shopping, means there may be disappointed shoppers when purchases are reviewed in the cold light of day. If you feel you’ve been short-changed or duped, don’t write it off to experience, there are avenues of redress available.

Many of us think we don’t have the same rights online as we do dealing with a high-street shop but EU consumer law, particularly the Consumer Rights Directive (CRD), gives consumers in Ireland strong protection when dealing with EU businesses online.