Making Cents: Know your rights buying online post-Brexit

Irish consumers are beginning to see how Brexit affects them when shopping online.

More than four years after voting to leave the EU, Britain has finally done so. As the dust settles and the new reality comes into focus, Irish consumers are beginning to see how the change affects them.

The most visible changes are in online retail, bad timing given the pandemic means we are buying online more than ever before. When an Irish consumer buys online from a business in the EU, they have strong consumer rights, including the Consumer Rights Directive. This includes the right, in most cases, to cancel your order within 14 days of delivery.

From January 1, we no longer automatically have these rights when we buy online from a business based in the UK.

So the first piece of advice from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is to find out where the business you are considering buying from is located when shopping online. As a number of Irish consumers have highlighted on social media in recent weeks, relying on the domain name is not enough.

"Do not rely on the name of the website (for example, .ie or .co.uk) or prices displayed in euro," the CCPC says. "These details do not tell you where the business is located. Check the T&Cs, privacy policy, or contact us pages of the website for a physical address.

"If the business is in an EU member state, including the Republic of Ireland, then your consumer rights will not change because of Brexit. If the business is outside the EU, including the UK, then the rights you have under the Consumer Rights Directive do not automatically apply."

If it is a widely available item, it is worth have a look around to see if you can buy it from an EU (or even better Irish) site, secure in the knowledge you have full protection.

If you want to go ahead with a purchase from a website outside the EU, here are the key questions the CCPC suggests you get answers for before you buy.

• Can you return the item if you change your mind?
• Can you cancel an order before it is dispatched?
• Do you have the right to return the item and if you can return an item, who pays for the cost of returning it — you or the business?
• Has the retailer included any Irish Vat or customs duties in the final price?

"If not, then you may face a bill when your goods are delivered," the CCPC warns. "When buying from the UK (excluding Northern Ireland) you may be liable for customs duties if the goods you are buying are not made in the UK."

Check the terms and conditions on the website for answers to these questions and contacting the business if further clarity is needed.

The CCPC is also reminding consumers to check the security of the website they are buying from.

"Before you put in your card details look out for an ‘s’ after ‘http’ at the beginning of the url and a padlock symbol in your browser’s task bar, which show the website is secure," it says.

Consumers should also remember that using a credit or debit card when buying online gives you additional options when you run into problems.

"When shopping online, pay by card so that if you do run into problems you may have the option of a chargeback from your credit or debit card provider," the CCPC says.

Deal of the Week

In a recent column I highlighted balance transfers as a way to give yourself breathing space if you have accumulated credit card debt. A number of Irish card providers offer consumers the opportunity to transfer the balance from their existing card and pay low or no interest for a set period, giving you a chance to clear the debt without incurring interest.

Now An Post Money has announced that it is extending its 0% balance transfer on An Post Money Credit Card from 12 months to 15 months, making it the longest interest free period currently available from Irish credit card providers. 

An Post Money Credit Card holders can also earn money back through An Post’s MoneyBack partners.

While its typical APR of 22.9% is at the higher end of the market, the generous interest-free period makes this an option for anyone who is confident they won't be build up additional card debt but want an opportunity to clear their current debt over time.