Online shoppers don’t know their rights: study

NEARLY four-fifths of people are not aware of their consumer rights when buying goods online while just 10% know that these goods can be returned within seven days of delivery, research shows.

This Christmas, it is estimated €55 million of goods will be bought via the internet, with the average person spending €216. The most common purchases over the festive period are concert tickets, CDs and DVDs.

Internet sales are a huge growth area for business but a report by the UCC Department of Law shows more than two thirds of online shoppers “only sometimes” or “never” read terms and conditions of sale before purchasing an item.