EU launches virtual escape room to educate young people on consumer rights

Munster and Leinster are among the European regions whose residents spend the most online. File picture Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

EU leaders are hoping to tap into gaming in order to teach young people about their consumer rights, after a proliferation of spending online and apps over the past two years.

The European Commission's directorate general for consumers has put together what is described as an educational escape room game aimed at 16- to 24-year-olds.

The online game at europa.eu/youreuright/game is intended to raise awareness of consumer rights among younger internet users and online shoppers, the European Consumer Centre (ECC Ireland) said.

Tips on consumers' rights

Key elements contained within the game include consumers' right to a 14-day cooling-off period, as well as facts around safety of products. There is also advice on how to deal with unfair consumer contracts, and the right to repair or replacement under the EU's two-year product guarantee.

ECC Ireland, which is part of a bloc-wide network providing advice to the public, said: "When you shop online, you have the right to a cooling-off period of 14 calendar days, where you can withdraw from the contract and return your purchases."

It added that is it an EU consumer right to have a defective product fixed or replaced: 

A seller must repair, replace, give you a discount or give you a refund if the product is faulty or doesn’t work as advertised within the first two years. 

Issues around safety should be reported, the body said.

"If you discover something is unsafe, immediately alert the seller and the authorities in your country. You should also ask to be compensated because a product should be safe during its predicted lifespan."

Beware hidden terms

ECC Ireland said that some consumer contracts have hidden terms, by which they can limit a seller’s liability.  "This violates your EU consumer rights," it added.

Almost two thirds of European adults shopped online last year, with Munster and Leinster among the EU regions spending most online.

As expected, younger people are far more likely to shop online than older people, findings from the European Commission’s data analysis wing showed last month.

Eurostat said people aged 25 to 34 were 2.5 times more likely to have made use of the internet to shop (83%) than people aged 65 to 74 (33%).

When it comes to the habits of Irish shoppers, people in Leinster are among the highest online spenders in Europe, with Munster not far behind.

Growth in shopping online coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic, data shows.

Dublin and the midlands went from 68% of people buying online in 2019 to 84% last year, while Munster went from 69% to 77% in the same period. Surprisingly, the West and North decreased their shopping online from 2019, going from 57% to 53% last year.

Almost two thirds of purchases across the EU online involved clothes, shoes, or accessories, followed by furniture, home accessories, gardening products, and food deliveries.