In view of the commercial offers of Black Friday on 27 November, which often creates a sense of «urgency» in the purchase decision, the General Directorate for Consumer Protection of the General Secretariat for Trade and Consumer Protection recommends that consumers should be particularly careful when carrying out their electronic transactions and to check that the the following information from online stores:
- The identity of the supplier (full company name, contact numbers, email, postal address, VAT number and registration number).
- The main features of the product.
- The total price of the product (including taxes, surcharges, shipping costs, any return costs, etc.). Confirm that the price you are being asked to pay is the same as the price stated on the website.
- Be particularly wary if a product is being sold at an extremely low price and avoid pop-up offers if they come from unknown websites.
- The availability, payment and shipping method of the product.
It should be noted with regard to the Black Friday that transactions through debit or credit card offer more safeguards for the consumer in case the business does not deliver the product, compared to depositing it in a bank account.
- The right of unjustified, unclaimed withdrawal and return of the product within 14 days of receipt, as well as the company's product return policy in case of exercise of this right.
- The Consumer Online Dispute Resolution Link (the pan-European EDR platform).
- Site security information: display of a security icon, i.e. a lock on the top left of the browser, email address starting with https://).
It is also recommended to consumers:
- Not provide sensitive data if you are not absolutely sure about the security of the website.
- Ignore offers that appear in their spam.
- Prefer to deal with online shops known to them.
- In the case of unknown online shops and before proceeding with the transaction, investigate their online reputation.
- Keep a record of their transactions.
For complaints regarding illegal and misleading behaviour, consumers can contact the Consumer Hotline 1520 of the General Directorate for Consumer Protection or submit their complaints via the complaint form posted on the website of the Ministry of Development and Investment (www.mindev.gov.gr) or by e-mail to 1520@efpolis.gr.
