As the season of returning and exchanging unwanted gift gets under way, I thought it prudent to look for some guidelines on consumer rights, tips on what the Internet has to offer high street and online shoppers or exchangers.

A look at general rights is a good starting point. At http://www.compactlaw.co.uk/tiscali/consum2.html there is an article in plain English explaining under what circumstances we can return goods whether it's Christmas or not.

If goods are faulty in any way or do not match the description or a customer is dissatisfied with the goods for any other reason then they should return them to the seller and seek the return of the price they have paid. The customer is entitled to insist on the full repayment of the price. They do not have to accept a credit note or replacement goods or free repair instead of cash. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule and a full read of this article is recommended.

Home shoppers are in a class of their own. The Government's site at http://www.consumer.gov.uk/ccp/topics1/guide/homeshop.htm outlines the new rights. It says that if you shop for goods or services by telephone, mail order, fax, digital television, or on the Internet, you are now entitled to clear information, a cooling-off period and protection for your credit card against fraud. The last item is definitely of interest considering the high rate of credit card information theft. These new rules apply to almost all types of home shopping.

If you change your mind, the law gives you seven working days to change your mind and cancel an order (and any related credit agreement). Again, there are some specific exceptions the article outlines.

If you still feel you need to arm yourself with more advice before entering the returns marketplace, check out the Department of Trade and Industry at http://www.dti.gov.uk It hosts the Consumer Gateway site http://www.consumer.gov.uk set up to specifically advise consumers.

Other good sites are The Office of Fair Trading at http://www.oft.gov.uk and Trading Standards Department at http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk The Trading Standards office supports a site called Rip Offs Tip Offs at http://www.ripofftipoff.net From cowboy builders to cons, people can anonymously report them so people are aware of bad deals out in the marketplace. This is a new service, so it's worth visiting regularly to see what is going on out there.

Unfortunately for UK consumers, the Which? Web Trader seal and programme will be discontinued at the end of the month. However, Trust UK, endorsed by the Government, is still alive and well. TrustUK is a non-profit, Government endorsed organisation helping consumers shop online with confidence. Reputable companies subscribe to its code of practices and in exchange get the TrustUK e-hallmark on its site.

Some people thrive on returning goods, others dread it. Whichever category you fall into, a little help and advice from the Web could save you a lot of trouble. And it is the kind of information that lasts all year long.

Thisis site of the week:

If you are weak from the energy used up over Christmas, but can't resist the urge to shop, let http://iwant2b.com help you. This consummate consumer directory can send you with a quick click to iwant2bshopping, iwant2btravelling, and the list goes on. Let the Web do the work!

January 16, 2003 10:30