What are my CONSUMER RIGHTS if I buy through SOCIAL MEDIA?
Tempted by that pretty blouse you spotted advertised on Facebook? Before you click through to buy, make sure you know what to do if your purchase isn’t quite what it seems.
Shopping on social media is growing in popularity, with Visa reporting that more than one in 10 of us have made a purchase this way since early 2020. Yet, half of those shoppers said that their purchases hadn’t lived up to expectations, with just one in five saying they’d received a full refund for items they had returned. To avoid disappointment, here’s what you need to know…
READ THE REVIEWS
When you click on a product in your Facebook or Instagram feed, or on another social media platform, you’ll end up on the retailer’s own website. If it’s not a company you’ve heard of before, always check out reviews on Trustpilot (uk.trustpilot.com). Pay particular attention to what other customers say about the quality of products they’ve bought from the retailer, how long they took to arrive and what the customer service was like. Always check that a website is secure before inputting your debit or credit card details. On secure websites, the URL should start with ‘https://’ (it’s the ‘s’ you need to look for) and you should see a padlock symbol next to it.
RETURN TO SENDER
Next, check the returns/exchange policy on the website and where the company is registered. Look for a UK returns address and, if in doubt, cross-reference this with Companies House (gov.uk/get-information-about-a-company), where you can search for businesses registered in the UK. Also check whether returns are free or if you’ll have to pay for postage. Some products bought through social media and online marketplaces will require returns to be posted abroad, commonly to China. Given postage abroad can be expensive (sending a 2kg parcel to China starts from £15.56*) it’s worth scrutinising the returns policy before you buy.
COOL THINGS OFF
‘When you buy goods online, you get a 14-day “cooling-off period” on most purchases, which starts the day after you receive your order,’ says Jan Carton, senior consumer expert at Citizens Advice. ‘Many online sellers may offer more time, so make sure you check the terms and conditions before purchasing. The item doesn’t need to be faulty for you to get a refund, but there are some exceptions, such as buying something bespoke, sealed or perishable.’
However, Jan stresses that your rights are different if you buy from a company not based in the UK. ‘If it’s from overseas, your rights depend on which country you bought from and whether they’re inside or outside of the EU,’ she says.