EU membership comes with online consumer protection rights including the 14-day cooling off period that gives buyers a chance – with some exceptions – to cancel a contract or return items within 14 days of purchase if they change their mind.
Brexit may complicate things for the many Irish consumers buying online from the UK.
"With so much uncertainty at the moment about how exactly Brexit will affect consumers' rights when they purchase from a UK-based trader, the European Consumer Centre (ECC) Ireland is urging consumers to take precautions just in case something does go wrong with their purchases by reading the terms and conditions and paying securely," says Martina Nee of ECC Ireland.
“For the time being, we believe the best way [consumers] can protect themselves is by checking the terms and conditions for information about return and cancellation policies, and using secure payment methods that provide for redress options – eg chargeback.”
While we wait to see what happens, it is worth noting that should you buy something online from the UK, your consumer rights in relation to this product or service still apply post-Brexit.
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