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COMMENT
Christmas is certainly one time of year that causes us to spend a lot of money. However, although it's easy to get retailers and service providers to take our cash, how easy is it to get that money back, should we wish to return an item or cancel a service? A recent report from Citizens Advice believes it may be trickier than you'd think which could be largely down to cancellation rights in the UK. Research by MORI for Citizens Advice showed that over three million people in Great Britain either wanted to, or unsuccessfully tried to cancel or return items they bought in the last year, with the total value of those purchases being £400 million. Citizens Advice has shown that in nearly 80% of cases people had problems trying to cancel purchases they made of more than £100, and a third involved items worth more than £1,000. So what's causing the problem? Well, it appears to be largely down to the UK's cancellation rights. These rights apply whenever we buy goods or services at distance, such as via the Internet, phone or mail order. The idea is our cancellation rights provide us with a kind of "cooling down period", giving us the right to cancel a purchase or service should a high-pressure sales technique have been used, or if an item was purchased which could not be physically examined prior to receipt. Cancellation rights have effectively been developing over the years in response to problems that have arisen, and here in the UK we are entitled to seven days within which we can cancel a service/order and get a full refund. However, cancellation rights in the rest of Europe tend to vary considerably, with Italian shoppers being entitled to ten days, and those in Germany enjoying a full two weeks (14 days) to change their mind, for example. With more and more of us making cross-border purchases on the Internet, etc, this inconsistency between rules in different countries is causing major confusion. Citizens Advice is urging the Government to reform the current complex cancellation rights in response to these problems to give consumers a better deal. In response to the varying rights seen in Europe, it believes that a minimum, 14 day standard cancellation policy across the EU would make things far easier for consumers to understand. What's more, we also need a bit of common sense involved in how consumers can cancel goods and services, allowing us to cancel in a variety of ways. Clearly we should all think carefully before signing up for any goods or services that we're not quite sure about. Signing up for deals with high-pressure doorstep sellers always carries an element of risk -- far better to research the product if you're interested in it, ask around for recommendations and contact the companies directly. When buying online, pick reputable companies -- again, find out which ones friends and family would recommend. And should you need to cancel an order or service, do so promptly and in writing. You can find a wealth of information regarding your rights when buying goods in the UK and EU, and what to do should things go wrong at Citizens Advice's Adviceguide website.
