site.btaEuropean Consumer Centre Bulgaria Most Often Approached about Online Purchase Returns

Complaints received by the European Consumer Centre Bulgaria (ECC Bulgaria) over the last year were most often about problems with returning online purchases, the Centre's Director Sonya Spasova told BTA's Kamelia Tsvetanova in an interview occasioned by World Consumer Rights Day, March 15.

Spasova said any commodity bought from an online trader registered in the EU may be returned, except for unpacked cosmetics, books, foods, drinks and hygiene-related products. Some online traders agree to take back underwear and swimwear under certain conditions, and it is advisable to check these conditions in advance.

The big trouble is when an internet shopper cannot find contact information about the seller and details about where a purchased item can be returned, Spasova said. She noted that in some cases the product was bought from a Bulgarian-language website, and the consumer expects that he is supposed to return it to a location in Bulgaria, but he eventually finds that it is to be returned, for instance, to Hungary, Poland, Croatia or some other country, which increases the courier costs. Sometimes the online trader delays the refund, and the consumer does not know what to do.

Consumer claims related to air transport are the second most common type, Spasova said. They account for more than one-third of all claims received by ECC Bulgaria. Such issues typically have to do with seeking compensation for a delayed or cancelled flight. Airlines owe compensation to passengers if they arrive at their destination more than three hours after the officially announced time, except when the delay was caused by a force majeure event. But even in extraordinary circumstances, an airline should take care of its passengers and provide them with drinks and food after the second hour of waiting at the airport, and accommodation after a longer delay.

Relatively few consumers complain to ECC Bulgaria when they are dissatisfied with the conditions of overseas accommodation or holidays, Spasova said. It is important for the consumer to keep any information provided by the trader, any correspondence with him, and to be able to prove that he (the consumer) was overcharged. In some cases, ECC Bulgaria is successful in helping the consumer receive compensation. Each case is different, but it is basically a matter of proving what you got for how much money.