With just a few clicks, an online order is placed, but what to do if the ordered goods do not meet expectations, or it is even inferior junk? The fact that the order should suddenly be returned to China, surprised and annoyed many customers in addition.
In today’s digital age, many orders for goods are placed online as a matter of course. In addition to nautical electronics and other “Marine & Boating Products”, this also applies in particular to maritime clothing. But what should you do if the buyer later (promptly) cancels the order, thus withdrawing from the contract, but still receives a shipment from the Far East?
The European Consumer Center (ECC) Germany reports a case in which exactly that happened to a buyer. When she wanted to return the garments that had actually been canceled – despite unexpectedly high return costs – to Asia, the company accepted the cancellation but wanted to deduct 15 euros per package from the refund.
In addition to the high postage costs, the consumer should have given up 105 euros and was “outraged”. The ECC ruled in her favor; after all, the company had received the withdrawal so promptly that shipping was not necessary. The buyer informed the ECC Germany and, thanks to its help, received a full refund for her purchase.
It is important to find out the shop’s return policy before making a purchase
According to the ECC, problems with returns are a recurring issue in the complaints handled by ECC Germany. Therefore, it is important to find out the shop’s return policy before making a purchase. This can help to avoid a lot of trouble.
In principle, customers would have to bear the costs of returning goods themselves after a revocation if they had been informed accordingly at the time of purchase, according to the ECC. However, a representative survey commissioned by the ECC showed that one in two German consumers who regularly order goods online rarely or never inform themselves in advance about the return policy.
The company from which goods were ordered in the above-mentioned case (a company in the Netherlands) uses what is known as dropshipping. “In this business model, the online shop only handles the order and invoices the goods, while the manufacturer or wholesaler sends the goods directly to the consumer,” explains the ECC.
Often, dropshipping products are cheap goods that look very attractive in professional photos.
Often, these are cheap goods that look very attractive in professional photos. Unfortunately, returns or good customer service are “rarely” provided for in dropshipping. Retailers often deliberately conceal the fact that goods are to be returned to the Far East and reject the cancellation of orders with flimsy arguments.
The European Consumer Centre (ECC) Germany advises consumers not to return the goods to China. The reason for this is that too often the returns do not arrive or the return costs exceed the value of the product.
Since returns to dropshipping shops often cause problems for consumers, the ECC is calling for providers that target consumers in the European market and specifically tailor their website to them to also have to offer a return address in the EU.
Some dropshippers specifically design their online shops in such a way that customers believe they are buying from a supplier in Germany.
From the point of view of consumer advocates, it would also be desirable if the list of information requirements to be met by online retailers before a purchase is made were to be extended to include the return address.
The problem is that dropshipping is unfortunately not easy to recognize. Some dropshippers specifically design their online shops in such a way that customers believe they are shopping with a provider from Germany.
The conclusion of consumer advocates: if you suspect dropshipping behind a good offer, you should think twice about buying it. Further tips for recognizing dropshipping and answers to frequently asked questions from consumers can be found on the website of the EVZ Germany evz.de.
