Expert Ireland forced to change website to inform consumers of rights

A business describing itself as Ireland’s largest electrical retailer has been ordered by the consumer watchdog to provide proper information to online customers about their rights.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission on Tuesday published details of enforcement action taken against Expert Ireland Retail plc.

“ Following an investigation the commission found that Expert Ireland did not provide online customers with the correct information about their right to return goods,” it said.

It also did not inform consumers that it was legally obliged under the EU’s Consumer Rights Directive to supply goods which matched the description on its website.

“To ensure that customers of Expert Ireland can avail of their consumer rights the commission issued two compliance notices directing the company to correct the information it provides and to change their cancellation process,” the commission said in a statement.

The company updated its website following the commission’s action so that consumers are now advised of their legal rights regarding the return of faulty goods and their cancellation rights when buying online.

It had also changed its cancellation process, the commission said.

The 2013 directive relates to distance contracts and provides consumers with a cancellation period in which they have the right to cancel an order, without providing any reason.

For products bought online the cancellation period expires 14 days after the goods are received. Consumers then have a further 14 days from that point to return the goods.

Compliance notices have previously been issued to Eircom (now Eir) Emobile, Meteor, Three, UPC, Vodafone and Arnotts.