When buying goods online, consumers should be given seven days after they receive the goods to make a final decision on whether or not they want to keep the product.
(For some financial products, the cooling-off period is up to 14 days). If consumers decide to return the goods, they are entitled to a refund but are liable for the cost of returning the goods.
The website should include the name and address of the trader. "Inertia" selling, a scam where people are sent goods they did not order and are then sent demands for payment, is banned by EU law.
In Italy, consumers can be fined €3,000 to €10,000 for buying fake goods as a result of a government crackdown on counterfeit products.
Holidaymakers should buy only from recognised retailers, be wary of goods sold in open-air markets and at public events and examine all goods carefully.
In Spain and the Canary Islands, disreputable firms have been known to sell electrical goods under "lookalike" brand names, which means they are not deemed counterfeit and can be sold legitimately, but also means consumers do not always get what they think they are getting.
Consumers who book an airline ticket for a flight they do not take can request a refund of the tax on the flight, as the taxes are charged per passenger who flies.
However, even where a request is made, there is no specific law requiring an airline to refund the charges and there is no legislation preventing them from charging an administration charge for processing the refund. This charge has been known to equal exactly the amount of the tax refund.
Some airlines also routinely ignore EU passenger rights to compensation and assistance in the event of long delays or cancellations.
Bogus holiday clubs have been a bugbear for Irish consumers in recent years. Holidaymakers are approached by people offering free scratch cards which reveal they have won a prize, but to claim it they must attend a long presentation for the holiday club, where they are put under pressure to sign up and give their credit card details and may be prevented from leaving until they do so.
Some contracts have been declared null by the Spanish courts due to vague, obscure language or the intimidation used during the signing.
