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To sell Online: Returns and replacements for seller and buyers - Part 2

Written by Cristina Cairone | Feb 26, 2017 11:00:00 PM

We had some unfinished issues from the last post - where we talked about some scenarios in which one can find him/herself when buying online.

That’s right, one issue is if the item does not work or it’s wrong etc. But how about if I changed my mind? What can I do?

14 business days is the minimum time for the return of the item and have back the whole amount (together with the first shipping cost).

This period starts with the delivery of the item. You will need to tell to the seller your decision and follow the procedures for the withdrawal, a default form given by the seller.

It is your duty to organize the shipping to give back the item to the seller. In some cases the shipping is at the expenses of the buyer, especially if the motivation is personal (you don’t need this item anymore or you don’t like it). The refund, in general, must be made with the same method of payment used by the buyer; it is also comprehensible that the seller will give back the amount when s/he receives the (intact!) item.  


This period of 14 days cannot be valid in case of:

  • Plane or train ticket
  • Food, drinks and other perishable goods
  • Custom-tailored goods
  • Sealed goods, like medicines or dvds
  • Online digital contents, if you already started the download or the streaming
  • Goods bought from a private seller instead of a company

Some expedient that you can use, even that it seems to you that they are ordinary:

  • Always check the nature of the buyer
  • Read with attention the description of the item you are buying, in order to avoid to buy goods you don’t need
  • If you have to pay with bank account, check that the IBAN correspond to a real bank account, you can use one of the online tools.  
  • Be sure that  you are buying from a company and not from a private seller, in the latter case you will be out of the legal protection of the consumers.