Buying clothes online is undoubtedly less stressful than going round shops for hours on end and waiting for a free changing room to try the chosen items.

However, before beginning our online shopping spree, we should be aware that, as consumers, we have rights and also a number of responsibilities.

Before clicking the buy button, we should make sure that we are given the following information:

• the seller’s name/contact details;

• a clear description of the main characteristics of the clothes we are about to buy;

• the total price, including taxes and additional charges;

• when the delivery will take place; and

• information about our right of withdrawal.

We should also make sure that we are given information about the seller’s policies on returns and refunds.

The online seller is legally obliged to accurately describe the item on sale. With clothing items, the seller must provide precise information about size, colour, and materials used.

As consumers, we should be aware that sizes may vary from one brand to another. Hence, we should always follow the individual product’s guidelines to make sure we are choosing the right size.

The goods we buy must be fit for the purpose we need them for

The clothes we buy must also be fit for the purpose we’re buying them for and hence do the job they are meant to, such as being waterproof, water resistant or breathable.

By law, if the online clothing is bought from a seller operating within a EU member state, we are entitled to a 14-day cooling-off period. To exercise our cancellation rights, we do not have to give any reason and must not incur any costs, except that of returning the unwanted goods back to the seller.

However, we must be clearly informed about these costs before we conclude the sale, otherwise they must be paid by the seller.

Should we decide to use our cancellation rights, we must return the unwanted goods back to the seller within 14 days from the day we inform the trader that we want to cancel the sale. Our cancellation rights do not apply if we buy a personalised item or one that is specifically tailored for our needs.

Once we exercise our cancellation rights, the trader is obliged to reimburse us within 14 days.

Unless the trader has offered to collect the goods himself, he may withhold the reimbursement until he has received the goods back or until the consumer has supplied evidence of having sent them back.

In case of faulty clothing or items that do not fulfill the description by the trader at the time of sale, we are entitled to a free remedy. If this involves returning the faulty item back to the seller, we should not pay any postage costs.

We have the responsibility to check the clothing item as soon as we receive it and before wearing it. If we notice the defect after wearing the item, we should make sure that the fault was not caused by misuse.

In case we have washed the item, we should also make sure that we have properly followed the care label instructions.

odette.vella@mccaa.org.mt

Odette Vella is senior information officer, Office for Consumer Affairs, Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.