Shopping online has become more commonplace in cities all over the world. For some people, many of these products and services are purchased online instead of brick-and-mortar stores. If this sounds like you, you may benefit greatly from learning more about the legal aspects of your online purchases. Specifically, in regards to the laws that govern your shopping experience. Having said this, here are 4 legal things to remember when online shopping.
- You Need to Know Your Rights
When you make purchases online, you may buy products from sellers all over the world. Therefore, your buying experience can differ drastically from one online transaction to the next. In some cases, you may receive exactly what you want or expect in a timely manner without any problems. Or, on the other hand, you may sit and wait for several weeks or months without receiving your purchase. When this happens, you need to know your legal rights.
According to the laws that govern online sales, there are some e-commerce activities that constitute fraud, and you need to know how to identify these situations accurately. Also, since retailers have rights, too, there are policies that protect both the buyer and the seller. For instance, an online seller may not give you a refund for a product that you purchased. Even if you are not satisfied with their product, their written online policies may not allow it.
- Tax Requirements Differ Online
When you are shopping online, you may see a final price at checkout. This is because the total price displayed includes the cost of the item and the sales tax combined for that geographical area (i.e. state tax, country tax, etc.). For example, if you are buying a pair of jeans from a store in New York, the clothing will be taxed on New York’s tax sale. Therefore, you need to know each state’s law requirements to ensure you are charged correctly. To find more information on online shopping and legal topics, visit yoursunsethealth.com.
- Requirements for Legal Shipping Restrictions
Similar to the laws that govern each state’s or countries’ taxes, you can also expect to see different shipping laws as well. Based on the company and the area that you make your purchase from, you need to review what items are restricted from shipping. For instance, some companies cannot legally ship the following items:
- Aerosols
- Animals
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Ammunition
- Dry Ice
- Poison
- Explosives
- Other Hazardous Materials
- Laws that Address Age Restrictions
Sometimes you may need extra help shopping for the products and services you need online. If this is the case, you need to know what aspects of the law address age restrictions. For instance, if you have a child or children who know how to navigate proficiently through e-commerce, you may want to ask for their help. Though this may sound like a good idea, their age restriction laws prohibit it.
Actually, if you are working with a child that is under the age of 18, you may experience age restriction problems. For instance, if you are asking a child under 18 to purchase alcohol online, the seller must abide by COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act).
