Online Shopping

Website Requirements

When concluding an online transaction it is important that you have the following information about the online service provider:

• the name of the service provider;
• the geographic address at which the service provider is established;
• the details of the service provider, including his electronic mail address, which allow for a rapid contact and for communication in a direct and effective manner;
• where the service provider is registered in a trade or similar public register, the trade register in which the service provider is entered and the means of identification in that register, such as his registration number;
• where the activity is subject to an authorisation scheme, the particulars of the relevant supervisory authority

Distance Selling Rights

Before concluding an online transaction, always make sure to know:

• the name and address of the trader;
• the cost including any charges, such as delivery costs and VAT;
• the schedule of delivery of the product;
• information relating to the security of the site;
• the terms and conditions of the vendor; and
• any cancellation rights available.

Also make sure that you receive a confirmation through email after you place an order.

When purchasing online you have a cooling off period of 7 working days from date of delivery. In Malta this cooling off period is extended to 15 days. The cooling off period can be extended to 3 months if the trader fails to provide you with some basic mandatory information such as his contact details and the price of the product.

Thus, if you happen to be dissatisfied with the product you purchased, you can decide to return it back to the trader, and the latter is obliged to reimburse you within 30 days of the return of the goods. However, in such circumstances you may be requested to bear the charges involved, such as the costs for returning the goods.

It is advisable that you inspect the goods as soon as they are received, and to report any faults or shortcomings to the web trader immediately. The web trader is obliged to rectify the problem.

Internet Auctions 

It is important to keep in mind that online auctions are not covered by distance selling provisions, therefore when buying online through an auction, that transaction is not covered by a cooling off period. Before using an Internet auction site for the first time, it is important to read its terms of use. You may wish to go through any information the site may offer, if possible more than once.

Before concluding an internet auction transaction, always:

• Obtain full contact details of the seller, in case you have any queries or problems (an email address and a username are not enough);
• Avoid paying through money transfers, a credit card or the payment mechanisms provided by the auction site tend to be more traceable in case problems should arise;
• Read the feedback about the seller posted by previous buyers;
• Check if there are extra expenses included, such as postage and insurance;
• Check about additional purchase protection that some websites offer;
• Never leave the auction site to conclude the transaction privately with the seller, as you will not be covered by the auction site's purchase protection;

If you are contemplating to use an escrow company, make sure that the company is both specifically recommended and endorsed by the auction site. Escrow companies act as intermediaries for online transactions. You send the money, whilst the seller sends the product to the escrow company. In turn the escrow company sends the product to the consumer and the money to the seller. However, there has been a number of fraudulent escrow companies set up with the purpose of defrauding consumers by simply taking the money or products and then disappear. Thus it is important to verify the site is legitimate before you part with your money.

Paying Online

Prior to placing an order and using your credit card it is advisable that you check that the website is secure. To identify a secure connection, you will notice that the beginning of the seller's website address will change from 'http' to 'https' before a purchase is made using a secure connection. Furthermore, a security icon should appear at the bottom right of the web-page.

Furthermore, do not reveal more information about yourself than necessary. For instance when filling an online form give only the information required and do not provide any additional optional information. Also avoid paying through money transfers as these are difficult to trace in case problems arise.

After you place an order it is important to check your credit card statement in order to ensure that the correct amount has been withdrawn. It is also advisable to never give any user names, passwords or other confidential information such as credit card details via email.

Notify your bank immediately if you notice or suspect any fraudulent behaviour.

Scams

Unfortunately, the web is inundated with scams. Generally speaking, if something is too good to be true, there is a high possibility that is not true. There are various forms of scams, like lotteries or prize draws. The following are some basic signs to look out for and that will help you to identify that what you have in front of you is probably a scam:

• Being contacted about winning a lottery or prize without having entered into a draw or competition;
• You are asked for money in order to release a prize;
• You are asked for account numbers; passwords or other confidential information through email;
• You are urged to reply to the unsolicited communication straight away, or imposed a deadline by which you must claim your prize;
• You are asked not to talk to anyone about the offer.

Gaming

Online gaming is a mainstream leisure activity that is enjoyed by a lot of consumers across the EU. Responsible gaming is the key to benefit from this activity, thus before engaging in any gambling online it is important to read the information about gaming that the site is bound to have, for instance, the site should contain:

• Information regarding the terms and conditions and/or codes of conduct, relating to the gaming operation;
• Warnings on the risks of gaming, as well as information on problem gaming;
• Advice on responsible gambling
• Links to an accepted and simple self-assessment process to determine risk potential;
• List of player protection measures that are available on site and which should be accessible;
• Details to the site's gambling policy
• An easy method for players to submit complaints

When gambling online you should be also given the opportunity to self-exclusion, and procedures to this effect should be clearly included on the website. The site should also provide players with a 'cooling off' exclusion option. If opting for self-exclusion you should not receive any promotional material during the period of self-exclusion and during this period the account should be locked and any funds in the account paid out.

You should also be allowed to set your own deposit limit, and the system should be able to deal with deposit limit requests immediately. The system should allow for a minimum of 24 hour period in case a consumer requests to increase the deposit limit. On the other hand requests to decrease a deposit limit should be dealt with immediately.

When gambling, you should be able to keep track of reality. Therefore, a clearly visible clock should be available on screen at all times, and the denomination of each credit should be clearly displayed on the games screen. Furthermore, the player should be allowed to access his account history dating back for a minimum period of one month, including all deposits, withdrawals and wagers. Whilst a particular game should follow a constant set of rules, the game rules should be made available to the player.

Finally the player is entitled to accurate payments for any winnings resulting from an authorised game within a reasonable time frame.