Your rights for shopping online in France
As the winter sales in France get into full swing, you may decide to hunt for a bargain online – here’s how to make sure you get a good deal and your rights if your purchase turns out to be not what you wanted.
The sales in France are a great time to hunt for a bargain, and a few simple precautions will make shopping from home simple and secure.
In France, whenever you place an order online, you are making a distance purchase governed by the Consumer Code, which imposes obligations on the online seller and gives rights to the consumer.
READ ALSO What you need to know about France's 2024 winter sales
Just as with shopping in-store, sales do not affect your basic consumer rights to exchange or refund your purchases.
Check the seller is real
Look for a postal address, telephone number and electronic contact details of a real bricks-and-mortar company behind the website. In France, online retailers must make this information available and easy to find.
You’ll may find them under the mandatory “Mentions Legales” link.
Consult the general conditions of sale on the website
Generally appearing at the bottom of the home page, the general conditions of sale (conditions générales de vente – CGV) explain the conditions of sale, price scale, price reductions or payment conditions et cetera.
READ ALSO Your consumer rights for French sales
Wherever possible, use a French or European site
Under EU law, online shoppers in France have the following protections:
- The right to truthful advertising;
- The right to have faulty goods repaired or replaced;
- The right to contracts without unfair clauses;
- The right to return most goods purchased online within 14 days;
- The right to goods and services on the same terms as local customers;
- The right to free assistance from European Consumer Centres for problems with a trader based within the EU/EEA;
- The right to extensive information in advance of purchase;
- The right to a 14-day cooling-off period. This applies to online purchases except for personalised items, hotel accommodation or car rental;
- The right to a refund within 14 days of cancellation;
- The right to have products delivered within 30 days (unless another time frame is agreed);
- The right to your express opt-in consent (for example, by ticking a box) before a trader can apply extra costs;
- The right to the same price no matter the payment type used, for example credit cards.
If you purchase an item from a non-EU business, your online consumer rights may be less strict – and are determined by the law of the country in which the business is based, rather than the buyer.
While consumer protection laws are often broadly similar, it's not impossible that you could come up against crucial differences.
Purchases from non-EU sites may also result in extra postal and customs charges.
Don’t judge a product by its photo
Ordering online comes with well-known issues, particularly if you’re buying clothes, furniture or white goods.
Check product descriptions carefully to find out, for example, how big an item is, and what accessories are included when you buy something. Doing this now saves disappointment when the product arrives.
READ ALSO Why post offices in France are opening changing rooms for shoppers
Compare prices and services
An offer that seems too good to be true often is.
Promotion. Price crash. Discount... online sellers use tempting words. Take the time to compare the cost of the product, its availability, delivery time and the additional services such as guarantees.
Prices on French and European websites must appear in euros and all taxes must be included (TTC). Any claim that a price has been reduced must refer to the lowest price offered in the previous month in order to be a genuine “discount”.
Confirm the order
For the order to be concluded, you must have been able, before confirming, to check product details, total price – including taxes – and correct any errors.
Once the order has been placed, you must receive confirmation of the contract listing in particular the goods or services purchased, the price, the delivery time, and a standard withdrawal form.
Payment
Before paying using a card, ensure that the payment page is secure. Look at the address bar – it should begin with the letters “https:”
The ‘s’ stands for “secure”. You may also see a padlock in the address bar. This is another indication.
The seller must also indicate
The seller must confirm this to you in a dialog window before any transaction begins.
On some sites, the "http://..." address changes to "https://...", with an "s" for "Secure". Sometimes a closed padlock appears in the browser window.
A dialogue box should also confirm that the payment section is protected.
You can add additional protections by using virtual payment or prepaid cards. You can set up a virtual card via a bank app – they are exactly like a physical bank card — but exist only on your phone and are encryption secured.
READ ALSO Shopping in France: The consumer rights you should know about
Watch your bank account
Make sure the amount debited from your account matches the amount you expected to pay. If you notice any differences, contact your bank immediately.
Track your order
After making a purchase on the internet, you should expect that your order arrives within good time. The seller must deliver the goods or provide you with the service on the agreed date or within the agreed time frame. In the absence of a delivery date or deadline, the contract must be executed immediately.
Many sales sites offer the option of following your order’s journey to you. If your order does not arrive, you can cancel it – in which case the seller has 14 days to reimburse you following cancellation. Any delay may result in additional repayment under conditions set by the Consumer Code.
Not as advertised
If the product doesn’t match what you ordered, is broken or damaged, you can refuse to accept it on delivery, or return it to the seller and demand a new delivery, or a refund.
The seller cannot blame any delivery agency for damage – they are solely responsible for the safe delivery of the order.
You can change your mind
In most cases, you have 14 days from delivery to inform the seller that you do not want the item, and another 14 days to return it, usually at your own expense.
Please note: the seller must provide you with a standard withdrawal form to allow you to exercise your right of withdrawal. It can also make a withdrawal form accessible to complete and submit online on its website.
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The sales in France are a great time to hunt for a bargain, and a few simple precautions will make shopping from home simple and secure.
In France, whenever you place an order online, you are making a distance purchase governed by the Consumer Code, which imposes obligations on the online seller and gives rights to the consumer.
READ ALSO What you need to know about France's 2024 winter sales
Just as with shopping in-store, sales do not affect your basic consumer rights to exchange or refund your purchases.
Check the seller is real
Look for a postal address, telephone number and electronic contact details of a real bricks-and-mortar company behind the website. In France, online retailers must make this information available and easy to find.
You’ll may find them under the mandatory “Mentions Legales” link.
Consult the general conditions of sale on the website
Generally appearing at the bottom of the home page, the general conditions of sale (conditions générales de vente – CGV) explain the conditions of sale, price scale, price reductions or payment conditions et cetera.
READ ALSO Your consumer rights for French sales
Wherever possible, use a French or European site
Under EU law, online shoppers in France have the following protections:
- The right to truthful advertising;
- The right to have faulty goods repaired or replaced;
- The right to contracts without unfair clauses;
- The right to return most goods purchased online within 14 days;
- The right to goods and services on the same terms as local customers;
- The right to free assistance from European Consumer Centres for problems with a trader based within the EU/EEA;
- The right to extensive information in advance of purchase;
- The right to a 14-day cooling-off period. This applies to online purchases except for personalised items, hotel accommodation or car rental;
- The right to a refund within 14 days of cancellation;
- The right to have products delivered within 30 days (unless another time frame is agreed);
- The right to your express opt-in consent (for example, by ticking a box) before a trader can apply extra costs;
- The right to the same price no matter the payment type used, for example credit cards.
If you purchase an item from a non-EU business, your online consumer rights may be less strict – and are determined by the law of the country in which the business is based, rather than the buyer.
While consumer protection laws are often broadly similar, it's not impossible that you could come up against crucial differences.
Purchases from non-EU sites may also result in extra postal and customs charges.
Don’t judge a product by its photo
Ordering online comes with well-known issues, particularly if you’re buying clothes, furniture or white goods.
Check product descriptions carefully to find out, for example, how big an item is, and what accessories are included when you buy something. Doing this now saves disappointment when the product arrives.
READ ALSO Why post offices in France are opening changing rooms for shoppers
Compare prices and services
An offer that seems too good to be true often is.
Promotion. Price crash. Discount... online sellers use tempting words. Take the time to compare the cost of the product, its availability, delivery time and the additional services such as guarantees.
Prices on French and European websites must appear in euros and all taxes must be included (TTC). Any claim that a price has been reduced must refer to the lowest price offered in the previous month in order to be a genuine “discount”.
Confirm the order
For the order to be concluded, you must have been able, before confirming, to check product details, total price – including taxes – and correct any errors.
Once the order has been placed, you must receive confirmation of the contract listing in particular the goods or services purchased, the price, the delivery time, and a standard withdrawal form.
Payment
Before paying using a card, ensure that the payment page is secure. Look at the address bar – it should begin with the letters “https:”
The ‘s’ stands for “secure”. You may also see a padlock in the address bar. This is another indication.
The seller must also indicate
The seller must confirm this to you in a dialog window before any transaction begins.
On some sites, the "http://..." address changes to "https://...", with an "s" for "Secure". Sometimes a closed padlock appears in the browser window.
A dialogue box should also confirm that the payment section is protected.
You can add additional protections by using virtual payment or prepaid cards. You can set up a virtual card via a bank app – they are exactly like a physical bank card — but exist only on your phone and are encryption secured.
READ ALSO Shopping in France: The consumer rights you should know about
Watch your bank account
Make sure the amount debited from your account matches the amount you expected to pay. If you notice any differences, contact your bank immediately.
Track your order
After making a purchase on the internet, you should expect that your order arrives within good time. The seller must deliver the goods or provide you with the service on the agreed date or within the agreed time frame. In the absence of a delivery date or deadline, the contract must be executed immediately.
Many sales sites offer the option of following your order’s journey to you. If your order does not arrive, you can cancel it – in which case the seller has 14 days to reimburse you following cancellation. Any delay may result in additional repayment under conditions set by the Consumer Code.
Not as advertised
If the product doesn’t match what you ordered, is broken or damaged, you can refuse to accept it on delivery, or return it to the seller and demand a new delivery, or a refund.
The seller cannot blame any delivery agency for damage – they are solely responsible for the safe delivery of the order.
You can change your mind
In most cases, you have 14 days from delivery to inform the seller that you do not want the item, and another 14 days to return it, usually at your own expense.
Please note: the seller must provide you with a standard withdrawal form to allow you to exercise your right of withdrawal. It can also make a withdrawal form accessible to complete and submit online on its website.
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