ParcelHero has released a new report that reveals that Brexit may impact on UK consumer rights, particularly on the right to return an item within 14 days, even if it is not faulty.
‘Retailers Reach the Point of No Returns’, ParcelHero’s research on the impact of return on UK retailers, shows that 8% of online shoppers have been returning items up to several times a month, while over 10% purchase different sizes of clothes and shoes and return the ones that don’t fit. This right was introduced in 2014 with the UK’s Consumer Contracts Regulations because the Government got forced to implement the European Consumer Rights Directive into UK law.
“Before the EU law was introduced, online shoppers had just 7 days to return items. Many consumers say that is insufficient time to make up your mind on an item. Axing the EU-based Consumer Contracts Regulations could mean a return to just a week’s grace before sending back unwanted goods. And that may well not leave busy consumers enough time to discover a product doesn’t fit or live up to their expectations,” explains David Jinks MILT, Head of Consumer Research at ParcelHero.
If the EU law gets revoked, then UK consumers can potentially lose a few more advantages, such as not having any extra charge for using credit cards or the disappearance of the sneaky pre-ticked boxes at checkout, like the insurance for example. Returning to the former UK Distance Selling Regulations means the loss of all these new right.
However, some small businesses argue that consumers can get even more rights: “some e-tailers claim that in many cases British law goes one step beyond basic EU requirements. Far from seeing a reversion to 7 days, we may even see an extension of the 14-day period to 21 days, in order to enhance consumer rights still further. And that, some traders argue, would be the final straw for smaller e-commerce sites operating on wafer thin margins, which lose money on every return,” adds David.
All in all, despite all the reports and research, there is no certainty that things will happen that way. The only way to find out exactly how it is going to be is to wait until all new regulations are put in practice.
