NEWS

The Parliament approved on March 26 new rules to increase consumer rights when making purchases both online and in physical stores.

Both texts reinforce the rights of consumers by allowing them, for example, to guarantee compensation when they purchase a defective product. In addition, they regulate the laws of the Member States and sales throughout the European Union.

Digital content

The rules on contracts for the supply of digital content combat legal gaps in the digital era: in many Member States, there are no explicit rules on the sale of digital services, such as music applications or games, so it can be difficult for consumers to know what to do in case of failures in your purchases.

The proposal provides that digital content, such as subscriptions to music streaming services, and specific purchases, such as downloading a game on mobile, must comply with the provisions of the contract. Protects the consumer both when paying and when providing their personal data, as in the case of social networks.

When the contract establishes the provision of digital content or services in exchange for a payment and the customer finds a problem, the supplier must reimburse it in a maximum of 14 days in whole or in part if the problem is not resolved within a reasonable period of time.

Tangible goods

The other proposal that will be voted on in the next plenary includes the case of tangible products that have digital content or services inserted, such as smart refrigerators.

EU-wide standards cover purchases across the EU of tangible products online and in-store. They guarantee protection of sellers and buyers, and establish the same rules of the game for everyone, which facilitates cross-border sales. By increasing the legal security of businesses and increasing consumer confidence, the directive stimulates cross-border trade for small businesses.

Under these new rules, EU customers have two years to resort to the seller in case of defective products, regardless of whether the product in question is an application or a washing machine.

If a customer buys a refrigerator at a local appliance store, according to the new regulations, he would have one year -from the current six months- to request repairs and replacements without charge, without having to prove that the defect was present at the time of the purchase. The same rules will apply if the refrigerator is purchased online.

Next steps

The Council approved the directive on April 15. Member States have two years to transpose them into their legislation.