More E-Shopper Rights For EU

Under new proposals, consumers across the 27 countries of the EU would receive greater rights when shopping online.

The European Union is supposed to be a single entity, but in reality it consists of 27 different states, all of whom charge different prices for things. For consumers who shop online, it’s perfectly possible to find a cheaper price on an item in another European country, often significantly cheaper.

Under new proposals, the BBC reports, EU online shoppers would have greater rights that should boost cross-border shopping. The European Commission is asking for a two-week cooling-off period, under which consumers could back out of a purchase without penalty (in many countries it’s just seven days), refunds for late deliveries and stronger guarantees.

EU Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva has proposed the changes to make it more attractive for people to shop across borders, something only currently done by 30 million out of an EU population of 450 million.

The Commission hopes to have the changes through the European Parliament next year.