The five most common mistakes in online stores
Error 1: Missing or contradictory information on shipping costs
Online stores often lack information on shipping options. Or the costs stated above do not match the actual costs charged for the final shipment. In addition, the information on shipping costs is often incomplete: Not all countries supplied are listed, details on product groups and weights are sometimes missing and any cash on delivery charges are not listed.Tip for online retailers: Even before the customer places a product in the shopping cart, they must be able to determine the amount of the shipping costs - including possible surcharges such as for a forwarding agent. If the shipping costs are staggered according to weight, the shipping weight must be indicated on all pages with direct ordering options. In addition, the shipping costs from the overview and the fees shown during the final order should be the same.
Error 2: Missing or contradictory information on delivery times and payment methods
Omissions in terms of delivery times: Trusted Shops has discovered that information on delivery times is sometimes missing on product pages. In addition, different delivery information is often found on various pages such as the product page, terms and conditions, FAQs, customer information or in the order process.tip for online retailers: To prevent a confusion of contradictory information, online retailers should only make statements about delivery times on the respective product pages - but as precisely as possible. Information on specific delivery times should be avoided, especially in the general terms and conditions. On the one hand, the customer primarily expects information on the delivery period on the product itself. On the other hand, the maintenance effort for the website is minimized if delivery times only need to be updated once.information on payment methods offers potential for improvement: PayPal, credit card or purchase on account? The list of possible payment methods in online stores differs from the selection that is actually available during the ordering process more often than expected. If you advertise payment by credit card on the homepage of your store, you must also provide a credit card module for the payment process.tip for online retailers: All available payment methods must be visible on an information page. The link to the page in question should also be clearly labeled - for example, by including the word "payment methods". Alternatively, the payment options can also be permanently displayed as an infographic or in the shopping cart. Important: The individual pages of the store must not provide contradictory information about how the customer can pay.
Error 3: Missing information on data use in the privacy policy
What happens to the customer data that is collected via an online store? When examining data protection declarations, Trusted Shops found that the information is usually incomplete. Data protection declarations often state that customer data is only used to process the purchase contract. But as soon as a newsletter can be subscribed to, this statement is already incorrect. This is because the email address is then also used for marketing and advertising purposes - and this must be made clear in the privacy policy. There are also aspects such as credit checks, cookies or tracking.Tip for online retailers: It is advisable to first check the purposes for which personal data is actually collected and used in the store. Only then should transparent information be provided in the privacy policy. Online retailers can use the Trusted Shops legal text editor to create their privacy policy - free of charge. The tool is only available at http://shop.trustedshops.com/de/rechtstexte/ available.
Error 4: Incorrect information on the right of withdrawal
Time and again, online stores provide outdated or incorrect information on the right of withdrawal - especially with regard to the regulations on bearing the return costs.tip for online retailers: Instead of drawing up their own regulations, operators of online stores should use the current model withdrawal policy (statutory model instruction from the EGBGB) - including the model withdrawal form.
Error 5: Impermissible exceptions and restrictions to the right of withdrawal
As Trusted Shops has found, the exercise of the right of withdrawal is often inadmissibly restricted by clauses in the general terms and conditions.tip for online retailers: Exceptions that apply to the right of withdrawal are regulated conclusively in Section 312g (2) BGB. They cannot therefore be extended at will. Not even if it seems economically unreasonable to take back the goods. Store operators should clarify with a lawyer whether a product can be excluded from the right of withdrawal in cases of doubt. During the withdrawal period, a customer has the right to inspect the ordered goods. Online retailers who wish to demand compensation for lost value must include appropriate information in the instructions. However, the return of goods that are not in their original packaging or have been used must not be excluded under any circumstances.
