Making purchases online is currently enjoying tremendous popularity because it is so simple to do. You can sit at home on your sofa and purchase anything you need in just a few clicks without the hassle of leaving your home.
The Risks
When purchasing online, however, you cannot touch and see the items, so it is important to be informed, particularly when it comes to buying electrical equipment from online stores and electrical cable suppliers.
Considering its simplicity, it is easy to forget the risks that can be associated with online shopping. These could include anything from bank fraud to faulty goods that could cause a catastrophic accident in your home or place of work. Every year, hundreds of thousands of accidents and numerous deaths are caused by faulty electrics and electrical equipment, many of which could have been avoided.
Stay Safe
With a little knowledge and a few simple checks before each purchase, it is easy to buy quality products and keep yourself and those around you safe.
There are laws and regulations put in place to protect you when purchasing online, and companies are legally required to ensure their staff enforce them. These laws include the Sale of Goods Act 1979, which has now become the Consumer Rights Act and ensures companies only sell items that are fit for their intended purpose. The second law enforced to protect you is the Distance Selling Regulations 2000, which primarily states that the seller must provide information about the goods for sale, contact details, and any guarantees associated with the item.
When making your purchase, it is important to ensure that the goods you will receive are compatible with the country in which you intend to use them. Just because a company runs from a .co.uk website does not mean they are UK-based; always check this first.
There are many electrical cable suppliers websites to choose from, each of which should provide a detailed description of the product you are buying. This should include user instructions and health and safety guidelines for the product.
Check that the product you have purchased has a CE mark, which indicates that the product meets all European Law requirements. To ensure the company is reputable and provides safe products, check the website for customer reviews. However, these can sometimes be written by the company themselves, so be sure to run a quick search for independent sites.
Any company offering quality products will offer a full returns policy in case of mistaken orders or faulty delivery. Always check this before placing your order. According to the Distance Selling Regulations, you are automatically entitled to 14 days to return goods; this is also known as the cooling-off period.
With the surge of online purchases, the last few years have seen an increase of sub-standards goods provided by companies that open up overnight with little or no experience in their industry. By following these easy checks, you can ensure you and others are safe when making online purchases.