The AEPD, INCIBE, AECOSAN and the National Police present a joint guide on safe shopping on Internet
Post: Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition
Date: 18 diciembre 2017
Section: Consumo
The Spanish Agency for the Protection of Data (AEPD), the National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE), the Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition (AECOSAN) and the National Police have presented the Practical guide to safe shopping on Internet, a publication of special relevance to the Christmas shopping at this time of year.
The initiative is the result of a joint work to offer citizens the most relevant practical advice before, during and after shopping online in a single publication. The guide, available on the respective Web pages of these organisations, also comes with seven information sheets which summarise useful recommendations.
In 2016, the e-commerce sector in Spain invoiced 24,185 million Euros, and in the first quarter of 2017, the turnover was more than 6,700 million Euros. Nevertheless, according to figures from the INE, half of the Internet users who have not shopped online in the past year, say this is due to concerns about their privacy or security at the time of payment.
The Practical Guide to safe shopping on Internet lists user rights in online shopping or contracting processes, offering recommendation from different angles: privacy, security, consumer affairs and the detection of criminal or fraudulent practices. The objective is to be of use not only to citizens, as consumers and users of e-commerce services, but also to businesses who operate in this sphere, helping to promote a climate of digital trust.
The contents of the guide presented today are divided into four blocks: the aspects to consider before purchasing or contracting a product or service online; recommendations if the citizen decides to make a purchase; the consumer's rights and guarantees after making the purchase, and how to make a claim if necessary. These sections are supplemented with a series of basic tips for some of the more relevant areas.
How to protect the device from which the purchase is made; identifying trustworthy stores; detecting possible fraud; recommended methods of payment; how to configure user accounts; what to do if you receive a defective product or the rights of a citizen regarding their personal data are just some of the areas addressed in the guide and in the practical information sheets. In addition, the issues discussed are supplemented with links to content to extend the information offered in each of the sections.
Practical guide to safe shopping on Internet