Purchase-money and cooling-off period
The differences are quite small, mostly
because the regulations for online shops are based on European
guidelines. There can however be differences in interpretation when those
guidelines are transformed in national regulations, but those seem smaller than
expected in the three areas that got a closer look: terms and conditions, right
of withdrawal and disclosure requirements.
Concerning terms and conditions the three
countries had the same regulations, except for the amount a webshop can demand with an order. According to Belgian and Luxembourg regulations
the retailer can demand the complete amount before delivery, whereas in the
Netherlands an option to pay at least half of the amount after delivery has to
be present.
Also about the right of withdrawal there are
almost no differences, except about the legal cooling-off period: in the
Netherlands and Luxembourg you have seven working days to return an item, in
Belgium you get fourteen days. When talking about disclosure requirements
(price including delivery, specifications of the product, right of withdrawal
and the address of the retailer) there are no difference between the three
countries.
To inform consumers as well as retailers about their
rights and obligations, the three countries have each made a practical guide.
They can be found on the websites of the Belgian Ministry of Economy, the Dutch
Consumer Authority and the Luxembourg Ministry of Economy and International
Trade.
