Dundalk Citizens Information Centre Black Friday advice

As we now prepare to start our Christmas shopping, many of us will be splashing out on Black Friday which is on 26 November, or Cyber Monday on 29 November.  Dundalk Citizens Information Centre (CIC) says it is here to assist consumers if they have any issues with purchases. It provides free, impartial and confidential information, advice and advocacy services to the public on social services, rights and entitlements.

Funded by the Citizens Information Board, CIC County Louth is a regional service with two Citizens Information Centres located throughout County Louth. The Dundalk Citizens Information Centre is located at 3 – 6 Adelphi Plaza, Long Walk, Dundalk. Tel: 0818075950. The Drogheda Citizens Information Centre is located at 86 West St. Drogheda Tel: 0818075940.

Alternatively, people can call the Citizens Information Phone Service on 0818 07 4000, Monday to Friday, 9am-8pm or visit the website www.citizensinformation.ie.

Dundalk Citizens Information Centre says that When you buy a product or a service you have a number of rights under Irish and European Union (EU) legislation. These laws only apply to transactions between a consumer and a trader.

When you buy products they must be:

• Of merchantable quality – this means of reasonable and acceptable standard, taking into account other factors such as durability and price.
• Fit for the purpose you bought it for – they should work and do what they are reasonably expected to do.
• As described – they should match any description given in an advert or other information provided by the seller at the time of sale.

EU consumer laws provide you with the following key rights:

• You have the right to truthful advertising
• You have the right to have faulty goods repaired or replaced
• You have the right to contracts without unfair clauses
• You have the right to return most goods purchased online within 14 days
• You have the right to access goods and services on the same terms as local customers.

Online shopping rights
When you buy online from an online trader in Ireland, or elsewhere in the EU, you have strong rights under the EU Consumer Rights Directive (CRD).
These rights include:

• The right to clear and accurate information
• The right to change your mind and cancel (some purchases are not included)
• The express right to refund for delays or non-delivery
• Right to redress in case of faulty goods

How does Brexit affect my EU consumer rights?
The UK left the European Union on 31 January 2020. The transition period that was in place ended on 31 December 2020.
As a result of Brexit, there are changes to your consumer rights when buying online from businesses in the UK.
You will still have consumer rights but they will be set down in UK law and not EU law. The legal guarantees you have under EU law may no longer apply.
From 1 January 2021, you should be aware of the following changes:

• Additional import charges and Value Added Tax (VAT) apply when you buy from websites in the UK (depending on the value of the items and where the product is manufactured)
• EU consumer protection legislation may no longer apply, instead your consumer rights will be set down in UK law
• It may be more difficult to resolve a dispute with a UK business

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has detailed information about your consumer rights and Brexit at www.ccpc.ie/consumers/shopping/brexit/.

For Redress
Dispute with an Irish-based trader: Contact the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC).
Dispute with a trader based in another EU country: Contact the European Consumer Centre (ECC) Ireland.

New rules for digital content and sale of goods
From 1 January 2022, the Directive on the Sale of Goods and Associated Guarantees is replaced by: 

The Directive (EU) 2019/770 on contracts for the supply of digital content and services (the Digital Content Directive)
The EU Directive on contracts for the Sale of Goods 2019/771/EU (the Sale of Goods Directive)

Member States had until 1st July 2021 to introduce the Directives into national law. Under the new Directives, you will have the same consumer rights for problems or defects with digital content, digital services, or smart products (that is, products with a digital component) as you do with any other product.

Funded by the Citizens Information Board , the range of areas covered by the Citizens Information Service are extremely wide including social welfare rights and entitlements and other social issues such as employment, health services, housing, education, family matters and consumer rights on which people need access to information.

They are open for a drop in service on Mon – Fri 9.30 – 12.45. Last entry into the queue is 12.30pm.  Along with the Dundalk and Drogheda offices, www.citizensinformation.ie is packed full of helpful information.