You should always be sceptical when shopping in unfamiliar online shops. Remember that it is easy to create a web page that looks relatively professional. Read our checklist before shopping online.
1. Is the online shop legitimate?
If you are unable to find the company’s contact information, apart from a contact form, you should be sceptical. The Cancellation Act states that online shops must post their geographical address, email and VAT registration number. Poor language and automatic translations are also signs that the shop is not to be trusted.
You can find out who registered the domain and where the domain owner is located on whois.com
2. Check others’ experience
Search online to find out what other consumers have experienced with the online shop. You can often find useful information in discussion forums or blogs.
3. Don’t pay in advance
Most online stores ask you to pay in advance, often as the only form of payment available. When purchasing from online shops you are not sure you can trust, you should avoid paying up front. For prepayment, we recommend in all cases that you use credit cards, not a debit card where money is deducted directly from your account.
4. Contact your bank
If what you do not receive what you ordered, or you receive counterfeit goods when you thought you were ordering the genuine brand, you might be entitled to a refund from your bank. In addition to complaining to the seller, it is important that you also contact your bank. If the bank declines your complaint, you can contact the Norwegian Financial Services Complaints Board.
5. Check our list of fraudulent online shops
The Consumer Ombudsman have made a list of fraudulent online shops (in the bottom of the page). The list is not complete, so a shop is not necessarily safe if it does not appear on the list. If the URL of the store consists of brand names and Norwegian words, you should be sceptical. Our list of fraudulent online shops is based on tips from consumers. If you know of any others that should be on the list, please contact us at tips@forbrukerombudet.no.