Holiday shopping online has taken a lot of stress out the holiday season with one exception. What if your order doesnt show up on time? Here are the delivery rules.
Holiday Shopping Prompt Delivery Rules
The Internet is the fastest growing source of holiday gifts orders. The FTC, however, has received complaints in the past about gifts not being delivered on time. To stop this, the agency has set down rules for Internet retailers.
The FTC has issues directives spelling out the ground rules for making promises about shipments, notifying consumers about unexpected delays, and refunding consumers’ money. Enforced by the FTC, the Mail or Telephone Order Rule applies to orders placed by phone, fax or the Internet.
Delivery Rules
By law, an Internet retailer must have a reasonable basis for stating that a product can be shipped within a certain time. If their advertising doesn’t clearly and prominently state the shipment period, they must have a reasonable basis for believing they can ship within 30 days. Most retailers, however, will promise much shorter times, even a few days if you agree to extra shipping costs.
If a...