From customisable jewellery to real leather belts and life experience boxes, Valentine's Day gift ideas are flourishing on the Internet. But there is only one step from love to purchase and from purchase to scam. To avoid being hit in the heart by an arrow other than cupid's, the European Consumer Centre Iceland delivers useful advice.
Beware of dropshipping sites to buy a gift for Valentine's Day
If you've spotted the perfect gift on the Internet, thanks in particular to the advice of influencers, beware! It may be sold on a dropshipping site.
Dropshipping is when an online seller presents a product, takes and collects the order and then pays the manufacturer, often based in Asia, to deliver the product directly to the buyer. While this practice is legal in Iceland, it often leads to unpleasant surprises. Delivery times can be very long, the product delivered might be of poor quality or even counterfeit and you may even have to pay customs fees to receive your order.
To avoid falling into the dropshipping trap, it is best to check the seriousness of the seller, read the general conditions and compare prices with other sites before ordering.
Be sure before buying a personalised gift online
Although in principle you always have 14 days to change your mind after a distance purchase, there are exceptions. These exceptions include the purchase of products that you have asked to be personalised or a leisure service on a specific date.
So think twice before ordering a bracelet engraved with your sweetheart’s first name or a phone case with a photo of your date or a concert ticket for your loved one’s favourite band. It will be impossible to return it to the seller and ask for a refund.