During the Black Friday promotional period, ANCOM recommends users to carefully review delivery options and conditions, and to verify the authenticity of all information throughout the online purchasing process.
Beyond evaluating offers based on price, product authenticity, return policies, and the identity of sellers, users should also consider the following aspects:
- Delivery options offered by the online store, including whether the merchant provides additional safety services such as open-on-delivery or the insured items service.
- Delivery method to an automated system – locker, easybox, parcel box, parcel box or parcel shipping boxes); More details about automated delivery systems are available here.
- Payment methods upon delivery, including cash or card (POS).
- Estimated delivery time, which may be longer than usual due to increased order volumes during promotional campaigns, potentially affecting processing and transport capacity of postal service providers.
- delivery conditions for bulky products (furniture, household appliances, etc.). Attention! The delivery of goods weighing more than 31.5 kg is not the provision of a postal service, but a freight transport service.
- Delivery conditions for bulky items (e.g., furniture, large appliances). Note: Deliveries exceeding 31.5 kg are considered freight transport services, not postal services.
- Procedures for handling complaints regarding product integrity.
- Parcel condition at receipt: If the packaging shows signs of damage, users may request the preparation of a report documenting the parcel’s condition or refuse delivery.
Good to know
ANCOM warns users not to respond to messages (SMS or email) that appear to be sent by postal service providers requesting them to click on a link and provide personal information (such as bank card details) allegedly needed for parcel delivery. If a user has fallen victim to such a scam or has interacted with such a message, it is important to notify the postal service provider and contact the police to initiate an investigation.
Additionally, when receiving goods via cash on delivery, ANCOM recommends that recipients verify—before making any payment—that they or a family member have indeed placed an online order for the respective item.
What, how and where to complain
If users encounter issues related to the delivery of products ordered online, the first and most effective step is to contact the online store directly. More details about delivery procedures for online orders are available here.
If the store does not provide an amicable resolution, consumers may escalate the complaint to:
- The National Authority for Consumer Protection, if the trader is based in Romania;
- to the local representative of the European Consumer Centre, if the trader is located in another EU Member State.
For traders based outside the European Union, complaints should be addressed according to the procedures outlined on the trader’s website.
It is essential that users retain all documents proving the purchase, such as invoices, receipts, and delivery forms.
ANCOM cannot require the postal service provider involved in the delivery to resume the delivery of the returned parcel, without shipping costs, or to offer any compensation as a result of the way it managed its shipment. However, ANCOM may analyse and, as the case may be, sanction the conduct of the provider involved in the delivery of the goods from the perspective of the legislation in the field of postal services. Such violations can be reported to the Authority here.