Concept: features and risks
Cash on delivery is a remote method of purchasing goods (via the Internet), in which the buyer pays for it only after receiving it at the post office/delivery by courier. In this situation, the main risks fall on the shoulders of the seller, since by sending the goods he is actually left without paying for it. The disadvantages of selling goods in this way for the seller include:
- The need to visit the post office twice: first the seller needs to send the goods, and later, when the buyer receives and pays for it, receive money for it at the post office;
- Delay in receipt of profit. By sending goods by cash on delivery, the seller is deprived of the opportunity to earn money simultaneously with the sale of goods, which is why the turnover of funds slows down;
- The risk of refusing to purchase a product. After examining the product, the buyer may change his mind about buying it. In this case, the seller will be forced to pay for double delivery and storage of the goods at the post office;
If the buyer himself wants to return the money for the goods received and paid for by cash on delivery, this will result in double expenses for him:
- He will have to pay for the goods to be sent to him and back to the seller;
- The buyer will also have to pay for the refund from the seller;
It will be extremely difficult to return the parcel, and especially the money for it, since during its delivery the seller’s financial situation may seriously change.
Possible reasons for sending the parcel back to the sender
The procedure for returning various items is regulated by numerous acts of federal legislation and internal documentation of the transport company itself.
Among the most common reasons why a decision is made to return a postal item directly to the sender are:
- a written application was drawn up with a requirement to carry out the return procedure;
- the recipient decided to refuse to receive the parcel, parcel or other cargo;
- There is no specific recipient at the address specified when sending – the data was entered incorrectly;
- if it is impossible to read the departure address.
To refuse to receive the cargo, individuals or legal entities need only put the appropriate mark in the notification received.
If you are unable to do this yourself, the responsibility for making marks falls on the shoulders of the postal representative.
In any case, the recipient assumes the responsibility to pay for the delivery service, and only after that can they demand a refund of the costs incurred.
Normative base
According to Russian legislation, purchases in online stores are regulated by the following regulations:
- Federal Law “On Protection of Consumer Rights”.
- Rules for the provision of postal services.
- Civil Code.
In accordance with Article 26-1 of the Federal Law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights”, the buyer has the right to refuse the parcel upon receipt or after 7 days. In some cases, the client retains the right to return purchased goods for up to 3 months (if the return conditions have not been agreed upon in advance).
The essence of cash on delivery
The essence of the service is that the client places an order without making an advance payment. Payment is made only after receiving the parcel at the post office, and the cost of delivery and the fee for sending funds to the seller are added to the amount of the order itself.
The cash on delivery purchase algorithm consists of several simple steps:
- the client selects a product on the seller’s website and places an order;
- the store manager contacts the potential buyer to confirm the order and clarify details;
- company employees form an order, pack it, and send it by mail to the address specified by the customer;
- After receiving the parcel, representatives of the post office send a notification to the client;
- the buyer comes to the post office, pays and picks up the parcel by cash on delivery.
The buyer may change his mind and refuse the cash on delivery package until the order is shipped. In such a situation, it is better to notify us in advance by choosing any convenient method of communication.
If the parcel itself returned back
Sometimes people are faced with the problem of what to do to return a package if it has been sent back. Here you should remember that if the parcel was sent back, then this process is already irreversible. The sender will need to resend it to the recipient, if necessary.
If the cargo is still at the sorting center in the sender’s city, then in order to recall the parcel, it will be enough to simply write a corresponding application, a sample of which can be found at any branch of the Russian Post.
Returning a parcel after opening
The recipient can open the box and check the quality of the arrived goods only after paying for the parcel. However, if upon receipt, based on any external signs, a citizen determines a possible defect or discrepancy, then together with the post office employees a report is drawn up and the parcel is opened.
In this case, payment for the order is not charged to the recipient until the inspection is carried out. If, after checking, it turns out that everything is in order with the goods, then the cash on delivery amount will be charged, and the act itself will be cancelled.
A conscientious seller can include an inventory of the contents in the parcel and use the Russian Post service to list the contents. In this case, the parcel is also opened together with the postal worker, and payment is made after checking the contents of the parcel.
If, after inspection, it turns out that the product has a defect, a shortage or an unauthorized replacement, then the postal employee draws up a report, which is signed by the manager and the postal employee who opened the parcel, as well as by the addressee. Then the goods are returned to the receiving post office for delivery to the sender.
To make sure that the seller did not commit a fraudulent act by sending a completely different product, many buyers open the parcel immediately after paying at the post office. However, this will not help restore justice immediately, and the post office employees will not be able to accept a claim for cash on delivery. In this case, only contacting law enforcement agencies will help to identify the fact of fraud.
If the contents of the parcel do not correspond to the order
Despite the apparent attractiveness of shopping in online stores, the difficulty of choice for customers lies in the lack of opportunity to examine the product and evaluate its quality. The basis for making a decision to purchase is only the photographs and description of the object presented on the seller’s website.
Therefore, consumer rights are protected by a law with the appropriate title. According to the Federal Law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights” (Article 26-1), the consumer has the right to refuse the product within seven days after receipt. If the contract between the seller and the buyer did not initially establish possible return periods, then the maximum period for the client to make a decision to refuse is 3 months.
Good quality product
Goods that are returned not due to poor quality or defects must retain their presentable appearance and original properties at the time of sending to the seller. At the same time, the buyer of a cash on delivery parcel must retain documents confirming the fact of sale - checks, receipts. If the client does not have such documents, he has the right to prove in other ways the fact of purchasing the property from a specific seller.
This is also important to know:
Consumer Protection Law: how to return goods
The procedure for returning a parcel by cash on delivery to the online store consists of three stages:
- notification to the seller of the intention to return the goods;
- drawing up a return application;
- forwarding the goods to the seller.
The fee for sending money back to the buyer is paid by the seller.
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Defective product
If the purchased item does not meet the consumer’s quality expectations, he can expect one of the following compensation options from the seller:
- elimination of defects at the expense of the company;
- reimbursement of the buyer's expenses when eliminating defects independently;
- proportional reduction in the original cost;
- replacing the product with a similar one, but of proper quality;
- replacement with a similar product with recalculation of its cost (additional payment by the client or refund of the remaining amount).
The main thing is to act in accordance with the law and comply with established deadlines. In this situation, the post office acts only as an intermediary between the parties to the transaction. The duties of the employees include accepting payment and issuing the parcel cash on delivery to the client on behalf of the sender.
Nuances
This type of sales increases the trust of potential consumers in the chosen online store, since in this case they do not face the main risk of remote sales, when the company disappears after receiving the money. Another significant advantage for the client is saving time on payment for goods, since it will coincide with the time of receipt.
The only drawback of sending cash on delivery is the increase in the final cost of the goods. But in this way the buyer pays for his peace of mind.
On the other hand, the cash on delivery service is associated with certain risks for the seller, for example:
- when sending goods by cash on delivery, the seller has to wait until the client receives the parcel and pays for it;
- the lack of instant payment leads to a slowdown in cash flow;
- If the client refuses to pick up the parcel by cash on delivery, then the costs for sending the goods to the buyer and back will be borne by the seller.
Representatives of companies engaged in remote trading are aware of the risks and possible damage from the actions of unscrupulous clients. Therefore, to reduce the likelihood of refusal, employees themselves call customers to further discuss the details of the transaction or inform the post office about the arrival of the parcel by cash on delivery. However, this does not always guarantee the integrity of the buyer.
Cash on delivery is a procedure that is to some extent beneficial for both parties to the transaction. The buyer is confident that his money will not disappear in an unknown direction, and the seller gains loyal customers and expands the sales market.
Although this type of interaction does not oblige the buyer to anything, and he can easily refuse the parcel, it is in the interests of both parties to agree peacefully.
Related article: How to get money back for state duty if you paid it incorrectly
How not to lose money
Before ordering a product from an online store, you should carefully study their website. Complete information about them must be provided, not only the street and house where their office is located, but also instructions on how to get there. Fraudsters usually do not provide their full address. As well as TIN and OGRN, which can be checked on the website of the Federal Tax Service.
Several payment methods for goods must be specified. If you are asked to transfer money only to a bank card, this is a red flag. It is also worth reading reviews about the store to get an idea about it.
Additional questions
Is it possible to refuse a parcel at the post office without opening it?
There is an important nuance of the procedure that not everyone knows about. Customers prefer cash on delivery purchases through an online store because they think that they will be able to inspect the goods and only then pay. However, the right to open is granted only after the entire amount of the order is transferred to the cashier at the post office.
You can refuse a parcel by cash on delivery without opening it, based only on external signs, for example, an inflated order amount, incorrectly indicated weight or questionable contents of the parcel.
Before payment, it is only possible to check the integrity of the packaging and the compliance of the actual weight with that indicated by the sender. If the recipient has no comments on the appearance of the parcel, then claims regarding the contents will not be accepted.
It turns out that cash on delivery only guarantees the arrival of the parcel, but not its contents.
Is it possible to return a parcel back to Russian Post?
Of course, it would be more correct to go to the post office and write an official refusal. But in this case, shipping costs will be borne by the client.
If the postal item is still in transit, it can only be recalled after it arrives at the specified address. If the mail item that is to be returned is at the sorting station, then the employees will have time to return it. In situations where the parcel is delivered to the address, then the contents of the parcel will have to be returned to the recipient.
However, in circumstances where the parcel is delivered to the post office at the specified address, you can call back and remind you of the need to make a return. This method sometimes works, but you shouldn’t rely on it. Instructions for returning the phone within 14 days if you don't like it. Read how to return a car to the seller when buying secondhand. And here are the types of liability for violation of consumer rights.
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How to file a complaint to Mosgortrans about a bus
Changing the configuration is a refusal for the seller to accept the goods. Having discussed all the return conditions, the buyer needs to come to the post office and send the purchase to the return address. The postal service only provides delivery services, so the buyer will have to pay for the return. When returning the parcel, the sender must make sure that the tracking function is enabled. Using this function, the movement of the parcel can be easily tracked. If this feature is not available, it must be ordered.
For example, when placing orders, the seller mistakenly sent the wrong product, or made a mistake in the quantity. Misunderstandings may become apparent after the shipment has been sent to the recipient.
How to return goods to an online store received by mail
Making a purchase in an online store is now quite simple. But, as in the situation with regular purchases, sometimes there is a desire or need to return the purchase back to the store for a number of reasons.
If we are talking about offline trading, then most buyers know that in order to make a return, they need to contact the seller and write a statement about the desire to return or exchange the product.
But not every buyer knows how this process occurs during remote purchases. It is this question that we will consider in this article.
How long can you return goods purchased in an online store?
In general, the procedure for returning goods during distance selling is similar to the same procedure during regular shopping, but there is one significant difference between them.
We are talking about the timing of the return of goods. If you purchase a product remotely, the return period will be 7 days. This time period is enshrined in paragraph 4 of Article 26.1 of the Law “On Protection of Consumer Rights”.
In the same law, paragraph 4 of Article 26.1 gives the buyer the right to refuse the product at any time before receiving it. No explanation is required from the consumer.
Important
If the seller forgot to include in the purchase package a reminder about the procedure and timing of possible return of a good quality product, then the period for return is automatically increased from 7 days to 3 months.
This information can be provided not only in the form of a reminder to the buyer. It can be indicated on a check, invoice, on the back of the acceptance certificate or other document.
What else must be written about in this document:
- about the seller's address,
- about its mode of operation,
- about the maximum period for return,
- on the mandatory preservation of the appearance and properties of the goods,
- there must be a document confirming the actual sale of the goods, indicating the amount of purchase and the procedure in which the refund will be made.
If at least one of the above points is missing, the return period is also automatically increased from 7 days to 3 months.
How to get money back for a lost parcel
But please note that in most cases, the return of goods is made at the expense of the buyer; shipping costs are not reimbursed by the seller. When sending a parcel, make sure that the international postal tracking function is available: this way you can track the location of the parcel.
This is especially important if the seller agreed to return the money or send a replacement product only after receiving the parcel. The procedure for returning a package when purchasing goods on sites that act as intermediaries between the seller and the buyer, such as eBay or Etsy, has its own characteristics. In this case, you agree not with the store administration, but with a specific seller, to send the product back with an exchange for a similar one or a refund.
