Who Regulates E-Commerce In Ireland ?

trajan

Registered User
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Folks, I'm unable to find much online abut who regulates ecommerce.

The Central Bank people can't (or won't) tell me either.

Neither will the reception staff at the Dept of Trade.

I'm kinda goosed here.

Any help appreciated.
 
I don't think that there is specific regulation.

If it's commerce between a financial institution and a consumer, the Central Bank regulates it.

But we don't have an Office of Fair Trading as they do in the UK. (Oops, it closed down 10 years ago! )

I think that the CCPC can prosecute false advertising or failure to display prices in pubs or garages who put back the milage on cars.

Have you a particular issue which you have a complaint about?

Brendan
 

Not sure why that link, links to a particular case. The page is about all their Enforcement activity.
 
@Brendan Burgess

A certain buying/selling portal disallows asking questions (size, age, usage, etc) of sellers until a bid is made. I'm after successfully bidding (I think it was a "full amount bid only" item but the price was low) for an item on Friday and had my bid accepted.

Problem is that despite sending messages anxiously seeking to see, collect and use the item, the seller has become a recluse.

I find this portal's way of doing trade very seller-favourable: in a way we're bidding on a pig in a bag.

On competing portals like EBay, Donedeal, etc it's normal for extensive back-and-forth between seller and buyer to happen prior to a purchase being made.

It's all very odd to me.

If this is legit, why aren't alll other portals at it ?
 
I find this portal's way of doing trade very seller-favourable: in a way we're bidding on a pig in a bag.

Then just don't bid.

If this is legit, why aren't alll other portals at it ?

Because most buyers would be put off. Only people selling pigs in pokes would use it.

Or it could be that they believe that this approach will force the seller to anticipate the questions and give comprehensive descriptions up front.

I don't think that this needs to be regulated.

Brendan
 
@Brendan Burgess

Just buy stuff and be happy with total radio silence from the seller ?

ass.jpg
 
Then there's literally nothing to regulate. Just a platform that sounds doomed to fail.


Of course there is something to regulate:

1. The public need some protection from sellers of broken, bogus, as-yet-unpurchased-till-a-buyer-is-found and even non-existent gear.

2. The consumer has a right to know all the details of the item lest they buy the wrong type for their situation.

3. The seller must be obliged to communicate with the buyer shortly after an online sale is made in order to arrange shipping or collection.
 
Of course there is something to regulate:

1. The public need some protection from sellers of broken, bogus, as-yet-unpurchased-till-a-buyer-is-found and even non-existent gear.

2. The consumer has a right to know all the details of the item lest they buy the wrong type for their situation.

3. The seller must be obliged to communicate with the buyer shortly after an online sale is made in order to arrange shipping or collection.
Operation Overkill.
 
Don't buy stuff if you do not know enough about it and you are not allowed to ask questions.

I am not prepared to pay more taxes to set up a bureaucracy to allow you to buy pigs in pokes and then to complain afterwards when you got home that it wasn't a pig.

Brendan
 
@Brendan Burgess

A certain buying/selling portal disallows asking questions (size, age, usage, etc) of sellers until a bid is made. I'm after successfully bidding (I think it was a "full amount bid only" item but the price was low) for an item on Friday and had my bid accepted.

Problem is that despite sending messages anxiously seeking to see, collect and use the item, the seller has become a recluse.

I find this portal's way of doing trade very seller-favourable: in a way we're bidding on a pig in a bag.

On competing portals like EBay, Donedeal, etc it's normal for extensive back-and-forth between seller and buyer to happen prior to a purchase being made.

It's all very odd to me.

If this is legit, why aren't alll other portals at it ?
Even if there was a regulator for this sort of thing the chances of them actually doing anything in a specific case like this would probably be slim - certainly based on my experience with several statutory and non-statutory regulatory agencies to date.

Better to take the advice given by others already and just don't use an online platform like the one that you mentioned.
 
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