Cookie Settings
Click away

Article 1

Purpose and Field of Application

 1. The Code sets out the general principles and the minimum rules of professional ethics and ethical conduct that must be observed towards the consumer by businesses.

2. It is applied to transactions in the context of contracts for the sale of goods or the provision of services concluded between consumers and suppliers for a fee entirely online, meaning by electronic means without the need for the simultaneous physical presence of both parties (B2C transactions).

3. The Code concerns rules of self-regulation of companies operating in e-commerce addressed to consumers and is valid without prejudice to EU and Greek consumer e-commerce and consumer protection legislation, which in no way replaces them.

 

Article 2

Definitions 

1. For the application of the Code, the following terms have the meaning given to them below:

a) By "Business, operating in the field of "e-business"" (hereinafter referred to as a business) means legal or natural persons based in Greece who provide products and/ or services to consumers in Greece and/ or abroad, operating legally directly and/ or as intermediaries for direct or indirect remuneration by electronic means remotely and at the personal discretion of the consumer.

b) By "Remote electronic means" means services and products provided by companies and accepted by consumers through electronic processing equipment which is provided, transmitted and received entirely via the Internet and/ or mobile networks/ applications text).

c) For the remaining terms, the definitions that exist in law 2251/1994, as in force, in p.d. 131/2003 and the Code of Consumer Ethics of article 7 of law 3297/2004, as in force.

2. In case of doubt, the definitions of the current legislation shall prevail.

 

Article 3

General principles and obligations of online stores 

A. General principles 

The Code is governed by the principles of consumer protection, transparency, impartiality, technological neutrality, professional ethics, ethical conduct and respect for privacy, protection of personal data and protection of vulnerable groups as specifically mentioned in Articles 4 and 5 hereof.

B. Minimum information to the consumer

1. The company ensures the pre-contractual information of the consumer so that it is possible to fully, accurately and clearly inform him about the following:

i. Full company name, registered office, postal address, VAT number, contact telephone numbers/ email address.

ii. Registration number in General Electronic Commercial Registry.

iii. Main features of the products it sells and quality of services provided (eg total price including VAT or other taxes, shipping costs, or any costs of returning the product any additional charges, terms and payment methods, warranties, size -dimensions of the product), as well as for the means of payment.

iv. Availability of services and products and the deadline within which the supplier undertakes to deliver the goods or provide the services.

v. Features of charges, possible discount packages or special offers.

vi. Terms of withdrawal from the contract as well as the termination or cancellation of the contract, as specifically mentioned in Article 6 hereof.

vii. The possibility of out-of-court settlement of their disputes and information on recognized bodies of alternative consumer dispute resolution, which suppliers are bound or obliged to use to resolve disputes. In the absence of such commitment or obligation, suppliers must also specify whether they will use the relevant bodies.

viii. The possibility for electronic alternative dispute resolution as specifically mentioned in Article 8 hereof.

ix. The terms of service after the sale, any commercial guarantees (content, duration and extent of territorial validity), and the seller's liability for actual defects and lack of agreed properties, in accordance with Articles 534.

x. The possible need for frequent maintenance of products or the existence of spare parts at a particularly high cost in relation to the current price of these products.

xi. The purpose of the processing, the recipients or the categories of recipients of the data and the existence of the right of access and objection, as specifically mentioned in article 5B / par. 5 of this.

xii. The codes of ethics or any reliability signals that bind them.

xiii. The above information to the consumer must be understandable, legal, true, up-to-date, easily accessible to all, including people with disabilities, and verifiable and must be made in Greek and optional in another language.

 

2. The terms of the contract for the provision of services or the sale of products must be posted on the company's website at a point where the consumer can easily access them. 

3. In cases of submission of an order request by the consumer, the company is obliged to deliver/ send immediately proof of receipt of the order request which clearly states the date of receipt and confirmation of the order.

4. Under the responsibility of the company, it becomes clear to the consumer the time at which the contract is deemed to have been concluded, in accordance with the applicable law. The basic contractual terms should be available to consumers in advance and in such a way that the order cannot be registered if the user has not previously been aware of them. After the conclusion of the contract, the company must refrain from any action that implies a modification of its terms, in particular to modify the price or to inform about the unavailability of the ordered product or ordered service.

5. The consumer has sufficient information about the progress of his order.

6. The company, in the event that it finds that the consumer did not have the correct information or the conclusion of the contract was not made with its explicit consent, makes every effort to resolve the issue within a reasonable time.

7. The personnel of the companies of the e-commerce sector which comes in contact with the consumers for the provision of services or the sale of products must be fully informed about the above mentioned and answer the reasonable questions of the consumers with clarity and accuracy.

 

C. Advertising - Promotion 

1. Advertising and promotion must comply with applicable law.

2. In each case, the following shall apply:

i. Advertising messages and all information provided by companies must be marked (as appropriate and as far as possible by the means used) clearly with respect to the identity of the company, the properties and the final price of the advertised product, or if It is not possible to calculate this in a language that is simple and understandable to the consumer, so that the latter is able to evaluate the information provided and safely make the right decision in his judgment regarding the purchase of products or services.

ii. Advertisements or other offers to refrain from misleading or offensive practices before, during and after a commercial transaction related to a particular product or service, and which are directly or inductively likely to mislead the consumer about the product or service being displayed.

iii. The staff of the company that comes in direct contact with the consumer does not mislead or seek to mislead the consumers in any way with actions or omissions, giving wrong impressions about the provided service or product.

iv. The company does not provide incomplete or inaccurate information about the possibility of providing the service or selling the product to the consumer.

v. Any advertising and promotional activity aimed specifically at minors may not be instigated, directly or indirectly, into acts of violence, the use of alcohol, tobacco products, toxic substances or in any form dangerous to their safety and health. behavior.

vi. Businesses adhere to the age restrictions set by the current legislation regarding the promotion and sale of specific categories of products.

vii. Any advertising and promotional activity aimed at people with disabilities should ensure that they are accessible to them.

 

Article 4

Protection of minors and other vulnerable groups of the population 

1. The staff of the company does not take advantage of the weakness of consumers belonging to vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, minors, people who do not understand the Greek language well, or people with disabilities. Businesses make careful, accurate and objective descriptions of products and services that are specifically addressed to such individuals in a way that is comprehensible, understandable and fully accessible to them, so as not to mislead them as to their true size, value, nature, purpose, durability, performance and price of each advertised product or service.

2. Particularly for minor consumers, companies take care - as far as possible - to create the appropriate terms of access to their websites in accordance with the applicable laws in each case.

 

Article 5

Security of transactions and protection of personal data 

A. Security of transactions 

1. Businesses take care of the security of transactions made using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

2. Companies, in this context and in accordance with the legislation in force, make every effort to use appropriate tools and measures themselves or their associates depending on the category and type of business activity and the type of data collecting and processing (personally or not) and implementing any appropriate measures to provide the legally prescribed security of electronic transactions (analogous to the various stages of their completion) and data (personal or not) collected and processed, as well as to inform traders of the basic parameters of security used and confidentiality with special reference to Terms of use of the website.

3. Companies shall use appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure the confidentiality of the data they collect and process to the extent prescribed by law and in accordance with the nature of the products and services they provide. 

B. Personal data protection

1. Businesses must have and implement an understandable, true, legal, easily accessible and up-to-date Privacy Policy and inform consumers as required by relevant legislation and the Data Protection Authority regarding the data privacy policy.

2. It is not allowed to collect, store or process the data that the law characterizes as sensitive, i.e. the data concerning racial or ethnic origin, political views, religious or philosophical beliefs, participation in a union, association and trade union organization, the health, social welfare as well as those related to criminal prosecution or convictions unless the conditions and conditions set by law and the Personal Data Protection Authority are met. 

3. The collection, processing, observance and use of other personal data shall take place only when permitted by the applicable legal framework and always in accordance with the conditions laid down therein.

4. In particular with regard to the use of "all types of cookies", their installation should be carried out after proper information of the consumer and on the basis of his consent, in accordance with the law and the relevant instructions of the Personal Data Protection Authority.

5. In case of non-consent/ acceptance of "cookies", the companies allow, if it is technologically feasible, the continued use of the website by the consumer, without sending the cookies.

6. Businesses ensure that the personal data collected is not disclosed or transmitted to third parties without the prior notice or consent of the person concerned, and/ or in cases provided for by law, always in accordance with the data protection legislation.

7. Businesses respect the desire of consumers not to be included in files intended to carry out unsolicited commercial communications with human intervention (call) to promote and supply products or services, if they have declared it to the provider available to the public. 

8. Businesses provide consumers with the opportunity to choose whether they wish to send advertising messages and all kinds of newsletters and, if accepted, to be able to freely revoke their consent and for companies to be obliged not to republish new advertising messages and any from now on (unless there is re-consent or the provisions of the law are met again).

9. The consumer has the right to have direct access to the information on the issues of his personal data, to oppose its use in future promotions, to request and confirm their partial or total deletion from the company's files, to request the correction or to complete them, to be informed of the time and manner of the initial acquisition of his personal data by the company as well as to be informed about the applied methods of personal data protection.

 

Article 6

Right of withdrawal for consumers 

1. The consumer has an inalienable right to unjustified and indemnified withdrawal in accordance with the provisions of the current legislation.

2. Before the consumer is contractually bound, the supplier shall, in a clear, unambiguous and understandable manner, inform him in his own language of his right to exercise unjustified and unenforceable withdrawal within the legally prescribed period of fourteen days (14) starting from the time specified by law each time, as well as for the terms, conditions, exceptions and procedure for exercising the right of withdrawal, but also for the consequences of the exercise, taking into account the specificity of each product/ service and providing and a withdrawal form.

 

Article 7

Customer service

1. The company ensures that it has appropriate mechanisms (by telephone and/ or e-mail) and adequate staff that deals with customer service, making reasonable efforts to inform them of their requests within the legal time limits on a case-by-case basis.

2. When the communication is made through a call center, the company ensures that the consumer does not have to wait too long and in any case the charge of the call does not exceed the charges that apply to urban calls. When the communication is made through an online contact form or e-mail address of the company, care is taken to send a response within a reasonable time from the receipt of the relevant request of the customer.

 

Article 8

Alternative Electronic Dispute Resolution 

1. Businesses shall inform consumers of the possibility of an alternative settlement of consumer disputes arising from contracts for the electronic sale of products or the provision of services using the registered EDR entities in the Register in accordance with the joint Ministerial Decision 70330/2015.

2. Businesses, whether committed to using the EDR or not, provide, through their websites, an electronic link to the universal electronic consumer dispute resolution platform (EDR platform), in application of the provisions of Regulation (EU) 524 / 2013) through which consumers submit their complaint, then forwarding it to the relevant EDR body.

Cookie Settings