RSS Feed
|
|||||
|
Gov. Spitzer Signs Law For Internet Consumer Protection
Businesses that sell over the Internet will have to ship products within 30 days or provide a chance for a refund, under a bill signed Monday by Governor Eliot Spitzer (at right). The bill essentially expands New York consumer protections for phone and mail orders to Internet purchases - whether from large nationwide retailers like Amazon.com or through individual sellers over e-Bay. The measure easily passed the Legislature last month and has the backing of state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who held a state Capitol news conference on the bill with legislative leaders just hours before Spitzer aides announced the signing. "We're putting businesses on notice that the Internet is no longer the Wild West of commerce,'' Cuomo told reporters. Under the measure, sellers would not be able to accept orders for merchandise that cannot be reasonably anticipated to be shipped within 30 days. If a product cannot be shipped within 30 days, the seller must provide the buyer with the opportunity to receive a refund or substitute for other merchandise. The bill also requires sellers to prominently feature detailed information about the company and its refund policies. "In today's growing e-commerce economy, it is critical that consumers receive the same protections related to delayed product orders as those who order through traditional means,'' said Spitzer spokeswoman Christine Pritchard. Cuomo said his office's Internet Bureau had more than 1,000 complaints last year about late delivery and other problems with online orders. But he said, "We didn't have the law to back us up'' when it came to following through with sellers. The attorney general would be able to seek a court injunction against the seller, under the measure, and the court would be able to order restitution. The measure has the support of several groups representing consumers. Russ Haven of the New York Public "important update'' to New York's consumer protection law. | |||||
