Code of Ethics

Consumer Code of Conduct for Electronic Commerce

 

1. Purpose and Scope

The Code sets the general principles and defines the minimum rules of professional ethics and moral behavior, which must be observed by businesses towards the consumer. It applies 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, i.e. by electronic means at a distance without the simultaneous physical presence of the two parties being necessary (B2C transactions).
The Code concerns self-regulation rules for companies active in electronic commerce aimed at consumers and applies without prejudice to the EU and Greek legislation on electronic commerce and consumer protection, which in no way replaces it.

2. Definitions

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

   "Company active in the field of "electronic business"" (hereinafter company) means legal or natural persons based in Greece that provide products and/or services to consumers in Greece and/or abroad, operating legally directly and/or and as intermediaries providing services for direct or indirect remuneration by electronic means at a distance and following the consumer's personal choice.

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

   For the rest of the terms, the definitions found in Law 2251/1994, as applicable, in p.d. 131/2003 and the Code of Consumer Ethics of article 7 of Law 3297/2004, as applicable.

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

3. General principles and obligations of online stores

1. General principles The Code is governed by the principles of consumer protection, transparency, impartiality, technological neutrality, professional ethics, ethical behavior and respect for privacy, the protection of personal data and the protection of vulnerable population groups such as in particular they refer to articles 4 and 5 hereof.

2. Minimal consumer information
   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:
   

   Full company name, registered office, postal address, VAT number, contact numbers/e-mail address.

   Registration number in GEMI.

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

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

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

   Conditions for withdrawing from the contract as well as the termination or cancellation of the contract, as specifically stated in article 6 hereof. The possibility of out-of-court resolution of their disputes and information about the recognized bodies of alternative resolution of consumer disputes, which the suppliers are committed or obliged to use for the resolution of disputes.
    
   In the absence of such a commitment or obligation, the suppliers must specify whether they will make use of the relevant bodies.
   
   The option for electronic alternative dispute resolution as specifically mentioned in article 8 hereof. The terms of service after the sale, any commercial guarantees (content, duration and extent of territorial validity), and the seller's responsibility for actual defects and lack of agreed properties, in accordance with articles 534 et seq. of the Civil Code.
   

   The eventual need for frequent maintenance of the products or the existence of particularly high-cost spare parts in relation to the current price of these products. The purpose of the processing, the recipients or categories of recipients of the data and the existence of the right of access and objection, as specifically mentioned in article 5B/par. 5 hereof.
   

   The codes of conduct or any credibility marks that bind them.
   

   The above information to the consumer must be comprehensible, legal, true, up-to-date, easily accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities, and verifiable and must be made in the Greek language and optionally 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 in a place that the consumer can easily access.

3. In cases of submission of an order request by the consumer, the company is obliged to immediately deliver/send 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 business, it becomes clear to the consumer the time when the contract is considered to have been concluded, as defined in the current legislation. The basic contractual terms should be available to consumers in advance and indeed in such a way that the order of the order cannot be registered, if the user is not aware of them beforehand. 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 inform about the unavailability of the ordered product or ordered service.

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

6. In case the company finds that the consumer did not have correct information or the conclusion of the contract was not made with his express consent, he makes every effort to resolve the issue in a reasonable time.

7. The staff of businesses in the e-commerce sector who come into contact with consumers to provide services or sell products must be fully informed of the above and answer the reasonable questions of consumers clearly and accurately.

3. Advertising - Promotion

1. Advertising and promotion must be in compliance with applicable law.

2. In any case, the following should apply:

Advertising messages and all information provided by businesses must be characterized (as appropriate and as far as possible by the medium used) by clarity regarding the identity of the business, the properties and the final price of the advertised product, or if this is not possible, the way it is calculated, in simple and comprehensible language for the consumer, so that the latter is able to evaluate the information provided and safely make the right decision regarding the purchase of products or services.

Advertisements or other offers must refrain from misleading or aggressive practices before, during and after a commercial transaction related to a particular product or service, which directly or inductively is likely to mislead the consumer about the product or service advertised.

The staff of the company that comes into direct contact with the consumer does not mislead or seek to mislead in any way by acts or omissions the consumers by giving false impressions about the service or product provided.

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

Any advertising and promotional activity directed specifically at minors may not incite them, directly or indirectly, to acts of violence, to the use of alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, toxic substances or to any form of behavior dangerous to their safety and health. Businesses comply with the age restrictions set by current legislation regarding the promotion and sale of specific categories of products.

Any advertising and promotion aimed at people with disabilities should ensure its accessibility to them.

4. Protection of minors and other vulnerable groups of the population

1. The company's staff does not take advantage of the weakness of consumers who belong 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 specifically addressed to such persons in a way that is understandable, understandable and fully accessible to them, so as not to mislead them as to the true size, value, nature, purpose , durability, performance and price of the advertised product or service.
2. Especially for underage consumers, companies take care - as far as possible - for the formation of the appropriate conditions of access to their websites according to the provisions of the applicable laws on a case-by-case basis.

5. Security of transactions and protection of personal data

A. Transaction security

1. Businesses take care of the security of transactions carried out using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
2. Companies, in this context and in accordance with the provisions of the current legislation, make every effort to ensure that they or their partners use appropriate tools and measures according to the category and type of their business activity and the type of data they collect and process (in person or otherwise) and apply any appropriate measures, in order to provide the legally prescribed security of electronic transactions (corresponding to the various stages of their completion) and data (personal or non-personal) that they collect and process, as well as to inform the traders about the basic parameters of the security and confidentiality used with special reference to website terms of use.
3. The companies use the appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure the privacy of the data they collect and process to the extent legally provided for and according to the nature of the products and services they provide.

B. Privacy

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

2. The collection, storage or processing of data that the law characterizes as sensitive, i.e. data concerning racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, membership in an association, union and trade union, health, social welfare as well as those related to criminal prosecutions or convictions unless the terms and conditions set by the law and the Personal Data Protection Authority are met.

3. The collection, processing, storage and use of other personal data is done only when this is permitted by the applicable legal framework and always in accordance with the conditions provided for therein.

4. In particular, regarding the use of "cookies of all kinds", their installation should be carried out after appropriate 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, as long as it is technologically possible, the continuation of the 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 information or consent of the person concerned, and/or in the cases provided for by law, always in accordance with the regulations of the legislation on the protection of personal data.

7. Businesses respect the wish of consumers not to be included in records that have the purpose of making unsolicited commercial communications with human intervention (calling) for the promotion and supply of products or services, as long as they have declared this to the provider available to the public.

8. Businesses provide consumers with the opportunity to choose whether they wish to be sent advertising messages and any type of newsletters and, in case of acceptance, to have the option of freely withdrawing their consent and businesses to have the obligation not to re-promote new advertising messages and any type of information from now on (unless consent is given again or the statutory provisions are met again).

9. The consumer has the right to have direct access to information on the subjects of his personal data, to object to the use of these in future promotional actions, to request and confirm their partial or total deletion from the company's records, to request correction or completion 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 of the personal data protection methods applied.

6. Right of withdrawal for consumers

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

2. Before the consumer is contractually bound, the supplier must inform him, in a clear, clear and understandable way, in his language, of his right to exercise an unjustified and unjustified withdrawal within the legally prescribed period of fourteen (14) days, starting from the point of time determined each time by law, as well as for the terms, conditions, exceptions and the 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 it and sample withdrawal form.

7. Consumer Service

1. The company ensures that it has appropriate mechanisms (via telephone and/or e-mail) and sufficient personnel to deal with consumer service, making reasonable efforts to inform them about their requests within the legal time limits per case.

2. When the communication is made through a call center, the company ensures that the consumer is not kept on hold excessively and in any case the charge for the call does not exceed the charges applicable to land calls.

3. When communication is made through an online contact form or business email address, care is taken to send a response within a reasonable time after receiving the relevant customer request.

8. Electronic Alternative resolution of consumer disputes

1.  Businesses inform consumers of the possibility of alternative resolution of consumer disputes that have arisen from contracts for the electronic sale of products or the provision of services by using the ADR entities registered in the Registry in accordance with joint ministerial decision 70330/2015.
2. Businesses, whether committed to use the ADR or not, provide an easily accessible, through their websites, electronic link to the pan-EU platform for electronic resolution of consumer disputes (ADR platform), in application of the provisions of Regulation (EU) 524/2013) through which consumers submit their complaint, subsequently forwarding it to the relevant AED body."