Consumers can purchase a digital SLR camera cheaper from a foreign online shop than in Finland. Internet trade has its own limitations and risks, however, and these should be taken into consideration before ordering. The European Consumer Centre Finland has compared the prices of digital SLR cameras purchased in Finland and from foreign online shops. Online contract terms, business practices and problems regarding payment and delivery were also surveyed. The products in the price comparison were the 10-megapixel Nikon D80 and Canon EOS 400D. Price information was collected for different bodies as well as packages consisting of a body and lens. Lenses sold separately were not included in the survey. The products in the comparison could usually be purchased at a cheaper price by ordering them from a foreign online shop rather than in Finland. A buyer of an SLR camera with a changeable lens can save hundreds of euros by ordering the product from abroad. Before making a decision, consumers should compare prices on foreign and domestic websites and in Finnish shops. Price differences should also be evaluated in relation to the negative aspects of Internet trade, such as longer delivery times and the risk of never receiving the product. Consumers should also remember that digital SLR cameras that can be purchased online from abroad are intended to meet the needs of the largest language groups. Consequently menus and instruction manuals are generally in English, German or some other foreign language. Consumers are more likely to find Finnish menus and manuals if products are purchased in Finland. The risks of doing business on the Internet can be minimized by making sure that an online shop is reliable. There are discussion forums and guides on the Internet to help you avoid fraudulent operators. One sign of reliability is that an online shop provides customers adequate information beforehand concerning the shop itself, contract terms and products and answers consumers' enquiries. Before ordering a product it is good to check that an online shop clearly provides the following information:
If problems arise consumers should first negotiate with the online shop. If this does not help, they can turn to their local consumer adviser and the European Consumer Centre. Some online shops use special trustmarks or seals. In this case an online shop promises to comply with certain rules, which can make it easier to resolve disputes. The European Consumer Centre has not studied trustmark systems' evaluation or monitoring principles, however, and cannot say whether these systems actually increase consumers' security. The survey included 39 online shops based in Germany, Britain, Sweden, Finland and the United States. The online shops that were selected appear frequently in Internet price comparison services and consumers' discussion groups and deliver products to Finland. Prices were also obtained from a number of retail shops in Finland. Information was collected directly from online shops' websites. In some cases enquiries concerning details were e-mailed to shops. The price comparison (pdf in Finnish)
Additional information: Director Leena Lindström, tel. +358 9 7726 7826