Britain (24%), China (22%) and the US (19%) were the three most popular countries for online shopping for Greek PayPal users last year, according to the company's data. Compared to 2012, Russia became one of the most popular online shopping destinations last year, showing a 68% increase, while purchases made in Chinese online stores increased by 44%. Significant growth was also recorded via PayPal by Greek users towards German stores, of around 18%.
At the same time, based on the analysis carried out by PayPal, the prices of online stores abroad continued to be lower than the prices in Greek stores in 2013. The price control on a series of products available in popular online stores in the USA, Germany, Great Britain, Russia, China and several markets in Central-Eastern Europe.
According to data collected by the company, Greeks who buy from the US can buy electronic products up to 37% cheaper, compared to Greek stores, games and toys up to 52% cheaper, as well as cosmetics 30% cheaper and clothing approximately 50% cheaper.
In Germany, games and toys are 40% cheaper than in Greek stores, clothes are up to 25% cheaper, while electronic products and cosmetics are sold at prices from 17% to 31% lower than in Greek stores.
Great Britain offers similarly competitive prices for clothing, almost 50% lower than prices in Greek online stores and big discounts also on cosmetics (-24%), games and toys (-35%) and electronic products (-24%), while in China buyers can make the most advantageous purchases on toys (up to -78%) and clothing (44%).
When shopping abroad, buyers should keep in mind that there may be additional taxes added to the cost of the products they purchase, such as customs duties and VAT. In Greece, there are no customs duties if the value of the goods is less than 150 euros, however, buyers are required to pay 23% VAT. If the value of the products is less than 45 euros, there are no extra taxes or charges. For larger purchases, over 150 euros, only VAT is paid if the goods originate from the European Union.
If the products originate outside the European Union, customs fees vary and are controlled by the TARIC database, which applies to all Eurozone countries. For some products purchased outside the European Union, such as digital cameras, camcorders, mobile phones or consoles, there are no customs duties. For some other popular products, customs duties are relatively low. For example, for footwear they are up to 17% and for clothing up to 12%, according to TARIC, and it depends on the specific characteristics of the product.
While a few years ago the main obstacle to high-value transactions was a lack of trust and security, PayPal now offers 100% compensation for buyers who experience a problem with the items they purchased, i.e. if they do not receive the item or if the item does not match the description. At the same time, some of the European Union legislation is useful for protecting the buyer. Across the European Union, the right to withdraw from a contract is legally extended to 14 days, valid in all member states, while the communication obligations of online stores have also been expanded, regarding the information they must share. This support makes consumers feel safer.
The next step is the integration of the ODR (online dispute resolution) mechanism, an online platform created to resolve disputes, mainly between different countries. These laws, passed in May 2013, will create a cheaper and easier way to resolve disputes between consumers and entrepreneurs, both from the same country and from abroad, without legal obligations.
Source: kathimerini.gr
