"Consumer Code of Conduct for E-Commerce"
1. Purpose and Scope

The Code sets out the general principles and defines the minimum rules of professional ethics and moral conduct that must be observed by businesses towards consumers.
It applies to transactions within the framework of contracts for the sale of goods or the provision of services concluded between consumers and suppliers for consideration entirely online, that is, by electronic means at a distance without the simultaneous physical presence of the two parties being necessary (B2C transactions).
The Code concerns self-regulatory rules for businesses operating in e-commerce aimed at consumers and applies without prejudice to EU and Greek legislation on e-commerce and consumer protection, which it does not replace in any way.

2. Definitions

For the application of the Code, the following terms have the meaning assigned to them below:
"Enterprise, operating in the field of "electronic business"" (hereinafter referred to as enterprise) 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 as intermediaries in the provision of services for remuneration, directly or indirectly, by electronic means at a distance and following the personal choice of the consumer.
"By electronic means at a distance" means services and products provided by businesses and accepted by consumers through electronic processing equipment which is provided, transmitted and received entirely via the Internet and/or mobile networks/text applications).
For the remaining terms, the definitions contained in Law 2251/1994, as in force, in Presidential Decree 131/2003 and in the Code of Consumer Ethics of Article 7 of Law 3297/2004, as in force, apply.
In case of doubt, the definitions of applicable legislation prevail.

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 behavior and respect for privacy, protection of personal data and protection of vulnerable population groups as specifically mentioned in articles 4 and 5 hereof.


B. Minimum consumer information elements

The company ensures pre-contractual information to the consumer so that he can be fully, accurately and clearly informed about the following:
Full company name, registered office, postal address, VAT number, contact numbers/email address.
Registration number in GEMI.
Main characteristics of the products it sells and quality of the services provided (e.g. the total price including VAT or other taxes, shipping costs, or any costs of returning the product, any additional charges, the terms and methods of payment, the guarantees, size-dimensions of the product), as well as 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.
Characteristics of charges, possible discount packages or special offers.
Terms of withdrawal from the contract as well as the termination or cancellation of the contract, as specifically referred to in article 6 hereof.
The possibility of out-of-court settlement of their disputes and information on the recognized alternative consumer dispute resolution bodies, 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 shall also specify whether they will make use of the relevant bodies.
The possibility of electronic alternative dispute resolution as specifically referred to in article 8 hereof.
The terms of after-sales service, any commercial guarantees (content, duration and territorial scope), and the seller's liability for actual defects and lack of agreed properties, in accordance with articles 534 et seq. of the Civil Code.
The possible need for frequent maintenance of the products or the existence of spare parts that are particularly expensive 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 referred to in article 5B/par. 5 hereof.
The codes of ethics or any credibility marks that bind them.
The above information to the consumer must be understandable, legal, true, up-to-date, easily accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities, and verifiable and must be provided in the Greek language and optionally in another language.
The terms of the service provision or product sale contract must be posted on the business's website in a place that the consumer can easily access.
In cases where an order request is submitted by the consumer, the business is obliged to immediately deliver/send proof of receipt of the order request, which clearly indicates the date of receipt and confirmation of the order.
It is the responsibility of the business to make clear to the consumer the time at which the contract is deemed to have been concluded, as defined in the applicable legislation. 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 does not first become aware of them. After the contract has been drawn up, the business must refrain from any action that entails a modification of its terms, in particular to modify the price or to inform about the unavailability of the ordered product or service.
The consumer has sufficient information about the progress of his order.
If the business finds that the consumer was not properly informed or the contract was not concluded with his explicit consent, it makes every effort to resolve the issue within a reasonable time.
The personnel of businesses in the e-commerce sector who come into contact with consumers to provide services or sell products must be fully informed about the above and answer reasonable questions from consumers with clarity and accuracy.

C. Advertising – Promotion

Advertising and promotion must be in compliance with applicable legislation.
In any case, it is advisable that the following apply:
Advertising messages and all information provided by businesses must be characterized (where applicable and to the extent possible under 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 method of calculating it, in simple language understandable to the consumer, so that the latter is able to evaluate the information provided and safely make the correct decision in his judgment 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 specific product or service, and which are directly or indirectly likely to mislead the consumer about the product or service being advertised.
The company's personnel who come into direct communication with the consumer do not mislead or seek to mislead consumers in any way through actions or omissions, giving false impressions about the service or product provided.
The business does not provide incomplete or inaccurate information regarding the ability to provide the service or sell the product to the consumer.
Any advertising and promotional activity specifically aimed 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 applicable legislation regarding the promotion and sale of specific product categories.
Any advertising and promotional activity aimed at people with disabilities should ensure its accessibility to them.

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

The company's personnel do not exploit 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. Companies make careful, accurate and objective descriptions of products and services that are specifically addressed to such people in a manner that is understandable, comprehensible 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 product or service being advertised.
Especially for minor consumers, businesses ensure - to the extent possible - the formation of appropriate access conditions to their websites, as provided for in each case in the applicable laws.

5. Transaction security and personal data protection

A. Transaction security

Businesses take care of the security of transactions carried out using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
Businesses, in this context and in accordance with the provisions of the applicable legislation, make every effort to use appropriate tools and measures themselves or their partners depending on the category and type of their business activity and the type of data they collect and process (personal or non-personal) and to implement every appropriate measure, in order to provide the legally required security of electronic transactions (proportional to the various stages of their completion) and data (personal or non-personal) that they collect and process, as well as to inform transacting parties about the basic parameters of the security and confidentiality used, with a special mention in the terms of use of the website.
Businesses use appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure the confidentiality of the data they collect and process to the extent legally required and in accordance with the nature of the products and services they provide.

B. Protection of personal data

Businesses must have and implement an understandable, truthful, legal, easily accessible and up-to-date Personal Data Protection Policy and inform consumers as required by the relevant legislation and the instructions of the Personal Data Protection Authority regarding this Personal Data Protection Policy.
The collection, storage or processing of data that the law defines as sensitive is not permitted, namely data relating to racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, membership in an association, union and trade union, health, social welfare as well as data relating to criminal prosecutions or convictions, unless the terms and conditions set by the law and the Personal Data Protection Authority are met.
The collection, processing, storage and use of other personal data takes place only when permitted by the applicable legislative framework and always in accordance with the terms provided for therein.
Specifically regarding the use of "all types of cookies", their installation should be carried out after appropriate information has been provided to the consumer and based on his consent, in accordance with the law and the relevant instructions of the Personal Data Protection Authority.
In case of non-consent/acceptance of “cookies”, businesses allow, if technologically feasible, the continued use of the website by the consumer, without sending cookies.
Businesses ensure that the personal data collected are not disclosed or transmitted to third parties, without prior information or consent of the person concerned, and/or in the cases provided for by law, always in accordance with the provisions of the legislation on the protection of personal data.
Businesses respect the desire of consumers not to be included in records that are intended to carry out unsolicited commercial communications with human intervention (calling) for the promotion and supply of products or services, provided that they have declared this to the publicly available provider.
Businesses provide consumers with the opportunity to choose whether they wish to receive advertising messages and any type of newsletters and, in case of acceptance, to have the ability to freely withdraw their consent, and businesses are obliged not to re-send new advertising messages and any type of newsletters from now on (unless consent is given again or the legal provisions are met again).
The consumer is entitled to have direct access to information on the issues of his personal data, to object to their use in future promotional activities, to request and confirm their partial or total deletion from the company's files, to request their correction or completion, 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 applied methods of personal data protection.

6. Right of withdrawal for consumers

The consumer has an inalienable right of unreasonably and without penalty withdrawal in accordance with the provisions of the applicable legislation.
Before the consumer is contractually bound, the supplier must inform him, in a clear, concise and understandable manner, in his language, of his right to exercise an unjustified and unfair withdrawal within the legally prescribed period of fourteen (14) days, starting from the time point determined each time by law, as well as of the terms, conditions, exceptions and the procedure for exercising the right of withdrawal, but also of the consequences of exercising it, taking into account the particularity of each product/service and providing him with a model withdrawal form.

7. Consumer service

The business ensures that it has appropriate mechanisms (via telephone and/or e-mail) and sufficient staff engaged in serving consumers, making reasonable efforts to inform them about their requests within the legal time limits per case.
When communication is made through a call center, the business ensures that the consumer is not kept on hold for an excessive period of time and in any case the call charge does not exceed the charges applicable to local calls.
When communication is made via an online contact form or the business's email address, care is taken to send a response within a reasonable time from receipt of the customer's relevant request.

8. Electronic Alternative Resolution of Consumer Disputes

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