萬國法律事務所

According to Article 19 of the Consumer Protection Law, “Consumers of a mail order or door-to-door sale, if unwilling to purchase the goods received by them, may return the goods or notify in writing the business operators to rescind the purchase contract within seven days upon receipt such goods without stating any reason or paying any expense or the purchase price.” The Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) finds the “seven-day appreciation period” not always appropriate. Thus, the DCP is now proposing an amendment to Article 19.

Due to the fact that the “seven-day appreciation period” is unfair to business operators in certain cases, such as with respect to traders of perishable food, customized personal commodities (such as underwear), and easy-to-copy products (such as CD-ROM), the DCP is planning to empower the relevant authorities to determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether the “seven-day appreciation period” is obviously unfair to the business operator. Nevertheless, the Consumers’ Foundation is asserting that this amendment violates consumers’ rights.