Legal support Check your online store

As an online store, you must comply with Dutch and European legislation. To make the process a little easier, we have put together a handy step-by-step plan. This makes it easy for you to check whether your online store is compliant.

WebwinkelKeur certification

When you register your webshop for Webwinkelkeur, you are automatically a member. However, it is important that your webshop is approved so that you can make use of all the functionalities and integrations. WebwinkelKeur works with a code of conduct, which we have based on Dutch legislation.

Check, check, double check

Before we can review the content of your online store, we check a few things:

Is your online store live? If your online store is not live, that's no problem! You can send us a test link toinfo@webwinkelkeur.nl or you can postpone the inspection date to a time that suits you.
Do you sell items above €250, electronics, travel, and trend-sensitive products? Then your online store is considered a "high-risk online store" by us. We always ask for an extract from your Chamber of Commerce registration and a copy of your ID card. That way, we can be sure that everything is in order 😉
Do you use the KOR scheme? No problem. Because we check whether you have a VAT number on your website, it is useful for us to receive an email with confirmation of registration before the inspection. We will then make an internal note of this in our system. That way, we don't have to reject your online store and everyone is aware of this.
Do you sell alcohol with an alcohol content above 15%? Don't forget to submit your catering license to us. You can do this by sending us an email! Also, don't forget to set up a pop-up to check the age of your visitors.

Terms and conditions

It is important to include the terms and conditions in the footer of your online store. The terms and conditions contain almost everything that can also be found on the separate information pages. We would like to see the following points included in the terms and conditions:

An article about returning (or excluding) products
A reference to WebwinkelKeur's dispute resolution service

We offer the terms and conditions for your online store free of charge. You can download this document and place it on your online store as plain text.

Privacy statement

A privacy statement specifies what information you collect or track from your customers and what rights your customers have. Below are the rights that must be included in your privacy statement:

Right of access
Right to rectification
Right to restriction of processing
Right to data portability
Right to object and other rights
If you collect reviews at WebwinkelKeur, it is important that you communicate this to your customers. This is because we also receive data from your customers.

If you use our free privacy statement generator, it will be tailored to your online store.

Contact

It is, of course, important that you are easily accessible to your customers. That is why we would like to see the following contact details on your website in the footer or on a separate contact page:

A written business address (a PO box is not sufficient)
A Chamber of Commerce number
A VAT number
A written email address
A written telephone number. If you prefer not to use your own telephone number, you can use ourtelephone service. A written WhatsApp Only is also fine!

Right of withdrawal

Having a separate returns page in the footer of your online store is a must! This way, your customers will immediately know where to go with questions about returns. The most important points that should be included in your returns policy are:

The three return periods
Depreciation
Exceptions to the right of withdrawal

The return periods are as follows:

The customer has 14 days to report a return
After notification, the customer has another 14 days to actually return the item
After notification, you have 14 days to refund the amount

"You have the right to cancel your order up to 14 days after receipt without giving any reason. After cancellation, you have another 14 days to return your product. You will then be credited with the full order amount including shipping costs. Only the costs for returning the product from your home to the webshop are at your own expense. These costs are approximately $7.25 per package. For the exact rates, please consult the website of your carrier. If you exercise your right of withdrawal, the product will be returned to the entrepreneur with all accessories supplied and, if reasonably possible, in its original condition and packaging. To exercise this right, please contact us at UWEMAIL@uwwinkel.nl. We will then refund the order amount due within 14 days of notification of your return, provided that the product has already been returned in good order.

Curious about which products you can exclude? Click here

Complaints page

Having a complaints page in the footer of your online store is very important. When customers are dissatisfied and also have to search for how to submit a complaint, this usually does not help.

A reference to WebwinkelKeur for dispute mediation

You can use the following text for the complaints page:

"It is always possible that something does not go quite as planned. We recommend that you first report complaints to us by emailing [EMAIL ADDRESS]. If this does not lead to a solution, it is possible to submit your dispute for mediation via WebwinkelKeur at https://www.webwinkelkeur.nl/kennisbank/consumenten/geschil."

Ordering and payment

Of course, there are a few other points we check, namely the ordering and payment process. Below are the most important points:

Ensure that the consumer can pay at least 50% of the amount afterwards by offering a post-payment option.
The customer must give their consent to receive the newsletter. The checkbox for receiving the newsletter should therefore not be selected by default.
Prices for consumer purchases must be shown including VAT
Ensure that you comply with the information about payment obligations. For example, the checkout button must contain the word "checkout" or "pay." Simply agreeing to the payment obligation is not sufficient.
Ensure that the prices and costs are clearly stated on your website. No hidden extra costs may be charged, for example for additional insurance, delivery, or a payment method.
Having anSSL certificate on your website is very important. This ensures that your online store is secure and your customers' data is protected.
Other information

According to European Directives, as of May 28, 2022, online retailers must be able to guarantee the authenticity of their reviews. We therefore recommend that you read this blog and post the following text on your website:

We believe it is important that reviews provide the best possible picture of our products and services. Our reviews are therefore managed impartially by WebwinkelKeur.

WebwinkelKeur has taken measures to guarantee the authenticity of reviews. You can read about these measures here

Our customers are not rewarded for writing reviews. No discounts or other gifts are given.