CONSUMER OFFICE / DECO
“Is it mandatory to always pay a fee for home delivery of purchases?”
A DECO INFORMS…
As a general rule, the delivery of products, such as supermarkets, technology, household appliances, among others, is subject to the payment of significant delivery fees that can constitute an obstacle to access to goods for people with special needs who actually do not have them. often alternatives to digital purchasing.
The concern becomes even more important for consumers who are more vulnerable due to their financial situation if we bear in mind that delivery costs can reach €6.90 on a single supermarket purchase, although they can be free on purchases over certain amounts.
In the case of online technology and household appliances stores, although purchases over certain amounts may, once again, mean free delivery, delivery fees are also charged depending on the value of the purchase and the category of the good, which differ between operators, and that for goods of volume up to medium size, they often range between around €3 to €6. In the case of larger volume equipment, although they may benefit from free deliveries, when this is not the case, shipping costs can reach €59.
On the other hand, and although we have identified some stores, which, individually, offer free deliveries to people who present a certificate of incapacity, DECO finds that this information is not available, at least in an accessible way, on the respective websites , making it difficult for interested parties to become aware of and benefit from the free delivery.
The advocates that, at least people with a degree of permanent incapacity, proven by a medical certificate of multipurpose incapacity, equal to or greater than 60%, can benefit from some type of exemption from delivery fees, or alternatively, can just pay for the actual costs of the transport in question. Likewise, it emphasizes that information must be clearly provided and accessible on the respective websites and in physical stores.
For this reason, the Association presented the problem to the State Secretariat for the Economy and the State Secretariat for Social Action and Inclusion, so that measures can be taken to apply an exemption or to guarantee that, in such situations, Only the payment of actual transportation costs can be required, thus promoting greater inclusion and protection of the legitimate interests of people with special needs.
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