E-commerce store regulations
Online Store Regulations - Latvia. Expansion into the Latvian market.
Expanding your e-commerce business to Latvia is a tempting step – the market is smaller than Poland, but it's characterized by growing purchasing power and high confidence in online shopping. However, before your products reach Latvian customers, you need to ensure the legal framework is in place, including the "Lietošanas noteikumi" (Lietošanas noteikumi), or online store regulations.
This is not just a formality – in Latvia, consumers are accustomed to transparent rules, and supervisory authorities are quite scrupulous in verifying whether stores' practices comply with the law.
Regulations for an online store on the Latvian market
Latvian Online Store Regulations: Latvian online store regulations should clearly define the rules for sales, delivery, payment, withdrawal, and complaints. Sellers operating in the Latvian market must comply with several key legal acts:
Patērētāju tiesību aizsardzības likums – Latvian Consumer Protection Act. It regulates, among other things, a 14-day right of withdrawal, the obligation to clearly inform the customer about prices, delivery, and returns, and a minimum two-year seller's liability for product defects.
Informācijas sabiedrības pakalpojumu likums – the equivalent of the Act on the Provision of Electronic Services. It imposes obligations on sellers to be transparent, provide contact and registration details, and confirm orders electronically.
· Negodīgas komercprakses aizlieguma likums – a law prohibiting unfair commercial practices, including misleading advertising, so-called dark patterns and aggressive selling.
Supervision and enforcement of regulations
The main guardian of consumer rights in Latvia is the Patērētāju tiesību aizsardzības centrs (PTAC) . This body is similar to the Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK), which:
- - controls regulations and information in e-shops,
- - conducts proceedings in case of violations,
- - may impose administrative measures (e.g. an order to change regulations, financial penalties).
In turn, if the problem concerns competition (e.g. price fixing or abuse of market position), the case is examined by the Competition Council of Latvia (Konkurences padome ) – the Latvian competition council.
Right of withdrawal
Latvian consumers have 14 days to withdraw from a distance contract without giving a reason. The terms and conditions should clearly state:
- - method of submitting the declaration (e.g. online form, e-mail),
- - reimbursement policy,
- - possible liability of the consumer for the cost of returning the goods.
Complaints and warranties
The seller is liable for product defects for a minimum of two years from the date of purchase. During the first 12 months, a presumption of defect applies – if the product proves to be defective, the seller must prove that the defect was caused by the customer's fault.
Complaints can be submitted in writing (e.g., email, contact form). What's particularly important in this market is that the seller is obligated to respond within 15 business days of receiving the complaint, informing them of how it will be handled or how the dispute will be resolved.
If, for objective reasons, a response cannot be provided within this period, the seller shall notify the customer in writing, stating the reasons and a new, reasonable deadline for the response.
ADR – alternative dispute resolution
Latvia relies on amicable methods of resolving disputes.
A client can file a dispute with the Patērētāju strīdu risināšanas Komisja (Patients' Rights and Disputes Committee) operating at PTAC. The procedure is quick, simple, and less expensive than going to court.
Personal data and GDPR
As Latvia is a member of the EU, the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) apply directly there.
Additionally, the Fizisko personu datu apstrādes likums – Latvian law – applies
on the protection of personal data, specifying the national aspects of data processing.
The regulations should be consistent with the privacy policy, which clearly describes:
- what data is collected,
- for what purpose and on what legal basis they are processed,
- to whom they can be transferred,
- what rights the user has (right of access, rectification, deletion).
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