Shopping in Denmark

When shopping in Denmark, you have certain consumer rights as dictated under the EU Consumer Directives, yet most people are not familiar with all their rights, since Denmark has added a few amendments of their own to the EU Directives.

Below I have listed a few of the most common consumer rights you have when shopping in Denmark.  Once you have reviewed them you can continue with getting started in Denmark or learning more about daily life in Denmark.

1. Just because you buy an item in a store does not mean you have the right to return it and get your money back. Most stores do offer this service, but it is not the law. You should always check the store policy if you are not sure of your purchase and are considering a possible return or exchange.

2. There is no price guarantee on products. It is up to the consumer to find the best price on their products. Some stores do offer low price guarantees, yet that is not a law.

3. When shopping in Denmark and you agree to a purchase, even if it is not paid for at that time, than it is a binding contract. You do have a right to cancel a contract within 14 days. Always check the cancellation period before signing any contract. It should be written in the contract.

4. All prices must be clearly displayed, so that the buyer can determine the true cost. The cost displayed includes taxes (or moms). Hidden fees are not allowed. (tell that to the telephone companies!)

5. As a consumer in Denmark, you have the right to file a complaint about a product that breaks or stops working within 2 years of purchase. This does not necessarily mean you will get a refund or replacement. This is called købelovens reklamationsret.

6. Many products have guarantees or warranties, which have limitations. Read and understand them carefully. You are obligated to maintain your goods properly in order for the warranties to be honored. If an item breaks outside the warranty period, but is due a manufacturing fault, you can still get it fixed for free within the 2 year period free. See point 5.

7. When shopping in Denmark , if you see an item displayed in the store at a price, that price must be honored at check out even if it was incorrectly marked.

8. If you see an ad for an item in a shop and when you get to the shop, the price is higher, you have no right to buy it at the advertised price in the paper. (That happened to me. Saw a great price on an item and when I drove there to buy it, they said the price was incorrect in the ad and would not honor the advertised price.)

9. If you buy online and you pay the price listed, the retailer can not come back and say the price was wrong and charge you more. You have the right to purchase at the price listed or you can cancel the order. The option is yours.

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Shopping in Denmark

10. If in a shop, you or your children break an item, you are not liable for the damage if the incident was an accident. If it was neglect or on purpose, you are liable. This can be a fine line to distinguish between, but usually the shops insurance will cover breakage. Do not be bullied into paying for something, if it was an accident.

11. When shopping in Denmark, you are always covered by the consumer act, no matter if the item is purchased at full price, on sale, clearance items or even warehouse stock. If you buy an item with a known fault, you can not complain or return it based on that fault, yet if something else goes wrong, you have a right to complain and seek a refund or exchange.

12. If you attempt to return an item without a store receipt, the store has the right to refuse to refund or exchange the item. Always get a receipt and keep it.

13. If you take an item back to store, because it has broken or stopped working, the store has the right to charge you a fee for checking the item out, if it is determined that the product was broken due to your neglect or treatment of the product. The service fee must be discussed before the item is accepted into the service department.

14. If you buy an item over the internet and there is a problem with the item, such as missing parts or it needs to be exchanged because of a fault, than the company who sold the item must pay for the postage for sending the item back and returning the new item. If you are just exchanging it for personal reasons, you will be liable for the postage.

15. If an item breaks due to a manufacturing fault during a warranty period the manufacturer must fix or replace the item without any cost to the consumer.You can learn more about the various laws at either Retsinformation or Rettigheder.

Find out more about Shopping in Denmark including a list of some of the most popular shops in Denmark.

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