Shipping & Returns

SHIPPING, RETURNS, WITHDRAWAL AND CONSUMER RIGHTS

This page sets out in detail how orders, payments, dispatch, delivery, product returns, exercise of the statutory right of withdrawal and cases involving defective or non-conforming goods are handled by FREEBYTES. Its purpose is to give customers a clear description not only of our practical procedures but also of the principal rights and obligations that apply to distance contracts and consumer sales under applicable law.

The information below is primarily intended for purchases made by natural persons acting as consumers. Purchases made in the course of a trade, business or professional activity may be subject to different rules to the extent permitted by applicable law. Mandatory provisions of Greek and European Union law always prevail over any conflicting term on this page.

1. Product selection and submission of an order

Customers can locate products through product categories, search functions, thematic pages and individual product pages. Products can be added to the electronic shopping cart and, before final submission, the customer can review the items selected, quantities, prices, payment method, shipping method and applicable charges.

The checkout process is intended to allow the customer to review and correct information before the final order is submitted. Submission of the order constitutes the customer's statement that they wish to purchase the selected products on the terms and at the prices displayed at the time of checkout. After submission, an order acknowledgement is displayed or sent according to the operation of the online store.

Orders may also be placed by telephone at +30 210 5132673 and +30 210 5150527. Normal contact hours are Monday to Friday, 09:00-16:00 Greek local time. Orders or messages received outside business hours or on public holidays are handled on the next working day.

2. Prices and payment

Product prices and any additional charges relating to shipping or other selected services are shown during checkout. The customer is informed of the total amount of the order before final submission.

Available payment methods are displayed during checkout. Where a credit or debit card is used, payment processing takes place through the secure environment of the cooperating payment-services provider or banking institution. FREEBYTES applies the charging or pre-authorisation procedure supported by the relevant payment system and by the order-fulfilment process.

If an item is unavailable, if an obvious technical or pricing/specification error occurs, or if the order cannot objectively be fulfilled as submitted, FREEBYTES contacts the customer without undue delay in order to arrange an appropriate solution. Any later change involving an additional charge is applied only after the customer has been informed and has agreed where such agreement is required.

3. Dispatch of products

FREEBYTES uses, depending on destination, weight, dimensions, service availability and the options presented during checkout, Greek Post and courier services such as ACS and Speedex. Not every shipping method is necessarily available for every product, delivery address or country. The method available for a particular order is shown or communicated before dispatch.

Items shown as immediately available are normally dispatched on the next working day. This is an indicative operating target and does not amount to an absolute guarantee that every order will leave within exactly the same period. Dispatch time can be affected by the time the order is placed, payment method, stock confirmation, public holidays, technical factors, workload, special characteristics of the product or other objective circumstances.

If an item is not immediately available or must be shipped at a later date, the customer is informed before delayed dispatch where the customer's agreement is required. If one order contains both available and unavailable items, a partial shipment may be proposed. Where a partial or additional shipment could create a new charge that had not already been agreed, that charge is applied only after the customer has been informed and has accepted it where required.

Transit times are indicative and begin after the parcel has actually been handed to the carrier. Actual delivery times may vary depending on destination, carrier, public holidays, exceptional events, severe weather, strikes, access restrictions or other circumstances outside the control of FREEBYTES.

If the carrier classifies an address as remote or difficult to serve and requires an additional charge, the customer is informed before dispatch. An additional charge not already displayed and agreed at checkout is applied only after the customer has been informed and has accepted it where required.

4. Delivery and risk during transport

In consumer sales, the risk of accidental loss or damage does not pass to the consumer merely because FREEBYTES has handed the parcel to a courier or other carrier offered by the store. Where a shipping method offered by FREEBYTES is used, risk passes when the consumer, or a third party designated by the consumer other than the carrier, acquires physical possession of the goods.

Where the consumer independently commissions a carrier that is not offered by FREEBYTES, the specific statutory exception concerning transfer of risk applies. This exception should not be confused with the ordinary situation in which the consumer selects one of the delivery methods provided by the online store.

On receipt, customers are advised to inspect the external condition of the packaging and, if there are clear signs of serious damage or interference, to notify FREEBYTES as soon as reasonably possible. Prompt notification can assist investigation with the carrier but does not remove or restrict rights arising under mandatory law.

5. Statutory right of withdrawal from distance purchases

A consumer entering into a distance contract has, subject to the statutory exceptions, the right to withdraw from the contract without giving any reason. For ordinary sales of goods, the withdrawal period is fourteen calendar days.

For goods, the fourteen-day period begins on the day on which the consumer, or a third party indicated by the consumer other than the carrier, acquires physical possession of the goods. Where several goods forming one order are delivered separately, the period begins when the last item is received. Where one product consists of multiple lots or pieces delivered separately, the legally relevant date is the receipt of the final lot or piece, in accordance with applicable law.

The consumer is not required to give a reason for withdrawal. It is sufficient that, before the expiry of the withdrawal period, the consumer communicates in a clear manner the decision to withdraw from the contract.

5.1 Online withdrawal statement

FREEBYTES provides a dedicated online withdrawal function. Through that function, the consumer can identify the relevant order, select the products covered by the declaration and expressly confirm the decision to withdraw. The function is designed so that, after final confirmation, a submission record with a unique reference is created and an acknowledgement is sent to the email address associated with the order.

The online function is available here: Electronic Withdrawal.

Use of this function provides a convenient and readily provable method of exercising the right but is not the only lawful method. The consumer may also submit any other unequivocal statement from which the intention to withdraw is clear.

5.2 Withdrawal by email or post

A withdrawal statement may be sent to infofree@freebytes.com or by post to FREEBYTES - KONTARINIS IOANNIS, 78 Boreiou Ipirou Street, Kolonos, 10444 Athens, Greece. To meet the deadline, it is sufficient that the statement is sent before the withdrawal period expires.

An indicative statement may read: “I hereby give notice that I withdraw from the sales contract relating to order number […]. Name: […]. Address: […]. Order/receipt date: […]. Date of statement: […].” The consumer is not required to use this exact wording, provided that the intention to withdraw is unambiguous.

6. Returning goods after withdrawal

After communicating the decision to withdraw, the consumer must return or hand over the goods without undue delay and no later than fourteen days from the day on which the withdrawal was communicated to FREEBYTES. The deadline is met if the goods are sent before the fourteen-day period expires.

The direct cost of returning the goods is borne by the consumer unless FREEBYTES has expressly agreed to bear that cost or mandatory law provides otherwise in the specific case. The direct return cost refers to the cost of transporting the goods back and is not an arbitrary additional fee for exercising the right of withdrawal.

Customers are advised to package returned goods adequately, particularly when returning delicate, heavy or electronic equipment. The consumer may select the return carrier unless a specific alternative is agreed. It is also advisable to retain proof of dispatch until the return and reimbursement procedure has been completed.

7. Opening packaging, inspection and diminished value

Opening or unsealing product packaging does not, by itself, automatically remove the statutory right of withdrawal. The consumer may handle and inspect the goods to the extent necessary to establish their nature, characteristics and functioning in a manner comparable to the reasonable examination that could be carried out in a physical shop.

Accordingly, the assessment cannot be based solely on whether the original packaging has been opened. What matters is the actual handling of the product and whether it went beyond what was necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.

If the consumer uses the product beyond what is necessary for that examination, the consumer may be liable for any diminished value resulting from such additional handling. Diminished value does not automatically mean that the right of withdrawal is lost. Any deduction must correspond to a genuine reduction in value caused by handling beyond what was necessary for inspection.

Original packaging, internal protective materials, cables, chargers, microphones, brackets, manuals, warranty cards, accessories and all other components supplied with the product should, wherever possible, be returned together with the product. Missing or damaged components may, depending on the circumstances, affect the value of the returned goods.

8. Reimbursement following valid withdrawal

In the event of a valid withdrawal, FREEBYTES reimburses the relevant payments without undue delay and no later than fourteen days from the day on which it is informed of the consumer's decision to withdraw, subject to the conditions and exceptions provided by law.

Where reimbursement of the original delivery cost is required, the amount reimbursed corresponds to the least expensive standard delivery method offered by FREEBYTES. If the consumer chose a more expensive or faster delivery option, the additional amount exceeding the least expensive standard method is not reimbursed.

Reimbursement is normally made using the same means of payment as used for the original transaction, unless a different method is expressly agreed without creating additional charges for the consumer.

For sales of goods, FREEBYTES may withhold reimbursement until it has received the goods back or until the consumer supplies evidence that the goods have been sent back, whichever occurs first. This allows reimbursement to be linked to the actual return of the goods or reliable evidence that the return has already been initiated.

9. Statutory exceptions to the right of withdrawal

The right of withdrawal does not apply to every contract without exception. The law provides specific exclusions which must be assessed according to the nature of the goods and the actual circumstances of the transaction. An exception is not presumed merely because a product has been unsealed or delivered.

Examples may include goods made to the consumer's specifications or clearly personalised, goods specifically configured in a way that makes them genuinely individual rather than standard stock, sealed goods not suitable for return for health-protection or hygiene reasons where unsealed after delivery, sealed audio or video recordings or sealed software that has been unsealed, goods which by their nature have become inseparably mixed with other items after delivery, and digital content not supplied on a tangible medium where the special statutory conditions for loss of the withdrawal right are met.

Where a product has been configured for a particular customer, the exception is assessed on the basis of whether the goods were genuinely made to individual specifications or clearly personalised, rather than simply selected from ordinary standard options.

10. Defective or non-conforming goods

The right of withdrawal is separate from the consumer's statutory rights where goods delivered do not conform to the contract. The seller's statutory liability for lack of conformity does not depend on whether the consumer has exercised the right of withdrawal and is not replaced by a manufacturer's commercial guarantee.

Where goods lack conformity, the consumer has the remedies provided by applicable law. To bring the goods into conformity, the consumer may, subject to the statutory conditions, choose between repair and replacement. That choice may be limited only where the selected remedy is impossible or, compared with the alternative, would impose disproportionate costs on the seller having regard to the circumstances.

Repair or replacement is carried out free of charge, within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to the consumer. Where the legal conditions are satisfied, a proportionate price reduction or termination of the contract may follow.

Before the remedy is provided, the consumer receives the information required by law concerning the choice between repair and replacement and the legal consequences associated with the selected remedy. For movable goods, where the relevant current Greek provision applies, choosing repair is linked to the statutory three-year limitation period.

A commercial guarantee from a manufacturer or supplier applies in addition to the consumer's statutory rights and does not replace or restrict them.

11. Practical procedure where a problem occurs

If a customer believes that the item received is incorrect, defective, incomplete or otherwise non-conforming, the customer is encouraged to contact FREEBYTES as soon as reasonably possible and provide the order number and a description of the issue. Photographs, a description of symptoms, serial numbers or other information may be requested when useful for faster technical assessment, without affecting statutory rights.

Technical assessment may be necessary to determine the actual nature of a fault, especially for complex electronic and radio-communications equipment. Such assessment is intended to establish the cause of the issue and the appropriate remedy and is distinct from any attempt to restrict consumer rights.

12. Specific note concerning radio equipment

Certain radio-communications products, transceivers, amplifiers and other equipment may be subject to specific legal requirements concerning their use. Purchasing equipment does not by itself grant the purchaser the right to operate it on any frequency, power level, service or in any jurisdiction. The user is responsible for holding any licence required by law and for complying with applicable technical and regulatory conditions.

This obligation concerning lawful use is separate from the consumer's rights concerning the sales contract, delivery, withdrawal and conformity of the goods.

13. Seller details and contact information

FREEBYTES - KONTARINIS IOANNIS
78 Boreiou Ipirou Street, Kolonos, 10444 Athens, Greece
G.E.MI. No.: 1557801000
VAT No.: EL043747758
WEEE Producer Register No. (ΑΜΠ ΑΗΗΕ): 3969
Tel.: +30 210 5132673 / +30 210 5150527
Email: infofree@freebytes.com

This page describes the procedures followed by the online store and the principal contractual information relevant to shipping and returns. If any term conflicts with a mandatory provision of Greek or European Union law, the mandatory legal provision prevails.