According to the legislation in force, any online shop must provide (through a link placed on the homepage, such as the Contact section) at least the following information on their website:

• The name of the company owning the shop;
• Registration number in the trade register (for the online shops operating outside Romania, it can be the registration number from the competent authority of the respective country);
• Tax identification code
• Social capital (only for the shops operating within the Romanian territory);
• Full postal address of the registered office and of the workstations/showrooms (if any, and only if they have different addresses);
• At least one valid phone number and at least one functional contact e-mail address;
• Working hours (days of the week and hour intervals in which the shop can be contacted by clients aside from online forms and e-mail - for example, by phone or showroom visits);
• Trademark number registered at the State Office for Inventions and Trademarks (where applicable);

TRUSTED logo (with a functional link, according to the script) - the logo will be displayed and verified, after being accepted in the GPeC Competition.

The online shops display the main characteristics of the provided products or services on the product pages, according to art. 6 (1) a) of GEO 34/2014.

The online shops display the full price of the products/services with all the taxes included (or at least providing how to calculate the total price if, for example, there are different shipping costs depending on the area the user resides) before accepting the contract with the user, that is, before the user places an order.

Informing customers about the conditions of exercising the right to return goods and providing the returning form model, according to the law. TRUSTED.ro provides a returning form model and essential information for the customers - any online shop can implement it for free. Online shops must clearly specify that they abide by the product return within 14 calendar days policy for the consumers, requested by the Consumer Rights Directive (except where the law provides for exceptions - see example of perishable products etc.)

The online shops must meet the minimal conditions related to informing the users about personal data protection according to EU Regulation 679/2016 (GDPR) starting 25 May 2018. Therefore, online shops inform at least regarding the personal data operator coordinates, the purpose of data processing, user rights and third parties who have access to the collected data.

At sign-up, online shops declare on own responsibility (by checking the field marked with “I have read and agree with the 2021 GPeC Competition rules” in the sign up form) that: 

• They will not send unsolicited commercial messages (spam). Any newsletter or recurrent message sent to promote the shop (either by itself or other entity contracted by the shop) must contain the identification data of the sender (at least: shop name or logo, namee of owning company, tax identification number, registration number in the Trade Register, phone number, e-mail), as well as a functional unsubscribe option*;
• Their marketed products are not counterfeit;
• The entire website content is original and the shop uses resources (product images, specifications, video, text etc.) with source permission (manufacturer, provider) without violating copyright laws and other related laws. 

*User complaints and reports about users receiving unsolicited marketing messages/spam or about any of the above points during the GPeC Competition entail the exclusion from the Competition and the impossibility to attend the GPeC 2022 edition.

Before placing an order, the shop must provide users with the possibility to read the Terms and Conditions of carrying out the transaction (considered as a contract between the seller and the buyer) and to express agreement to it by ticking the fact that they had read and agree with them (the tick made by the customer represents, according to the law, acceptance of the contract - this is why the tick must not be filled in by default). The shop may have another functionality similar with the one mentioned above which can demonstrate that the customer accepts the contract.

The entire ordering process (from adding the product/service to cart until order placement) must be functional, fluent, error free and must be followed by an order confirmation screen or e-mail. The GPeC Staff will place explicit test orders in order to verify the functionality of the order process, orders which must not be processed by the online shops at sign-up. We are reminding you that there will be Mystery Shopping orders placed during the GPeC Competition, according to the Competition Rules, section 6.

According to law, Romanian online shops are obliged to display on their homepage a functional link to the National Authority for Consumer Protection website. Online shops that operate outside Romania are exempt to this rule.

Online shops must specify on their websites (in Terms & Conditions, for example):

• An e-mail address for reporting copyright infringement (for example: copyright@mywebshop.com displayed on the Terms & Conditions page)
• The contact details of the person in charge with amicable conciliations with dissatisfied customers (can be displayed in the Contact or Terms & Conditions section). This internal conciliation mechanism must be functional and the client must receive an answer to the issue in maximum 14 calendar days.

In some cases, based on the type of products they sell, online shops must register or link to the field authorities, according to law (ex: online shops that sell products and services subject to veterinary control and food safety, precious stones and metals, medicinal drugs etc.)

Online shops must display on their websites (in Terms & Conditions, for example) conditions for warranty and service (where applicable) for the products they sell and oblige to comply with them, as well as with the post-ordering services guaranteed to the client (if there are such additional services). Also, shops are obliged - according to law - to specify the existence of the product compliance warranty.

The online store will display as clearly and as visibly as possible - so that the customer will be aware before placing the order - about:

• Accepted payment methods, and in the case of shops that accept online payment methods they must mention the payment processor as well (text or logo linked to their website);
• Shipping methods (by own courier, by an external courier service mentioning its name, pick up from the store's headquarters);
• If they ship internationally - mention if applicable;
• Any other additional conditions - where applicable (ex: the minimum age required for the buyer, the minimum quantity of ordered products etc.)

In the case of online shops selling products intended for an adult public, these must not display explicit materials without a prior warning (opt-in) such as: “Website intended for an adult public. If you are under 18 years of age, please do not continue on the website. Opt in/out.”