House Rules
What you need to know about registering for GPeC E-Commerce Proficiency
- Participation can be public or 100% confidential (no mention of the brand and no nomination at the eCommerce Awards Gala, unless the shop is the winner) by choosing the Incognito registration package;
- Only online shops are accepted in the GPeC E-Commerce Proficiency program, regardless of their age or size of business;
- Online shops must fully meet the eligibility criteria. GPeC staff will review each shop and issue a report outlining any issues, as well as recommendations for fixing them. Don't worry if you don't meet all the criteria at the time of registration - we advise you and help you to become eligible but, above all, to respect the legislation in order to avoid fines;
- Once the eligibility criteria are met, the shops receive the Trusted.ro certification and the possibility to implement the Feedback.Trusted.ro system - both free of charge for 12 months. Start-up online shops with less than 6 months of experience on the market will receive the Trusted.ro certification when they are 6 months old;
- From the moment of registration in the program, the online shops will be tested in terms of the proper functioning of the online order flow. We will place explicit test orders (clearly stating that these are orders that do not need to be delivered, made just to verify the entire checkout process);
- In addition to the registration test orders that do not have to be honored / delivered by online shops, GPeC auditors will also perform Mystery Shopping by placing 1 real order* during the GPeC E-Commerce Proficiency program (March - September 2022). This order will not be explicitly marked and will therefore need to be delivered to assess the response time and quality of the shop's services. The order will be returned on delivery and the cost of transport will be incurred exclusively by the participating shops;
- Registration for the GPeC E-Commerce Proficiency 2022 requires a minimum participation fee of EUR 449 + VAT for the Lite package, the price increasing for Platinum and Incognito packages;
- Registration for the GPeC E-Commerce Proficiency 2022 program should be done no later than 3rd June 2022, 11:59 PM;
- We reserve the right to accept in the program only online shops that agree and comply with the GPeC 2022 standards, starting with these conditions of participation, eligibility and auditing criteria and up to the format of the program as a whole.
*GPeC auditors will order reasonably priced products that appear to be in the shop's own stock - so as not to create difficulties for merchants enrolled in the program. Shops that sell perishable services or products, travel agencies, etc. will be considered valid exceptions where no mystery shopping orders will be placed, but the online order flow will be checked.
Eligibility criteria for GPeC E-Commerce Proficiency 2022
Don’t worry if you don’t meet all the criteria when you sign up. We will help you meet them!
To qualify for the GPeC E-Commerce Proficiency 2022 program you must fully meet the pre-selection criteria listed below - they represent obligations according to the legislation in force and also e-commerce good practices. If you comply, you are received in the program, get the Trusted.ro qualification and the Feedback.Trusted.ro system for free for 12 months.
There is no issue if you don’t meet all the pre-selection criteria when you sign up. We will do an evaluation of your online shop and tell you exactly what needs fixing and how to do it - it is important to implement our recommendations first to become eligible and comply with applicable legal obligations and avoid potential fines.
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 2022 GPeC E-Commerce Proficiency program 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 E-Commerce Proficiency 2022 program entail the exclusion from the program and the impossibility to attend the GPeC 2023 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 shope 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.”
We will help you meet all the criteria and work by e-commerce law and good practices
Even if you have questions or do not yet meet all the above mentioned criteria, you can already sign up for the GPeC E-Commerce Proficiency 2022 program because we will be auditing you, point out the issues and tell you how to fix them. So don't worry! It is important to implement our recommendations and you will be sure that you comply with the legislation in force, then we accept you in the program.
GPeC E-Commerce Proficiency groups and categories
Each online shop has its specifics, that’s why you have to choose a single group and a single product type category that represent your core-business.
1. Groups: Start-up, Experienced or Professional. Where do you fit?
Start-up
Sign your online shop up for the Start-up group if:
- It has less than 1 year of activity on sign-up
Experienced
Sign your online shop up for the Experienced group if:
- It has between 1 and 3 years of activity*
Professional
Sign your online shop up for the Professional group if:
- It has at least 3 years of activity (was launched no later than March 2019)
- It has traffic ranking on SimilarWeb under 20.000 for Romania
- Accepts online payments (with card)
- Market experience is the period of time since the shop was launched and made accessible to the general public, NOT the date of registration of the domain;
- *Shops that are more than 3 years old but that do not meet the criteria specific to the “Professional” group (Traffic Ranking on SimilarWeb or accepting online payments by card) will be automatically included in the “Experienced” group.
2. Categories according to the products / services marketed
After you have chosen your group, you will have to opt for one single category in the competition - your core business:
- Food & Beverages (e.g.: catering, food delivery, fast food, fruits, vegetables, canned foods, teas, coffee, alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, sweets, etc.);
- Classifieds (e.g.: auto classifieds, real estate, products or services from individuals and businesses, etc.);
- Sports Articles (e.g.: fitness equipment, sports gear, sports clothing and footwear, cycling, skiing, bodybuilding, sports accessories, etc.);
- Auto, Moto & Related Services (e.g.: cars and accessories, industrial machinery, spare parts, services, consumables, parts and subassemblies, services for the auto-moto sector, etc.);
- B2B (category for online stores selling products and services exclusively for businesses);
- Baby, Kids, Toys / Childcare (e.g.: baby products, hygiene and health items for babies, clothes, games, toys, cribs, strollers, swings, walkers, accessories, etc.);
- Office Supplies & Stationery (e.g.: folders, registers, paper, notepads, office technology, writing and correction instruments, school supplies, consumables, standardized forms, ring binders, professional printing equipment, accessories, etc.);
- DIY (e.g.: construction materials, accessories, DIY tools, finishes, parquet, wall panels, tiles, carpets, doors, hardware, products and equipment for work protection, etc.);
- Gifts & Jewelry (e.g.: jewelry, watches, albums, photo frames, decorations, souvenirs, art objects, collections, antiques, funny gifts, personalized gifts, etc.);
- Books, Magazines, eBooks, Music & Movies (e.g.: online bookstores, publishing houses, antique books, specialized books, guides, atlases, city plans, newspapers, magazines, periodicals, information portals, CDs with music, DVDs with movies, downloadable music and movies, eBooks, etc.);
- Security & Surveillance Equipment (alarms, video surveillance, anti-burglary systems, fire protection systems, intercoms, etc.);
- Fashion & Style (e.g.: clothing, footwear, lingerie, swimwear, fashion accessories, garments, knitwear, collections, bags, belts, sunglasses, hats, scarves, beads, etc.);
- Online Florists (e.g.: flowers, floral arrangements, flower wreaths, etc.);
- Health & Beauty (e.g.: cosmetics, treatments, online pharmacies, dietary supplements, weight loss products, perfumes, creams, makeup, lotions, gels, spas, false lashes, specialized centers, medical equipment & devices, glasses, etc.);
- Hobbies, Leisure & Entertainment (hunting and fishing articles, tents, boats, sleeping bags, philately, models, collectibles, relaxation activities, online gaming websites, etc.);
- Home & Garden (e.g.: furniture, home appliances, decorations, curtains, lighting fixtures, household items, bedspreads, paintings, home improvement, plants and garden objects, fertilizers, etc.);
- Home Wellbeing (e.g.: appliances and devices meant to improve or maintain a good quality of life at home, air purifiers, water purifiers, smart devices, eco or renewable energy systems, water filtration systems, etc.);
- HoReCa (professional articles and equipment for hotels, restaurants, and cafes);
- IT&C, Electronics & Appliances (e.g.: computers, PC components, notebooks, phones, audio-video equipment, photo, HI-FI, printers, networking equipment, GPS systems, software, PC and console games, TVs, refrigerators, air conditioning, small and large appliances, accessories, etc.);
- Pet Shop (e.g.: food and accessories, health and hygiene products for pets, pet toys, etc.);
- Organic, Natural & BIO Products (e.g.: organic food, organic household products, organic cosmetics, etc.);
- Online Services (e.g.: insurance, tickets to shows/concerts/movies, consulting, prepaid card recharges, courses, paid online services, online credit/financial services, etc.);
- Sex Shop (products for adult audiences);
- Shopping Club (exclusive online stores that require user registration to view offers);
- Supermarket, Mall, Marketplace (stores offering a wide range of products that encompass many categories of goods);
- Travel (e.g.: travel-related products, travel bags, suitcases, backpacks, briefcases, money belts, flight ticket bookings, vacations, trips, travel bookings, hotel reservations, etc.).
Important
- Participation in GPeC E-Commerce Proficiency can be public or 100% confidential (no mention of the brand and no nomination at the eCommerce Awards Gala, unless the shope is the winner) by choosing the Incognito registration package;
- In the case of the Lite and Platinum packages: For each category that includes at least two participating shops, whose audit score exceeds 120, a prize will be awarded at the eCommerce Awards Gala on 26 September 2022. If there are categories with 1 single participant OR if the score is below 120, the prize will not be awarded;
- If there are areas of activity not covered by the program categories, please contact us with your suggestions. We reserve the right to set up new categories depending on the interest shown by the participating online shops.
- We reserve the right to establish new categories and/or to reallocate registered online stores into other categories that best reflect the nature of the businesses within those categories.
