A landmark agreement between the Chartered Trading Standards Institute in the UK and the National Consumer Affairs Centre in Japan announced this week means that consumers in both nations can enjoy safe shopping online without the fear that the items they order might never arrive.

Overseas e-commerce is becoming a major part of the retail industry and countries are trying to find new ways to make it easier for people to shop with traders and brands that are based elsewhere in the world. But the problem is that in some instances, unscrupulous sellers can take cash from customers and then never actually send out the item in question.

This kind of scam is growing in popularity, especially since it is almost impossible for British consumers to complain when they suffer some kind of issue with an order placed overseas. But now that the CTSI and NCAC are working in partnership, shoppers in the UK and Japan will finally be empowered to shop across borders without fear of encountering issues.

It is worth noting that this scheme is initially scheduled to run for a year, after which time its effectiveness will be reviewed.

A representative of the CTSI said that a common complaint made by UK consumers who buy items via safe shopping online from Japanese traders is that they do not ultimately receive what they ordered. Now it will be possible to either receive a refund, or ensure that any products not received get sent out properly, so that the seller’s obligations are fulfilled.

With the growth in overseas e-commerce it is certain that more and more consumers from all nations will place orders with retailers in other parts of the world. And if consumer protections are extended internationally to reflect this then it can only be a good thing.