How to shop online safely: 12 checks before you order
What PTAC, CERT.LV and the European Commission advise you to check before ordering: seller details and address, the SRS rating, price, returns, warranty, payment method and after-sales service. And how 1Store meets these criteria.
An online shop can be set up in a few hours, and fraudsters take advantage of it: fake shops offer unbelievably low prices, pretend to be Latvian businesses and disappear with the money. In this article we sum up what the Consumer Rights Protection Centre of Latvia (PTAC), CERT.LV, the European Commission and the European Consumer Centres advise you to check before you order. At the end we openly check ourselves against the same criteria.
In short
- The seller's name, registration number and address must be visible and match the Register of Enterprises.
- A real address you can visit and a phone number answered by a person.
- The price with VAT and all extra charges shown before you pay.
- Clear terms: withdrawal within 14 days, a guarantee of at least 2 years, a delivery deadline.
- A safe way to pay: on delivery or by card, not full prepayment to a seller you do not know.
- Compare not only the price but also delivery, installation, warranty service and recycling of the old appliance.
Why it pays to check a shop before you buy
In April 2026 PTAC and the European Consumer Centre warned about three websites that passed off goods made in China as Latvian products but required returns to be sent to China[6].
Over Black Friday and Cyber Monday the European Commission and national authorities checked 314 online shops. 30% showed price reductions incorrectly, not based on the lowest price of the previous 30 days, 18% used pressure tactics such as fake countdowns or «only 2 left», and 10% added extra charges only at the end of checkout[19].
The good news: you can check most risks yourself in 10-15 minutes using public registers.
12 checks before you order
Seller details
The shop must show the company name, registration number, legal address, phone number and email. EU consumer law requires it, and PTAC lists it as the first check.
How to check: Look at the «Contact», «About us» and terms pages. If there is only a contact form without an address or phone number, be careful.
Source: [1] PTAC [11] Your Europe
Register of Enterprises
Make sure the company really exists, is active and is not in insolvency or liquidation. It also helps to see how long it has been operating.
How to check: Enter the registration number in Lursoft or the Register of Enterprises. You can check the VAT number in the EU VIES system.
Source: [1] PTAC [31] Eiropas Komisija
A real address and a person on the other end
Fake shops often have no physical address, or it is in another country. PTAC advises contacting the shop before buying to make sure a person replies, not just an automatic email.
How to check: Find the address on a map, see whether there is a shop or warehouse, and ask a question about the product by phone or email.
SRS (VID) taxpayer rating
The State Revenue Service puts companies into groups: A (pays taxes on time), B (needs to improve), C (serious violations), N (not active) and J (registered in the last 6 months). The rating is updated every three months and has been public since March 2024.
How to check: Search by name or registration number in the SRS public database.
Source: [9] VID [10] LV portāls
Price and discounts
The price must include VAT, and all extra charges such as delivery must be shown before payment. If a product is advertised with a discount, the previous price shown must be the lowest price of the 30 days before the discount. A price far below everywhere else is a warning sign.
How to check: Compare the price in several shops and on price comparison sites.
Delivery and return terms
Unless agreed otherwise, goods must be delivered within 30 days. When buying online you can withdraw within 14 days of receiving the goods without giving a reason, and the money must be refunded within 14 days. You pay for the return only if you were told so beforehand.
How to check: Read the returns page: where to send the product back (in Latvia or another country) and who pays.
Source: [2] PTAC [12] Your Europe [13] Your Europe
Warranty and service
Goods come with a legal guarantee of at least 2 years: the seller must repair or replace a faulty product, otherwise reduce the price or refund. If the fault appears within the first year, the seller must prove it was not there at delivery. Since 31 July 2026, if you choose repair, the guarantee is extended by at least 12 months.
How to check: Check who handles claims and whether there is a manufacturer-authorised service in Latvia.
How you pay
PTAC, CERT.LV and the European Consumer Centres advise paying by card or PayPal: if goods are not delivered, the bank can try to get the money back (chargeback). Paying on delivery is safer still. Do not prepay the full amount by bank transfer to a shop you do not know. Online card payments over €30 usually have to be confirmed in your banking app.
How to check: If something goes wrong, contact your bank straight away.
Source: [8] CERT.LV [7] ECC Latvia un PTAC [26] ECC Netherlands [14] Your Europe
Reviews outside the shop
Read reviews not only in the shop itself but also on Google Maps, price comparison sites and independent platforms. Hundreds of glowing reviews within a few days is a warning sign. The EU bans fake reviews, and a shop must say whether and how it checks that reviews come from customers.
How to check: Compare the rating on several sites and read the negative reviews too.
Source: [8] CERT.LV [17] Your Europe [21] Direktīva (ES) 2019/2161 (Omnibus)
Trust marks
A badge on the page proves nothing by itself: a shop can show it without permission. The European Ecommerce Europe Trustmark has no issuing body in Latvia yet.
How to check: Click the badge and check the shop on the issuer's own website.
Web address and connection
Check that no letter or ending is changed in the address (.lv and .com). Https and the padlock only mean the data is encrypted: a fraudulent site can have them too. A new domain and aggressive social media ads call for extra care.
How to check: Before entering any data, look at the address bar and check the domain age.
Source: [8] CERT.LV [18] Eiropas Komisija [28] Verbraucherzentrale (Vācija)
Not just the price: what to compare after the purchase
The lowest price is not always the cheapest purchase. For large home appliances the total cost also includes delivery, carry-in, installation and how easy it will be if something breaks. The law only guarantees the minimum, and after-sales service differs from shop to shop.
Delivery and carry-in
Carrying heavy appliances up the stairs is not easy, and carry-in is not always included in the price.
What to ask: Is carry-in included, and up to which floor?
Connection and building-in
A badly connected machine can leak, and built-in appliances need a technician.
What to ask: Does the shop connect it itself, and at what price?
Recycling the old appliance
The EU requires sellers to take back an equivalent old appliance free of charge when selling a new one[22].
What to ask: Do they collect the old one from the flat, and does it cost anything?
Warranty service
Claims go to the seller, so it matters how easily the seller handles them.
What to ask: Where do you turn, is there an authorised service in Latvia, and does a technician come to your home?
Contact
Questions come up after the purchase too: about connection, use or a fault.
What to ask: Can you call or write, in which language, and how fast do they reply?
Goods in Latvia
If the product is in a warehouse in Latvia, you get it quickly and returns are simpler.
What to ask: Where is the product and how long is the wait?
Example: if a washing machine is €30 cheaper in one shop but you have to arrange connection and removal of the old machine separately, the total can end up higher. Compare the final price with all the services you need.
How 1Store meets these criteria
We are an online shop too, so you can check us against the same criteria. Below are our details and links where you can verify each point independently of us.
Who you are buying from: live data
This block updates automatically from public sources.
Company
Mercurius Trade SIA
Registration No.
40203063532
VAT No.
LV40203063532
Operating since
18 April 2017
Paid-up share capital
€413,000
SRS taxpayer rating · 29.09.2026
Agood compliance
Shop and warehouse
Rēzeknes iela 3A, Riga
Google rating
5.0 · 49 reviews
Seller details
Mercurius Trade SIA, reg. No. 40203063532, VAT LV40203063532, phone +371 22059100, email 1store@mercurius.lv
Where to check: Contact
Register of Enterprises
Operating since 18 April 2017, no insolvency or liquidation proceedings
Where to check: Lursoft
Real address
Shop and warehouse at Rēzeknes iela 3A, Riga, weekdays 11:00-18:00. You can see the product before paying
Where to check: Google Maps
Price
Prices in euro with 21% VAT, the delivery price is shown before you order, the order total does not change later
Returns
Withdrawal within 14 days, refund within 14 days by the same payment method, you can bring the product to our warehouse in Riga
Where to check: Returns
Warranty and service
Official warranty, manufacturer-authorised service centres in Latvia, one point of contact for the whole warranty period: us
Where to check: Warranty and service
Payment
Cash or instant payment on collection; bank transfer; ESTO instalments
Where to check: Payment
Trust mark
None yet, see below
Connection
The whole shop runs on https
PTAC lists
Not on the suspicious websites list or the black list (checked on 5 October 2026)
Where to check: PTAC
After-sales service at 1Store
- Delivery in Riga with our own transport from €20, with carry-in; DPD across Latvia more
- Washing machine connection with delivery €60, built-in dishwasher from €70, built-in fridge from €120, door rehanging from €20 more
- Free recycling of the old appliance more
- We handle warranty claims ourselves, and for large appliances an authorised service technician comes to your home more
- Advice by phone and WhatsApp in Latvian, Russian and English more
Where we are still growing
- No online card payment. So you can pay when you receive the product: in cash or by instant payment at the shop, and in cash to our courier. You can see the product before paying, and for «Available to order» items you pay nothing until the product is in our warehouse. For DPD shipping, however, you pay in advance by bank transfer.
- No independent trust mark. The European Ecommerce Europe Trustmark has no issuing body in Latvia yet. Until then, we invite you to check us against the criteria in this article.
- 1Store is a new brand. The 1store.lv shop has been open since 2026 and is run by Mercurius Trade SIA, registered in 2017.
- Returns. If you withdraw from the purchase, the buyer pays the return shipping, as the law allows; you can also bring the product to our warehouse in Riga.
If something goes wrong
- Write to the seller. Describe the problem and what you want, and keep the order, the payment confirmation and screenshots.
- If you paid by card, contact your bank about a chargeback[26].
- If the seller does not reply or refuses, file a complaint with PTAC. A dispute can also go to the PTAC Consumer Dispute Resolution Commission[5].
- If the seller is in another EU country, the European Consumer Centre ECC Latvia can help[7].
- If you suspect fraud, report it to the State Police and CERT.LV.
The EU Online Dispute Resolution platform (ODR) closed on 20 July 2025[23]. Turn to a national dispute resolution body instead[24].
Frequently asked questions
Do https and the padlock mean a shop is safe?
No. They only mean the connection is encrypted. A fraudulent site can get an https certificate too, so also check the seller's details and reviews.
How do I check a company registration number?
Enter it in Lursoft or the Register of Enterprises: you will see whether the company is active, since when, and whether it is in insolvency or liquidation. You can check the VAT number in the EU VIES system.
What does an SRS rating of A mean?
It means the company meets its tax obligations on time. The SRS calculates the rating for all companies using the same criteria and updates it every three months.
Is it safer to pay by card or by bank transfer?
With a shop you do not know, a card or payment on delivery is safer: the bank can try to recover a card payment. A bank transfer is much harder to get back, so use it with a shop you have checked.
What if my order is not delivered?
If no date was agreed, goods must be delivered within 30 days. Give the seller an additional deadline in writing; if the goods still do not arrive, you can end the contract and ask for your money back.
Can I see a product at 1Store before paying?
Yes. At our warehouse at Rēzeknes iela 3A, Riga, you can see the product and pay when you collect it: in cash or by instant payment.
Sources. All facts were checked against official sources on 5 October 2026.
Show sources (31)
- PTAC: How to choose a safe online shop (LV)
- PTAC: Buying online, by phone and off-premises (LV)
- PTAC: list of suspicious websites (LV)
- PTAC: black list of traders (LV)
- PTAC: dispute resolution (LV)
- LSM, 9 April 2026: PTAC warns against three websites (LV)
- ECC Latvia and PTAC: check the shop before you order (LV)
- CERT.LV: 10 tips for safe online shopping (LV)
- SRS (VID): taxpayer rating (LV)
- LV portāls: what affects the taxpayer rating (LV)
- Your Europe: information you should get when buying
- Your Europe: returns and the right of withdrawal
- Your Europe: shipping and delivery
- Your Europe: pricing and payments
- Your Europe: guarantees on goods bought in the EU
- Your Europe: unfair pricing (price reductions)
- Your Europe: unfair commercial practices (reviews)
- European Commission: Protecting you when buying online
- European Commission, 26 March 2026: EU check reveals misleading sales practices online
- European Commission, 31 July 2026: right to repair
- Directive (EU) 2019/2161 (Omnibus)
- Directive 2012/19/EU on waste electrical and electronic equipment
- Regulation (EU) 2024/3228 (closure of the ODR platform)
- European Commission: dispute resolution bodies in Latvia
- ECC Belgium: WebshopCheck
- ECC Netherlands: chargeback in the EU/EEA
- ACM ConsuWijzer (Netherlands): safe online shopping checklist
- Verbraucherzentrale (Germany): how to spot fake shops
- Ecommerce Europe Trustmark: sign-up
- Lursoft: Mercurius Trade SIA
- European Commission: VAT number check (VIES)
Read also: Official warranty and service in Latvia · How to choose a washing machine · No Frost, Low Frost or static cooling
