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12 Nov 07Protecting On-line Shoppers Over Christmas
Borough of Poole is encouraging residents to be vigilant when doing their Christmas shopping on-line, and to be wary of responding to offers that may be too good to be true.
As part of National Consumer Week (12 - 16 November), staff from Poole's Environmental and Consumer Protection Services (E&CPS) are hosting a display stand in the Dolphin Shopping Centre 
on Wednesday 14 November between 10am and 4pm.
Residents will be given information on the pitfalls of on-line shopping and how to protect themselves and advice on their rights if something goes wrong. Staff will answer any question and give out free 'Consumer Advice Guidance' packs and key rings.
Statistics from e-retail body IMRG (Interactive Media in Retail Group) show that British consumers spent £7.66 billion on-line in the ten-week run-up to Christmas in 2006. This year even more people are expected to avoid the crowds by shopping at home using mail- order or buying goods over the internet.
Shaun Robson, Head of Environmental and Consumer Protection Services, said: "Although the majority of transactions over the internet are successful and straightforward, it is important that consumers are 'streetwise' and don't get caught out by companies who are not trading fairly."
Councillor Don Collier, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for the Environment said: "People have a right to feel safe from scams and rogue traders at home. Residents need to be vigilant and understand the pitfalls, however, there is help and advice available to ensure on-line shopping is a safe and enjoyable experience."
Borough of Poole offer the following tips for residents who are buying on-line :
- Only buy from well known companies who provide a full postal address and landline telephone number - if not, you may find you are buying from a company abroad whose laws may not be as stringent as those in the UK or Europe. It is also more difficult to sort out problems afterwards.
- If buying from an unknown company, try putting their name into a search engine to see if there are any negative comments.
- Read all the terms and conditions of the company before agreeing to the contract - make sure you understand the 'returns' policy and print off the details.
- Do not give out your bank details unless you have checked that you are using a 'safe' site.
- Use a credit card, rather than a debit card, when buying goods/services costing over £100 - this will entitle you to claim against the credit card provider if the goods are not received, or if they arrive damaged.
- Print off copies of the goods ordered and any order details received back from the company in case you need them at a later date.
Further advice and guidance can be found at www.boroughofpoole.com/tradingstandards
National Consumer Week is run by Trading Standards , in partnership with Consumer Direct .
Consumer Direct is a Government-funded telephone and online consumer advice service that works in partnership with Local Authority Trading Standards Services. It provides free practical and impartial advice and information to help consumers resolve problems and disagreements with suppliers of goods and services. Consumer Direct can be contacted on tel: 08454 040506. (Available from 08:00-18:30 Monday to Friday, and 09:00-13:00 Saturday, excluding bank and public holidays).
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