As part of National e-Consumer Week, Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Trading Standards team is encouraging people to stay safe online and beware of fake sites and fake products on the market.
National e-Consumer Week runs from 20th-24th September 2010 and aims to encourage members of the public to be more vigilant than ever about websites selling counterfeit goods, or sites which turn out to be fake and disappear with people’s hard-earned cash.
Cllr Lyn Ackerman, Cabinet Member for the Environment said, “Recent statistics show that more than half of people asked fear their card or bank details will get stolen when shopping online, a tenth worry their item won’t arrive and 6 per cent are concerned the item will turn out to be a fake.”
She continued, “I am pleased that National e-Consumer Week is helping to bring these concerns to light, and by following just a few simple rules you can help ensure that you and your details remain safe while shopping online.”
Before you buy anything online there are a few checks you can make before proceeding with your purchase:
- Remember that a great looking website does not always mean that the seller is reputable.
- Make sure you know the sellers full postal address, especially if they are based outside the UK. Don’t assume the seller is based in the United Kingdom just because they have ‘uk’ in their web address.
- Look for websites that are secure. Your browser will show a locked padlock or unbroken key in the bottom of the screen. The web address will alter from ‘http’ to ‘https’ to show it is secure.
- Think about shipping, postage and packing costs. If buying from abroad you may also have to pay customs duty.
- It is important to remember that private sellers use Auction Sites, and you don’t have the same rights as when buying from a trader.
- Feedback may be untruthful and descriptions may be misleading. Ask questions before you buy, especially about returns.
- Using a credit card for payments over £100 should provide extra safety – but never send your card or pin details via e-mail.
- Keep a record of the transaction.
Teenage entrepreneur Arjun Rajyagor, the winner of BBC TV’s Junior Apprentice show, is backing National e-Consumer Week’s Stay Safe Online campaign and has joined the calls urging people to shop safely, particularly those in his age group who are at serious risk from online scammers.
18-year-old student Arjun, who runs a computer repair business in his spare time, said: “There’s a whole new generation of us who are studying or have just started work. Because we’ve grown up with computers, we instinctively turn to the Internet to look for bargains but rarely check out a company first. We all need to be far more careful in future.”
For more advice on your rights, please visit our Consumer Advice web page. To report an online scam, please contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.
