With the countdown to Christmas well underway, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council’s Trading Standards Service is warning consumers to be on their guard whilst shopping for designer bargains online.
Trading Standards across Wales have received complaints from consumers who have purchased designer goods online, such as Ugg boots, Tiffany Jewellery and GHD straigtheners, which have subsequently been found to be counterfeit leaving the customer out of pocket and with shoddy goods.
Some of the counterfeit companies design elaborate websites, which look like official stockists when in fact they are based in the Far East and ship out copied products.
Paul Lewis, Trading Standards Officer said: “What may appear to be a bargain may turn out to be a con with poorly copied goods being received. When purchasing designer labelled goods the best advice is to buy from authorised stockists only. When buying online visit the companies’ official website and find out who their official online stockists are.”
A Mrs Dickinson of Cefn Coed was recently duped when purchasing a pair of Ugg boots online. After receiving the goods a fault quickly developed and when checking with Trading Standards it was established that the goods were copies and that the website she had purchased them from was based in the Far East. Trading Standards are now assisting Mrs Dickinson in a claim with her credit card company.
For further advice or assistance on similar issues, contact Trading Standards on 08454 040506.
