2007
Staff from Consumer Direct Scotland and Local Authority Trading Standards Services will be in Glasgow and Edinburgh this week to promote awareness of people's rights when shopping online, part of this year's National Consumer Week.
12 November 2007
An estimated 2 million Scots will be shopping online this Christmas and more than half will be in the dark about their basic consumer rights . The findings from a recent OFT market study revealed that online buyers lacked knowledge about their ability to cancel an order, how to get a refund and how to check that online traders meet legal obligations.
This year's National Consumer Week will help change that by providing the tips and advice all online shoppers should heed before striking a deal in cyberspace.
Gordon MacDonald, Manager of Consumer Direct Scotland said:
'The internet is a fantastic marketplace for Scottish shoppers, but consumers could do more to protect themselves and get a better deal. Consumer Direct Scotland takes calls every day from people asking about their online rights or trying to solve a problem with an online trader. The law provides us with a lot of protection so we are encouraging people to find out more about where they stand.'
In order to raise awareness, staff from Consumer Direct Scotland will be at road-shows in The Gyle Shopping Centre in Edinburgh on Monday 12th & Tuesday 13th November and at The Buchanan Galleries Shopping centre, Glasgow on Wednesday 14th & Thursday 15th November. The road-shows will be open during normal working hours and staff will be on hand to provide online shopping advice and answer questions about other consumer issues.
Consumer Direct will also be publishing new advice on its website and giving people the chance to test their online shopping knowledge in a quiz at www.consumerdirect.gov.uk
Consumer Direct Scotland, which is based on the Isle of Lewis, has a large team of qualified consumer advisors who can provide information on consumer rights and advice on how to resolve disputes with shops and traders. The service is available on 08454 04 05 06, or by visiting the website at www.consumerdirect.gov.uk.
Consumer Direct Scotland's top tips for shopping online
1. Make sure you're getting a good deal
- shop around by using price comparison sites and multiple search engines
- when comparing prices, check that the advertised price includes everything you have to pay, for example tax and delivery charges.
2. Know who you're dealing with
- check the trader's details on their website, including their geographic and email addresses
- don’t assume ‘.uk’ means that the seller is based in the UK
- read all trader reviews and help others by writing reviews when you make purchases.
- Check if the seller is a member of a trust scheme, such as Internet Shopping Is Safe (ISIS) or Safebuy as a sign that the retailer is committed to good practice.
3. Know your distance selling rights
- check your cancellation rights before making a purchase: under the Distance Selling Regulations you can get a full refund on many products if you cancel within seven working days after the day of receipt
- if returning goods you are entitled to a refund of the original delivery cost but check the terms and conditions to see who will cover the cost of returning them
- traders are not allowed to deduct a restocking charge or administration fee for returned goods
- if you wish to cancel, you must take reasonable care of the goods you are returning
- check and keep all receipts, order confirmations and correspondence
- goods should be delivered within 30 days after date of order, unless you agree to a different delivery timeframe
- complain to the trader if you have a problem shopping online
• contact Consumer Direct if the trader does not resolve your problem
4. Protect your personal and financial information
- use security software and keep it up to date
- look for a padlock symbol ( ) or 'https' in the website address before inputting personal details
- if you use a credit card for purchases of £100 or more, you may get reimbursement from the credit card company if something goes wrong
- check your bank and credit card statements regularly and contact your bank immediately if you think your details have been disclosed
- Ends –
NOTES
1. National Consumer Week (12th -16th November 2007) is run in partnership with the Trading Standards Institute (TSI) and Consumer Direct.
2. Consumer Direct is a telephone and online consumer advice service funded by government and managed by the Office of Fair Trading. It operates in partnership with Local Authority Trading Standards Services to offer consumers clear, practical and impartial advice and information.
3. Consumer Direct has around 350 trained advisers in 11 contact centres across England, Wales and Scotland.
4. The information and advice helpline is available on a single national telephone number - 08454 04 05 06 from 0800 – 1830 Monday to Friday, and 0900 – 1300 Saturday, excluding bank holidays and public holidays.
5. A Welsh-speaking Consumer Direct service is available on 08454 04 05 05. Minicom users should call 08451 28 13 84.
6. Calls to the Consumer Direct 0845 numbers are charged at no more than four pence per minute from a BT landline. Call charges from other landline providers or mobile phones may vary. Please check the rate with your phone service provider.
7. Northern Ireland has its own service called ConsumerLine (available on 08456 00 62 62) which is similar to Consumer Direct. Visit the ConsumerLine website.
MEDIA enquiries:
Jean Mackenzie: 01851 822300
