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It’s a routine these days, shopping on the internet – and as Christmas approaches, the temptation is to click around the net, quickly grabbing bargains for handy home delivery.

But officers at Wigan Council’s Trading Standards team are warning internet shoppers that not every deal online will turn out to be what it seems.

Over the past few months they have received a number of complaints from unhappy shoppers who had ordered what they thought were internet bargains only to receive poor quality counterfeit copies of the genuine article. In some cases no goods were received at all despite payment having been made.

Trading Standards have had reports of copy Ugg Boots, GHD hair straighteners,hair straighteners uk, iPods and iPhones. Many of these items were sent from companies based in the Far East even though the web site addresses gave the impression that they were official UK based sites. These goods are always poor quality and are sometimes unsafe.

In order to help you avoid becoming a victim of these bogus internet traders,pink straighteners, Trading Standards have come up with some useful tips –
When you buy from a web site in EU they must give their full name and address, not just an e-mail address. They must also describe the goods fully and confirm any order in writing. If there is no address given, this may indicate the site is based outside the EU and you will not have the same legal protection if things go wrong. When purchasing from a European site you have 7 days to change your mind and return goods, but you should check the company’s policy on returning goods and find out who pays the postage for returning them. When you’re buying from abroad it’s worth remembering that it might be difficult to get any complaints dealt with. If possible pay by credit card because this may give you extra protection if the goods cost more than £100. Be careful when you give your credit card details over the internet. Always look for companies that have secure sites. Look for the padlock sign at the bottom of the screen. Watch out for high postage costs and any other hidden costs such as VAT and other duty payable, especially if goods are being sent from abroad. Try to get personal recommendations for companies you have not done business with before. Be aware that on internet auction sites you may have fewer rights as you are often buying from private sellers. It is very much a case of ‘buyer beware’ when it comes to the quality of goods but they still must be described correctly.
Cllr Paul Prescott,édition Limitée ghd, lifestyle champion and the council’s lead for regulation and licensing, says: “Christmas shopping should be fun – but it’s very easy to get carried away whilst browsing online. Please take care and choose retailers you trust and make sure you only enter payment into secure websites.”

To find out more about your rights when on-line shopping across the EU visit the UK European Consumer Centre (external link) and for general advice about safe shopping online you can visit the Consumer Direct web site (external link). For expert telephone advice on any consumer-related issue, call Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 (calls charged at local rate).