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December 2019 December 2019

DORSET TRADING STANDARDS

Dorset Council Trading Standards Service check and approve
businesses so you don’t have to.
For more information visit www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk or
call 08454 040506.
To report or seek advice about problems you have
experienced when dealing with a trader call 08454 040506.

Christmas shopper? Remember your online safety checks
Consumers could be putting themselves at risk of online fraud this Christmas. Past
research has shown that more than two thirds of those surveyed leave out key
checks when shopping online.
Simple online shopping safety checks include: look for signs that the website is
using a secure encrypted connection, the little padlock sign should be showing to
the left of the website address; read the seller’s returns policy; search for reviews
about both the seller and the product you’re buying; bad spelling or grammar on
a website can be a sign of a scam; look for a land line number and a head office
address.

When people were asked for the
reasons why they had not safety
checked websites when shopping their
responses varied but included ‘being in
a rush’ or ‘looking for the cheapest
offer’. Fraudsters like people to rush into
buying something without first taking
reasonable checks, they also promote
goods cheaply to draw shoppers in.

Purchasing products via social media is
notoriously risky as it’s hard to police and it’s awash with misleading advertising,
counterfeit and unsafe products, subscription traps and other scams.
As we approach the festive season take time when buying online and do take
some simple steps before pressing the ‘purchase’ button.
If you have a concern regarding something you buy then you can contact the
Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06. As well as giving you advice,
the consumer helpline can pass information about complaints on to Trading
Standards to investigate.

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