Cyber savvy shopping list
WE’VE just had Black Friday and tomorrow it is Cyber Monday, supposedly THE online sales date.
This is the time of year when I receive most questions in relation to purchases and issues with goods.
Here are my list of top five Christmas shopping tips.
1. Ask for a gift receipt
If the recipient of one of your gifts wants to return it, they will not be able to do so without a receipt. Most traders offer gift receipts because they act as a proof of purchase without displaying the price paid for the goods.
2. Make sure you fully understand the returns rights
When you buy goods online they can be returned within 14 days of delivery if you or a recipient of a gift decides you do not want to keep the item. It is likely that the 14-day period would have passed by the time your present is opened so you should ask the trader if this period is extended during the Christmas period.
When you buy goods in-store the law provides no RIGHT to return goods unless they are faulty.
However, many traders have special returns policies during the Christmas period and therefore allow you to return goods even if they are not faulty.
So it is therefore important you understand what these rights are for the traders you buy from.
3. Make sure you are clear on when goods will be delivered
The law says traders must deliver goods within a reasonable period, unless they agree a specific date.
When buying Christmas presents you should always get the trader to agree a specific delivery date. 4. Are you sure you are buying from a genuine trader?
Fraudsters are busy during this time of year so look out for online scams and email scams. If you think a deal is too good to be true on a website, assume it’s a scam.
You can check to see if a website is safe by examining the URL.
Look at the address bar of the website you are on and check to see if the URL starts https://www. A secure website will have an s after the http
This is very important especially if you are on a payment page of a website. Also look out for a padlock symbol in the address bar which also indicates a web page is secure and you can be confident in using its payment system.
5. Use your credit card or Paypal
You may be able to get your money back through your credit card provider or Paypal if something goes wrong, such as goods not arriving or a seller going bust. This can be easier than trying to get a refund from the trader.
■ More advice from Dean on www.theconsumerlawyer.blog.