Christmas time can be stressful and expensive so to make sure you're getting the most out of your pennies, check out our shopping survival guide:

Buying online - In most cases if you shop online you have a right to cancel and receive a full refund, even if you just don’t like the goods or have simply changed your mind. You normally have 14 days to cancel a contract unless the goods have been made specifically for you. Know who you are buying from and make sure you know where the trader is based. Check that online retailers are safe; ensure that the locked padlock symbol is visible when paying and be wary of websites that ask for personal information and are not high street names.

Faulty goods - You have statutory rights if goods you have purchased are faulty or not fit for purpose. Try to keep receipts or email confirmations as it will help if things go wrong and don’t delay in complaining. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 stores must offer a full refund if a faulty item is returned within 30 days

Unwanted gifts - Your statutory rights do not apply if you simply changed your mind. However, many shops have their own returns policy or offer a gift receipt, particularly when it comes to Christmas gifts, so you may find the shop is willing to refund or exchange your unwanted item without question. This does not impact in anyway, your legal rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Check out the store’s returns policy before you buy. Remember if you bought online, you may have additional rights - see above.

Product safety - Be safe this Christmas whether you are looking to buy Christmas lights, electrical goods as presents or even an extra heater to keep you warm. Make sure that your intended purchases have a CE mark, the manufacturer's identity or mark, ensure that it has a 3-pin plug, and more complex items should have warnings and instructions for use supplied. The same advice applies to all toys, whether they are large expensive items or pocket money 'stocking fillers'. Beware of cheap toys which may contain button batteries. These can be deadly if swallowed by a child or a pet.

Fakes - In the current financial climate, you may be tempted by a product for sale at a cheaper price. But, watch out, counterfeit goods such as computer games, clothing, perfume, electrical hair straighteners and jewellery may appear to be a bargain, but in practice they rarely are. The quality is often very poor. Electrical goods may be a fire or electrical shock hazard and perfumes and cosmetics may contain harmful substances. Plus, you may be supporting organised crime with your purchase and you are depriving the legitimate industry and those who sell genuine goods.

Buying goods on your credit card - For items costing over £100, use a credit card as you get additional protection even if you only use your card to pay a small amount. If something goes wrong and the trader won’t help, the credit card company may have to step in. But make sure you pay it off in January to avoid interest charges.

Christmas loans - Some people may look to borrow in order to afford Christmas and may even resort to using loan sharks. These illegal money lenders are unlicensed and operate outside the law. They not only take advantage of vulnerable borrowers but also bring disrepute to legitimate lenders and charge extortionate rates of interest. You must be certain if you are borrowing money that it is only coming from a reputable lender. Do you understand exactly what you are signing up to and what will happen if your financial situation gets worse? If you are in a circumstance where you have a bad credit history but are in need of a loan, consider seeking support from a Credit Union who can provide an effective and viable alternative to the so called ‘pay day lenders.’

To find your local credit union visit www.findyourcreditunion.co.uk or call the Association of British Credit Unions (Abcul) on 0161 832 3694.

Call out charges - Not everything runs smoothly at Christmas. If you have to call out a tradesman for an emergency repair during this festive season, make sure you know what the ‘call out’ or ‘minimum charge’ will be before you agree. Make sure you both understand what work will be carried out, what it will cost (or how it will be calculated) and when and how the trader expects payment.  A trader must provide an invoice or receipt showing full details of work carried out, including any parts supplied, labour and other costs. A trader must make any "call out" charge or "minimum charge" known to the customer prior to a visit being made. Remember, some home insurance policies may cover emergencies!

These warnings may seem extreme in some cases, but experience shows that many people could be ripped off or injured by poor quality gifts over the festive period...be careful what you buy this Christmas and where you buy it from.

Trading Standards wish you all a happy and safe Christmas.

Top of page

Trading Standards is issuing a warning about the dangers of buying a puppy brought in from abroad in the lead up to Christmas.

Individuals and organisations have been quick to identify a new market of selling imported puppies as a result of changes in legislation and that UK puppy prices are far higher than those in Eastern Europe. In many cases, dates of birth are falsified on the animal’s passport – importers declare that the animal is older than its true age so allowing it to be vaccinated and imported into the UK with seemingly correct paperwork.

This practice clearly has hidden dangers - vaccinations received at an early age may be ineffective so allowing the potential spread of diseases such as rabies.

The practice of illegally importing animals not only increases the risk of spreading disease to the UK, but it also raises serious welfare concerns for the animals,

In addition to the rabies/disease risk, legislation requires that the illegally imported dogs are placed into quarantine at a cost to the current owner (circa £1,000). If the quarantine costs cannot be met or raised via donations, then there is a risk that the animal may be euthanized.

Anyone thinking of buying or re-homing a dog should carefully consider the following basic steps:

• Be suspicious if the seller cannot show you the puppy with its mother and litter mates. View the puppy where it was bred.
• Get as much information about where the puppy has come from and be especially aware if the seller is from outside the UK - check that the passport or information contained within it is not fraudulent.
• If the dog has been vaccinated ask to see all the documentation. This must clearly state the veterinary practice where this was carried out. Be suspicious if the address of the veterinary practice is outside the UK.
• If the seller informs you that the puppy has been brought in from another country it should have a pet passport and should be a minimum of 15 weeks of age.
• Never agree to have the dog delivered to your home address or to meet the seller an undisclosed location to collect the animal.
• Never agree to pay money in advance for an imported animal
• Be wary of individuals/groups offering to import rescue animals to re-home
• Be wary of social media requests that wish to generate funds for an urgent operation on an animal - it may be a scam

If you would like to contact someone about suspected illegal puppy trading, please call Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 04 05 06 who will pass the information to the relevant local authority. 

Top of page