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In this issue:
As Black Friday (27 November) and Cyber Monday (30 November) approach, Coventry Trading Standards is warning residents not to rush into hasty purchases but instead do your research first.
It’s all about unmissable offers and the fact that you need to ‘do it today’ or else you miss out, and of course fraudsters are the first to take advantage of that.
Common tricks include dodgy posts on social media advertising big ‘Black Friday Deals’ which are completely fraudulent. Once people have entered their bank details and send their money to the ‘seller’ they get absolutely nothing in return.
Depending on how quick the shopper is to change or cancel their cards, it also leaves an opportunity for scammers to buy things using their account.
Take your time and do your homework – don’t get swept up in the frenzy!!
Most importantly, be fraud aware and know your online shopping rights.
Trading Standards top Internet shopping tips to shop safely:
- Only buy from reputable Internet traders you know and trust.
- If you come across a trader you haven’t used or heard of before, search for reviews online or check out their customer ratings, especially if they are advertising an item that is out of stock everywhere else.
- Don’t click promotional links sent to you by email or text or on social media such as Facebook or WhatsApp.
- Make sure the trader has a genuine address and landline number you can contact them on if things go wrong, not just an email address.
- Be wary if products are too cheap as there is normally a good reason – they may be fakes – counterfeit alcohol can contain dangerous chemicals and cheap electrical items may not meet current safety standards. Whilst counterfeit Nike trainers aren’t going to kill you, a counterfeit charger or batteries could.
- Buying online gives you a 14-day cooling off period to change your mind and return/cancel most goods or services purchased from a UK or EU trader.
- You can return faulty or misdescribed goods free of charge to a trader, but you may have to pay to return goods if you simply change your mind.
- Tighten up security before you shop online especially before Cyber Monday. Make sure all software on your computer is up-to-date and if you don’t already have it, install an anti-malware program.
- Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA): to give any online account additional protection, where possible, you should turn on two-factor authentication. 2FA is a way for the service you’re using to double check that you really are the person you claim to be, when logging in.
- Always use a secure form of payment to pay for goods or services, for example PayPal. Never simply transfer money.
- Don’t enter your card details into a website unless it is secure. Look out for the padlock sign and ‘https’ at the start of the web address.
- For purchases over £100, consider using a credit card for the purchase to give you extra consumer protection
Just remember, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is!
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For more information on scams, visit: www.coventry.gov.uk/scams
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