Councillor Craig McLaughlin, Spokesperson for the Corporate Services Department tells us “The Trading Standards Institute’s National Consumer Week commences on the 17th of November and the theme for this year is “Be a Savvy Shopper”, which although always good advice is particularly relevant at this time of year.”
Councillor McLaughlin also says “Trading Standards offer advice and assistance to consumers who run into problems with goods they have purchased, however there is no better protection than being prepared and avoiding obvious pit falls. We all want everybody to have a trouble free Christmas and to avoid any extra hassle and stress.”
Consumer Adviser for Trading Standards Liz Hodson says “There are several ways in which you can protect yourself and here are our top ten tips.
- Shops don’t have to take things back unless there’s something wrong with them but often help out of goodwill. Ask before you buy.
- Check if the shop has special arrangements for unwanted Christmas presents. Ask if they will give you a gift receipt.
- If you need to return anything, proof of purchase is very important. Keep receipts in a safe place as soon as you start shopping.
- Check that presents aren’t broken before wrapping them to avoid disappointment on Christmas day and allow you to sort things quickly with the shop.
- Think about using a credit card for goods costing over £100. You get extra protection if things go wrong, for example if goods turn out to be faulty, but please avoid unwanted debts.
- Be very careful with seasonal ‘Christmas Shops’ and one-day sales that appear overnight. They often disappear just as fast.
- It’s a very busy time of year so make sure you order presents in plenty of time. Ask the business to confirm the delivery date in writing.
- If you are buying over the internet, using a credit card and in some cases a debit card, will give you extra protection from fraud.
- Always stick to age warnings on toys and look for safety marks like the Lion Mark. Make sure younger children don’t get hold of toys made for older ones.
- Check all toys for loose parts or sharp points. Don’t be tempted to buy cheap fakes as they’re likely to be poor quality and could be unsafe. If you believe a toy to be dangerous then please stop the child playing with it and report the matter to Trading Standards.
This year Trading Standards will be attending the “Christmas Lights Switch On” in Alexandria town centre on the 22nd of November which is the end of National Consumer Week. Trading Standards will have Grotty Grotto filled with some of the unsafe and fake goods that the service has seized this year. Liz Hodson, Consumer Adviser for Trading Standards will also be on hand to offer advice.
David McCulloch Trading Standards Section Head says “We are aware that Christmas can be a stressful time and that problems with goods can make this worse. If you do have a consumer problem please call Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 or visit Trading Standards at the Council Offices in Clydebank.”
