Shoppers in Gedling borough are being urged to avoid hasty purchases this Black Friday (November 25) and Cyber Monday (November 28) and make sure they buy wisely.
Around £6.7billion is expected to be spent on Black Friday by UK shoppers as stores offer cut price deals on items such as TVs, vacuum cleaners and washing machines.
Nottinghamshire County Council’s Trading Standards team is providing the following tips:
- buy goods from reputable retailers to avoid counterfeit goods and increase the chances of receiving a refund or exchange after Christmas if needed
- be wary if products are too cheap as there is normally a good reason as they are likely to be counterfeit – counterfeit alcohol can contain dangerous chemicals and cheap electrical items may not meet current safety standards
- request a gift receipt if buying as a present to allow the receiver to request an exchange and use a credit card for gifts worth over £100 for extra rights if there is a problem
- purchase gifts online from secure sites that display a closed padlock to ensure their financial information is protected.
Councillor Glynn Gilfoyle from the Nottinghamshire County Council’s Community Safety Committee said: “Black Friday can be a buying frenzy and there is a danger that consumers don’t do their research before making their rush purchases.
“Not only do buyers need to shop around to get a good deal, they also need to make sure they are not unwittingly buying counterfeit goods and make they are protected if they need to take the items back at a later date.”
For consumer advice or to report a consumer problem to Trading Standards, call Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 04 05 06.
