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Denbighshire County Council urges residents to know their rights during National Consumer Week (November 12 -19).

The county’s Trading Standards department, in conjunction with other North Wales Trading Standards Services, wishes to raise consumer’s awareness of their rights, when buying via the internet, or other forms of non face to face, distance selling.

The Office of Fair Trading estimates that annual online spending has risen to more than £30 billion, but a worrying percentage of purchasers are unaware of their rights. Even some businesses may not understand their obligations to its customers.

There are some simple steps you can take to make shopping from home easier:
• Be careful when you give your credit or debit card details on the Internet, or over the telephone. Always confirm that the internet business has a ‘secure site’ to process your financial details, by looking for the webpage address changing to include the additional letter ‘s’ (https), when you enter this secure part of the site.
• The trader must give their name and a geographical address, not just a PO Box number or e-mail address. They must also fully describe the goods offered for sale and subsequent orders must be confirmed, in writing.
• As with any other type of purchase, shop around for the best deals and prices. There are price comparison websites, which may help.
• In many cases, you are entitled to a 7 working day cancellation period, in which to  change your mind, but this usually does not apply to 'auction' type sites. You must look after anything you buy, before you return it.
• Watch out for high postage rates and for other hidden costs, such as VAT and other duties payable, particularly if goods are being sent from abroad. Remember to check out the cost for returning goods, should you wish or need to.
• Check with the trader how long delivery will take, and set a delivery date that you must have them by, if that is important. 
• Ascertain what the seller's policy is on returning goods that you don't like, or have changed your mind about. Find out who pays for the return carriage. You may be faced with a hefty postage bill to return them. A consumer found the cost of returning goods was twice the cost of the purchase!. Refunds should be made within 30 days.

• When buying from abroad, remember that if you have any problems, it may be  difficult to get your complaint dealt with. If what you are buying costs more than £100, pay by credit card which may give you additional protection. Be wary of buying  expensive items from outside the UK or Europe, unless you have confidence that if things do go wrong, you can realistically sort any issue out to your satisfaction.  
• Importantly, print out a copy of your order immediately and keep any terms and conditions that appear on the web site at that time.

Those who advertise goods on internet, auction sites, or even in local papers, are often private sellers. Purchasers need to be aware that their rights against a private seller are limited.

It is anticipated that some 27 million shoppers may go online to seek their Christmas items. Be a savvy, confident online consumer.

For clear, practical, initial consumer advice, by phone, call Consumer Direct Wales on  08454 04 05 06 (Welsh Speakers 08454 04 05 05) Minicom users 08451 28 13 84
Denbighshire Trading Standards Team can be contacted on 01824 – 706057.