Consumer advice

Many of us do a lot of our Christmas shopping online. While convenient, it's important to stay safe and protect your personal details.

The National Cyber Security Centre offers advice on shopping online securely, including: avoiding scam websites, keeping your accounts secure, phishing and what to do if things go wrong.

Our Trading Standards team has top tips for safe shopping:

• Stick to trusted retailers and check independent reviews.
• Do your research. Look at prices before Black Friday to make sure you are getting the best deal. Be wary of any deals that seem too good to be true.
• Check the company/website is genuine.
• Check out and pay securely - check out ‘as a guest’ if you can and don’t allow the website to store your bank/card details. NEVER pay by direct bank transfer and use a credit card, if possible, especially for purchases over £100.
• Beware of counterfeit goods – if a deal looks suspiciously cheap, avoid it.
• Beware of delivery scams - if you receive a message or a phone call about a delivery, stop and think if the request is genuine. Did you order something from this company?

Know your rights:

• If you buy in-store, you can only return non-faulty goods for an exchange or refund if the retailer has a returns policy. Many shops do, but they're not required to by law.
• Buying online gives you more rights - you have 14 days from the date of delivery to cancel an order and a further 14 days to return it for a full refund.

If you need to return any gifts or items you’ve bought for Christmas, make sure you know your consumer rights.

Advice Direct Scotland's Knowledge Centre offers a range of consumer advice including how to spot a scam and what to do if you think you have been scammed.

Trading Standards Scotland publishes updates on the latest scams.