Three quarters of people feel unsafe when shopping online, according to a new survey into e-commerce by the Trading Standards Institute, to coincide with National e-Consumer Week in September.
More than half (63 per cent) fear their card or bank details will get stolen, a tenth (10pc) worry their item won’t arrive and six per cent are concerned the item will turn out to be a fake.The public are warned to be more vigilant about websites selling counterfeit goods, or sites which turn out to be fake and disappear with your cash. Intellectual Property Minister Baroness Wilcox said: "Don’t get taken in by a professional-looking website or seemingly irresistible bargains. Check out the site before ordering goods to make sure the products are genuine so you aren’t cheated and you stay safe. Fake goods can pose a serious risk to health and safety. Poor quality electrical goods can cause fires and electrocution. Just this month a teenager was badly burnt after buying seemingly genuine hair straighteners."
BT is supporting National eConsumer Week, and is encouraging its broadband customers to be vigilant when shopping online. Warren Buckley, Managing Director of Customer Service at BT said: “The CHECK list is a great way of keeping consumers safe online, and we encourage our broadband customers to follow this when shopping online. Customers can also visit the bt.com website for help and advice on how to identify secure websites.” That CHECK list: C – Choose your shopping sites carefully. H – Help yourself by thinking about the price, the place you are buying from and packaging. E – Ensure the site is secure (look for https and the padlock). C – Contact law enforcement if you spot something suspicious. And K – Keep a copy of your order, details of the website and acknowledgements. Also ensure the website has a postal address for the trader and use a credit card for payments over £100, but never send your card or pin details via email.
Teenage entrepreneur Arjun Rajyagor, the winner of BBC TV’s Junior Apprentice show, is backing National e-Consumer Week’s Stay Safe Online campaign and has joined the calls urging people to shop safely, particularly those in his age group who are at serious risk from online scammers.
The 18-year-old student Arjun, who runs a computer repair business in his spare time, said: “There’s a whole new generation of us who are studying or have just started work. Because we’ve grown up with computers, we instinctively turn to the internet to look for bargains but rarely check out a company first. We all need to be far more careful in future.”
Fakes which shoppers are particularly warned about include mobile phones, hair straighteners, Nintendo DS Lite consoles, video games, clothing, toys, perfumes and cosmetics, alcoholic drinks and cigarettes. Many of the counterfeit versions contain dangerous components or may be harmful.
