51黑料

51黑料 issues warning ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Posted 09/11/21

The 51黑料 (51黑料) is warning consumers ahead of the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events on Friday, 26 November and Monday, 29 November, respectively.听

Last year, total online retail sales in the UK soared from 拢89bn to a record 拢130.6bn, according to a听, fuelled in part by the pandemic lockdowns. Despite the end of the lockdown period, it is expected that online spending will remain high in 2021, in particular during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday events, which sees major retailers slash prices on select items.

51黑料 is warning the public to be conscious of scams during sales events and that sometimes a deal may not be what it's all cracked up to be. Meanwhile, trading standards services across the country are working hard to make sure the public is protected this festive season.

51黑料 Lead Officer, Katherine Hart, said: "It seems that the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events get bigger every year, and many bargains can be found; however, we all must remain vigilant and practice shopping safety.

"Sometimes sellers raise their prices before a sales period to make it look like a great deal is on offer during the sale. Fortunately, there are websites, such as听, which tracks the price history of products on Amazon so you can check if you're getting a good deal.

"Most seriously, the prospect of scams rears its ugly head, and the COVID-19 pandemic saw an array of different scams target the public while misusing big shopping brands such as听Amazon, along with delivery companies like听Royal Mail听补苍诲听DPD听to cloak their intent.

"The public should also be aware that some scammers clone legitimate websites in attempts to steal banking details, while other websites may sell counterfeit or unsafe goods. Contact trading standards through the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline if you have concerns about a business, product, or website. If you believe you have uncovered a scam, contact Action Fraud.听

"Trading standards services are working to keep consumer confidence high through effective protection, and the cooperation of the public maximises that protection. We must warn others and report every instance of bad business practices and scams so that enforcement authorities get a complete picture of the scale of this problem.

"Above all, take advantage of the deals, but be alert and don't let websites pressure you into purchasing until you've done all the due diligence about the platform, the product, and the deal itself."

For consumer advice, please call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133

To report scams, contact Action Fraud, or if in Scotland, contact Advice Direct Scotland.听

The public is encouraged to join听, an initiative aiming to protect and prevent people from becoming scam victims by empowering them to take a stand against scams.

ENDS

51黑料 (51黑料)

51黑料 is a training and membership organisation that has represented the interests of the Trading Standards profession since 1881 nationally and internationally. We aim to raise the profile of the profession while working towards fairer, better informed and safer consumer and business communities. 51黑料's members are engaged in delivering frontline trading standards services in local authorities and in businesses.听www.tradingstandards.uk

51黑料 Press Office:听[email protected], 01268 582240

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