Buyer beware - Festive warning to shoppers

As the festive season fast approaches, a buyer beware warning has gone out to shoppers hunting for gifts for family and friends.

Our trading standards team issued the warning as they urged shoppers to only buy from trusted retailers, while being on the lookout for authentic packaging and clear labelling.

In the run up to Christmas, the team expects an increase in the sale of fake goods, particularly perfumes and Apple accessories, and have advised shoppers to be overly cautious of any tempting discounted deals – if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is!

When it comes to buying toys for children, put safety first.

• All toys must be UKCA or CE marked to show they meet safety requirements
• Check the age range of a toy to make sure it’s suitable for the child, especially those under three years
• Don’t buy fake goods – they are often poor quality, unsafe and being sold illegally
• Check for small parts, loose hair and sharp edges
• Check any electrical toys are fitted with a three-pin UK plug or charger
• Use the charger supplied with the toy – cheap, fake chargers can be a fire hazard
• Ensure any button batteries are safely behind a screwed-down flap.

Here’s some tips to be a smart shopper, by knowing what you are buying and who from:

• Only buy from recognised and trusted traders - check manufacturers’ website for approved stockists
• Does the trader provide a postal address on its website, or is it just a PO Box number or email? Remember co.uk does not always mean they’re in the UK
• Only use websites that are secure - look for the padlock symbol on the address bar.
• If goods are advertised a lot cheaper than elsewhere, this should ring alarm bells, they could be fake.
• Look out for spelling mistakes, poor grammar and deadlinks on websites or packaging – all tell-tale signs of a website that’s not reputable and goods that are fake.

Councillor Jim Garner, the council’s cabinet member for stronger communities, said: “While it may be tempting to buy cheap copies of genuine brands to make your money go further, there’s a risk you could end up with toys and other goods that are poor quality and potentially dangerous.

“Our trading standards officers work hard throughout the year to tackle the illegal trade in counterfeit goods which can have an impact on genuine traders and the local economy, not to mention contributing to crime and anti-social behaviour.

“Generally speaking, if the price of goods seems too good to be true, then it’s likely that the product may be counterfeit.”

If you have any information about traders selling counterfeit goods please email [email protected] or you can do it online (this can be done anonymously) at www.darlington.gov.uk/tradingstandards then click on ‘Report an illegal trader’.

Photo caption: Shaun Trevor, the council’s trading standards and animal health manager, with some of the counterfeit goods seized in previous operations.