Shop smart and stay safe

Know your consumer rights and stay safe

Shop smart group imageProduct safety might not be your top priority when you’re shopping, but it’s important to know what to look out for, and what to do if something goes wrong.

We’ve pulled together this quick and easy guide full of safety tips to help you shop smart and keep everyone safe.

Things to consider when buying and using products

Whether you’re buying a product   

  • brand new, or second-hand,
  • online, or in a shop,
  • from a business, or a private seller,

it’s important to shop smart and stay safe.

Read more: Shop smart and stay safe

Shop Aware - Know your rights and shop safely

To help shoppers get clued up on their rights, Citizens Advice Wiltshire is sharing its top tips to shop confidently.
 
A woman with a laptop shopping online while her dog is sat behind her on a sofa - the image features the words Helping you stay ShopAwareAs part of our annual awareness campaign we’re encouraging consumers to know their rights when shopping, including what to do if you run into issues after purchasing, have complaints around defective goods or substandard services, and when sellers fail to deliver.
 
With budgets already stretched, none of us want to waste precious time or money on retail issues that could easily be avoided. 
 
That’s why we’re dedicated to giving you, the consumers, the knowledge you need to stay savvy when shopping on the highstreet or online.  

Read more: Shop Aware - Know your rights and shop safely

Know your rights when shopping from an online marketplace

Shop wisely this year and avoid getting less than you bargained for with top tips from Citizens Advice Wiltshire

A woman shopping on her laptop It may be the time to bag a bargain but sometimes we get less than we bargained for, and lots of people are coming to us about fake or faulty goods that they’ve been sold online. 

We don’t want that to happen to you, so to help you bargain-hunters shop safely online, we’ve shared our top tips on how to shop wisely.   

Shopping from online marketplaces 

More and more of us are buying from online marketplaces, like eBay - they have many benefits but sometimes people face problems.

Read more: Know your rights when shopping from an online marketplace

Advice on consumer issues

Citizens Advice also has a consumer service.

Contact the Citizens Advice consumer service if you need more help with a consumer problem. For example, they can help with things like broken or faulty goods, or problems with energy or post.

You can either:
• call the helpline, or
• chat to an adviser online

How to contact the consumer service External link

Office for Product Safety and Standards

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is the UK’s national product regulator.

Their primary purpose is to protect people and places from product-related harm, ensuring consumers and businesses can buy and sell products with confidence. They are responsible for the regulation of most consumer goods excluding food, medicines, and vehicles.

They have resources and guidance to help prevent you from being harmed by what you have or use in your home, or while out and about.

Read the product safety advice from the OPSS External link

More consumer resources

Shop smart resources hub for partners and local organisations

Partner organisations, community groups, venues and local businesses can visit our Shop smart Stay safe resources hub to order copies of our printed resources, including leaflets and posters to share and display in your own setting.

All the resources are free to order, and are available while stocks last.

Visit our Shop smart resources hub for partners External link
Contact us
Please use this form to get advice or to contact us.

We will usually respond to your enquiry by email, however sometimes we may need to call you (for example a foodbank request). We aim to respond to your enquiry within 5 working days, however during busy times it may take a little longer. Please check your junk and spam folders if you have not received a response.

If your enquiry is urgent, it’s usually better to call us on 0808 278 7995 (Lines are open Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm. Closed on public holidays).
For more ways to get advice, click here.

Note: We are only able to give advice to Wiltshire residents. If you live outside Wiltshire you can find your nearest Citizens Advice here.

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