Scottish shoppers have been issued advice to avoid spending cash on counterfeit or sub-standard products in the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.
This Friday will see retailers slash prices and offer one-time promotions to mark the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Online sellers will take this one step further by extending deals to Cyber Monday on November 28.
But experts at Advice Direct Scotland, which runs the national consumer advice service consumeradvice.scot, are urging Scots to be "savvy shoppers" in the sales.
The charity warned that opportunities for bargains brings a risk of people buying counterfeit or substandard products that may not be safe. Advice Direct Scotland also stressed that in many cases "if a deal sounds too good to be true then it probably is".
To keep shoppers from wasting their cash, consumeradvice.scot has put a list of top tips for people to follow to avoid being caught out during the sale season.
Here's what to know to make the most out of your shopping experience.
- Avoid the counterfeits – Counterfeit cosmetics and other products can pose health and safety issues and have a shorter lifespan than genuine goods from trusted retailers. Buying cheap can mean buying twice.
- Check the packaging or manufacturer information – Counterfeit goods will often come in different packaging to the genuine article. This may include spelling mistakes, a lack of safety marks and missing or vague manufacturer address information like postal or web addresses). Check for evidence of testing on cosmetic products and avoid anything untested, or unregulated.
- Consult with the manufacturer – When something is sold out online, there may be alternatives available elsewhere. Check with manufacturers and purchase goods from reputable suppliers and websites. This could save you time and allow proper recourse if things do go wrong.
- Know your seller – Check where the purchase is coming from – your rights may differ if the retailer you are purchasing from is based outside of the UK or EU.
- Keep Calm and ‘Stay Savvy’ – Don’t get carried away with unnecessary or unaffordable purchases.
- Avoid purchasing if at all unsure – Don’t be rushed into a sale by the offer of lower prices and limited stock. Weigh up your options. If it sounds too good to be true – it probably is.
While the sales extravaganza claims to offer the best deals for one day only, research has found that many retailers offer items for the same price or cheaper throughout the year.
Shoppers can also take advantage of price matching products which could see them save money by "challenging" retailers.
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