Scots are being urged to take care shopping online during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales amid concerns over scams and fraudulent products.
Experts at Advice Direct Scotland, which runs the national consumer advice service consumeradvice.scot, called on people to be ‘savvy shoppers’ when looking for bargains.
Black Friday falls on November 25th, followed by Cyber Monday November 28th, with many retailers offering cut-price deals in-store and online.
But the charity warned that opportunities for bargains brings a risk of people buying counterfeit or substandard products that may not be safe.
Colin Mathieson, spokesperson for Advice Direct Scotland, said: “Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are great opportunity for people to grab a bargain, with some amazing deals both in shops and online.
“However, it is important to be aware of the risks involved in buying potentially counterfeit or problematic items. It can be extremely difficult to tell the real from the fake, particularly when shopping online.”
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Mathieson added: “We would encourage consumers to check that the goods they are purchasing are genuine, by following our top tips including buying from reputable retailers.
“And, as always, people should remember that if something sounds too good to be true then there’s a high chance that it is.”
Ahead of the sales, consumeradvice.scot has put together a list of top tips for people to follow to avoid…
