Local scams and safety alerts
Current Scams & Alerts
06 July 2011
BEKO frost free fridge freezers safety warning
London Fire Brigade is urging people to check if they own
a BEKO or LEC frost free fridge freezer subject to a safety
warning.
A week after a tower block caught fire in what was widely
believed to be a blaze caused by a lightning strike, fire
investigators have discovered that the fire was actually caused by
a faulty BEKO fridge freezer that is at the centre of a product
safety warning.
There are believed to have been 20 fires in the capital alone
involving the fridge freezers since 2008. These fires have seen 15
people injured and one person die and it is believed there could be
as many as 500,000 of the potentially faulty fridge freezers in
homes and businesses across the country.
Over the last three years the London Fire Brigade’s fire
investigation team has been working to establish the link between a
faulty defroster timer switch on the appliances and a number of
house fires the Brigade has attended. The problem occurs when water
gets into the defrost timer switch in the fridge freezer, which can
lead to an electrical malfunction resulting in plastic components
and other highly flammable insulation inside the appliance catching
on fire.
The Brigade formally alerted BEKO to the problem in June 2010
and following meetings between BEKO and fire investigators, the
manufacturer has now begun trying to locate the products so that
the fault can be corrected. However, the Brigade believes more
needs to be done to alert people to the potential danger.
The same recall applies to a LEC badged fridge freezer.
The recalls can be viewed on the TSI website via: http://tinyurl.com/45yum9a
and http://tinyurl.com/3sgoews
(Source: London Fire Brigade Press Release, 5 July
2011)
04 May 2011
Beware of doorstep sellers this summer
Local people are being warned by the Council's Trading Standards
team against falling prey to doorstep cons by unsolicited tradesmen
over the summer.
The Council is urging people not to part with money on the
doorstep for work they need done, but to instead consult an
approved list of reputable tradesmen and companies that have joined
the local Better Business Partnership scheme.
Community Safety Convener, Councillor Willie Robertson said: "We
are urging people to be cautious and not to accept building repairs
and other maintenance offers from cold callers.
"Over the summer months, local residents, especially older
people, are more susceptible to unsolicited approaches about home
repairs and gardening work. The offers may seem tempting but you
could end up out of pocket and with more problems.
"People should always be cautious of doorstep tradesmen and
other unsolicited sellers. Snap decisions should never be made.
Never hand over money to tradesmen who appear on your doorstep.
"It is often difficult for consumers to know whether they are
dealing with reputable tradesmen or whether they are dealing with
one of the small proportion of rogue traders. Concerns are also
raised about bogus traders and unscrupulous callers who, after
carrying out less than satisfactory work, disappear leaving a
mobile phone number as the only contact.
"In an attempt to address these problems Perth and Kinross
Trading Standards and Tayside Police have introduced the Better
Business Partnership (BBP), a voluntary registration scheme for
businesses. The aim is to help traders comply with the law, whilst
also improving consumer protection.
"The BBP provides a list of trades people and companies that are
committed to trading fairly and that have signed up to the scheme.
We are happy to provide this list to any residents. The list can
also be viewed on the Trading Standards page of the Council website
http://www.pkc.gov.uk/"
For any advice and information on how to avoid home maintenance
and repair problems, or for further information on the BBP, please
contact the Trading Standards Team on 01738 476476.
Warning over home appliances cold calls - 15 March
2011
Perth & Kinross Council’s Trading Standards is warning
owners of Dyson cleaning appliances about cold calls from people
claiming to be engineers acting on behalf of the company.
The Trading Standards team has been contacted by concerned
residents who have had telephone calls asking if they have any
Dyson electrical products.
The callers say they are engineers who need to carry out repairs
or servicing to the product, and that they are offering a special
reduced price service while in the area.
The caller states, or gives a strong impression, that they are
authorised by, or linked to, the Dyson company.
Trading Standards officers are warning people to think twice
before agreeing to a visit from these people. The work may well be
unnecessary, have an excessive cost and could invalidate any
existing Dyson guarantee.
Dyson has also issued a warning to its customers as it never
calls without permission, and engineers will not turn up without
appointment.
Community Safety Convener, Councillor Willie Robertson, said:
ȁC;People should be extremely careful about cold callers. Our
general advice to residents is not to agree to anything when
receiving a cold call. If anyone needs work doing or servicing to a
product they have bought, they should either contact the
manufacturer or ring reputable companies for quotes. Likewise any
work on the home needs careful consideration and householders
should seek a number of quotes from reputable businesses."
Anyone with concerns should contact Trading Standards 01738
476476.
Warning over council tax
phone scam - 9th March 2011
The Council's Trading Standard Service has issued a warning
about bogus callers who are contacting local residents offering
them a substantial council tax rebate.
The callers claim to be from ‘Council Tax Head Office in
London’ and tell residents they are entitled to a significant
rebate from their council tax under a Government scheme.
Community Safety Convener, Councillor Willie Robertson, said:
"The main purpose of the scam is to obtain the victim's bank
details or money.
"These phone calls have no connection to the Council and we urge
people not to give their bank details or other personal information
to people who contact them out of the blue. As a rule you should
never give your bank details to anyone who contacts you over the
phone.
"Local authorities do not contact people in this way to offer
refunds. If there has been an over or under-charge on your Council
Tax, the Council will calculate what is owed and then write to
explain what has happened.
"If you think you have received a scam phone call and you have
given out any confidential bank details you should contact your
bank and let them know what has happened
Safety advice for second-hand bargain sellers and hunters - 03
March 2011
Rising prices and a drop in household incomes mean people are
even keener to find a bargain than usual, and second-hand shops and
charity shops are becoming still more popular.
However, as well as being a source of good value items, there
can also be potential pitfalls and dangers associated with choosing
previously used goods.
To try and help consumers make the right decisions about which
to buy and which to avoid, a special leaflet has been produced by
Perth & Kinross Council's Trading Standards Service, providing
safety advice on what to look out for when buying second-hand
goods.
Alongside this, a leaflet for charity shop operators has also
been produced. The development of both publications comes as a
result of a special project by Trading Standards, to look at how
much safety awareness those running charity shops had in relation
to donated goods. Positively, the level of knowledge was good and
the Trading Standards officers involved in the project provided
additional advice where it was required. The information gathered
was used to help create the content of both leaflets.
Trading Standards hope that the leaflets will increase the level
of knowledge amongst charity shops and their customers, ensuring
that there is less likelihood of shops selling, or a customer
buying, an item that may be dangerous.
Anyone who would like a copy of either of these leaflets can
contact Trading Standards on 01738 476476 or download the leaflet
from the Trading Standards section of the Perth and Kinross Council
website, http://www.pkc.gov.uk/
Hotel star ratings looked at by Trading Standards - 01 March
2011
Perth & Kinross Council Trading Standards has carried out a
project looking at whether the star ratings of local hotels
accurately reflect their standards.
There are a number of different schemes in operation and many
local hotels promote themselves as being members of one or more of
the schemes which entitle them to display various star ratings.
These ratings are given out by the organisations running the
schemes, and they require hotels to maintain the requisite services
to set standards.
A total of 120 hotels were inspected, and only nine
establishments were found to display star ratings which were either
inaccurate or unsubstantiated. In most instances the inaccuracies
were found to be as a result of membership of the scheme
lapsing.
Community Safety Convener, Councillor Willie Robertson, said:
"Tourism is a major sector for the Perth and Kinross economy. We
want to ensure that everyone who visits the area enjoys the
facilities on offer, so that they will return to the area.
"The investigation found that 92.5% of local hotels are
complying with their star rating standards. This means members of
the public and visitors to the area can have strong confidence in
the star ratings given to local hotels.
"Appropriate enforcement action will be taken against
establishments found in breach of the legislation."
PDS Viral Email Warning
Trading Standards has received reports of a
viral email discussing a scam that informs victims of a bogus
parcel delivery and charges them a premium rate for the phone call
to retrieve the phantom parcel.
We can confirm that this scam was in operation
until 2005.
In December 2005 the premium rate number
0906 661 1911 was shut down and the operator of the number was
fined £10,000.
The scam:
- A card is posted through your door from a company called PDS
(Parcel Delivery Service) suggesting that they were unable to
deliver a parcel and that you need to contact them on 0906 661 1911
(a premium rate number).
What to do:
If you receive an email containing details of this scam, please
ignore it. The 0906 661 1911 scam is no longer in operation and as
such is no longer a risk. Refer to the
PhonepayPlus website for more
information.
The above advice only relates to emails discussing the phone
number 0906 661 1911. If you receive a delivery card through your
letterbox which you do not believe is genuine and which asks you to
dial a different premium rate number, you can contact PhonepayPlus
on 0800 500 212 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) for further guidance
Residents warned to beware of cold caller tradesmen, issued: 23
July 2010
Following the recent heavy rain that led to flooding damage in
Perth and Kinross, local people are being warned by the Council's
Trading Standards team about falling prey to doorstep cons by
unsolicited tradesmen.
Community Safety Convener, Councillor Willie Robertson said: "We
are urging people to be cautious and not to accept building repairs
and other maintenance offers from cold callers."
The warning also coincides with the Office of Fair
Trading’s 2010 Doorstep Selling Awareness campaign, which is
currently underway. Information packs covering the campaign are
available on request from Trading Standards. The packs warn people
about the pitfalls of agreeing to have work done by traders who
cold call.
Councillor Robertson continued: "During emergency situations
like flooding, and over the summer months, local residents,
especially older people, are more susceptible to unsolicited
approaches about home repairs and gardening work. The offers may
seem tempting but you could end up out of pocket and with more
problems."
According to the national consumer advice service Consumer
Direct Scotland, more than 5,200 complaints were received last year
across the UK about unsolicited home maintenance tradesmen. The
Office of Fair Trading and Perth & Kinross Council's Trading
Standards are reminding people to be cautious of doorstep tradesmen
and other unsolicited sellers in order to avoid making a snap
decision that could cost them a lot of money.
For further advice and information on how to avoid home
maintenance and repair problems contact the Trading Standards Team
on 01738 476476.
Warning over cold callers
Trading Standards Officers in Perth & Kinross are urging
householders to think twice if they receive a telephone call out of
the blue offering them the chance to buy an alarm system at a
bargain price.
Recently, officers have had to deal with a significant number of
complaints from local consumers about the cold calling technique
used by the salespeople.
The sales pitch starts with the caller claiming to be carrying
out local research as part of a government sponsored programme.
They are then asked three questions: do you have an alarm system,
what age range are you in, and do you live in a neighbourhood watch
area?
This is followed up by another call keen to make an appointment
for a salesman to visit.
The initial sales pitch may include claims that there have been
a lot of burglaries in the local area and that the alarm systems
are part of a free scheme for the elderly.
Community Safety Convener, Councillor Willie Robertson, said:
"The sales pitch plays on people's fears. Reputable burglar alarm
companies would not use cold calling techniques like this, and our
advice would be to think very carefully about buying anything on
the basis of what you are told in a cold call.
"If you intend to make a major purchase always research the
market and get a number of quotes from reputable companies."
If you do receive a call offering goods or services please:
- Consider carefully whether you want or even need the product.
If you do, use reputable, established companies who you will be
able to contact if things go wrong. Ask relatives and friends for
recommendations or advice.
- If you feel pressured by the call - just put the phone down.
It’s your time they are wasting and you are not being
rude.
- Remember, if you do decide to buy following a visit to your
home you have a seven day cooling-off period to give you the chance
to discuss it with someone you trust. Insist on a detailed written
quotation. Insist on using your seven day cooling-off period.
- Don’t agree to have any work done inside the seven day
period. Your cancellation rights may be reduced if you agree to
have work done.
- Don’t pay cash - you can trace a cheque.
- Stay in control - don’t let a doorstep trader decide how
you should spend your money.
If you are worried about unsolicited calls or if you would like
further advice please contact Perth & Kinross Council's Trading
Standards on 01738 476476
Local travel agents inspected
Perth and Kinross residents can choose their holidays more with
confidence, following an inspection by the Council's Trading
Standards team of locally based travel agents
Trading Standards officers recently inspected travel agencies
across Perth and Kinross to ensure that they are complying with
consumer protection legislation in terms of the holidays they
advertise.
It is legal industry practice for travel agents to advertise
'bargain' holidays in order to attract customers into their shop to
sell them a holiday. It is illegal however to advertise a holiday
that is no longer available at the price displayed. This can happen
if for example the same holiday is advertised by various agents,
sold by one of them, but continued to be advertised by others when
it is no longer available.
The Trading Standards Team found that over 86% of the holidays
checked were indeed available at the advertised price. Two of the
travel agents visited have now been advised of their obligations
with appropriate enforcement action being taken to ensure future
compliance.
The Trading Standards Team is available to provide advice on all
consumer protection issues.
Advice for booking a holiday is to shop around for the best
deal, as the same holiday may well be available from more than one
travel agent. Consumers may also wish to book their holiday by
credit card in order to benefit from the additional protection that
this could bring. Providing the transaction is valued in excess of
£100, the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes the credit card
provider equally liable with the holiday company, for compensating
the customer if a holiday is not provided as agreed and paid
for.
If consumers would like additional information regarding this or
any other Trading Standards issue, please contact Perth and Kinross
Council on 01738 476476 or email es@pkc.gov.uk.
Scambusters seminar aims to protect vulnerable
people
Following the success of similar events, Perth & Kinross
Council's Trading Standards and Tayside Police will be hosting a
Bogus Caller/Scambusters Seminar in Perth on Friday 26 March
2010.
The event has been timed to link in with a traditional rise in
bogus caller crime at this time of year and to support the national
campaign by Trading Standards Officers in relation to different
scams. It is hoped the seminar will raise awareness and will
provide agencies and voluntary organizations who deal with
vulnerable members of the community the opportunity to share
information and good practice.
The event has been made possible by support from the Perth and
Kinross Community Safety Partnership.
Tayside Police Chief Superintendent Craig Suttie, Divisional
Commander for the Perth & Kinross area, will welcome delegates
to the seminar at the AK Bell Library Theatre and provide an
introduction to the event.
Bogus caller crime and various different types of scams can
seriously affect the elderly and most vulnerable members of our
community. Victims are often unaware that they have had something
stolen and have been a victim of crime. Sometimes they have
difficulty recalling certain incidents or information, or are
afraid to report incidents for fear of what might happen to them as
a result.
Given the invasive nature of these crimes it often leaves
victims traumatised or afraid. The criminal also targets cash kept
in the house and have been known to steal thousands of pounds,
sometimes depriving their victims of their life savings.
Research has suggested that for every one incident that the
police are made aware of, up to another eight go unreported.
Every year, an estimated three million people also fall victim
to mass marketed scams such as bogus lotteries, deceptive prize
draws, fake psychics, get-rich-quick schemes and miracle health
cures. Many of these scams are sent through the post, as well as by
email or over the phone, and mainly target the elderly and
vulnerable. However, Office of Fair Trading research suggests that
less than 5% of victims report the scam to the authorities.
The seminar’s delegates are from many professional
agencies and organisations that work with, visit, or communicate
with the elderly or vulnerable, and this year invitations have also
been sent to Post Offices and Bank Managers as well.
Many elderly or vulnerable persons have no relatives or regular
visitors to their home, so it is important that other legitimate
people visiting or working with them are fully aware of this type
of crime.
The seminar provides a varied agenda and includes up to date
information whilst at the same time helping to provide solutions
and advice. An increased level of intelligence and multi-agency
awareness are significant assets in crime prevention, reduction and
detection throughout Perth and Kinross.
Comment from Chief Superintendent Suttie?
Community Safety Convener, Councillor Willie Robertson said:
"Today's seminar is intended to raise awareness of scammers and
bogus callers and enable everyone who works with older or
vulnerable people to help them avoid being conned. I am pleased
that through the Community Safety Partnership we can deliver this
kind of event that aims to protect communities from this kind of
crime."
Selling Gold-advice from Perth and Kinross Trading
Standards
There are currently many businesses advertising that they buy
scrap gold and gold items. The growth in the number of such
businesses is due to the high price of gold on the international
market.
These purchasers come in various types:-
- they can be itinerant, advertising in local papers that they
will be at a certain local venue for a few days.
- they can be fixed shop premises, nationally or locally owned,
and usually of the ‘cheque cashing shop’ type of
business, however some are specifically only buyers of gold and
precious metal.
- finally they can be jewellers.
The recent increase in such premises has generally been amongst
businesses new to this market.
For those who wish to raise cash by selling gold, an increasing
group of people in the current credit crunch, it is important to
realise that there can be a variation in the price different gold
purchasers will offer. Thus it is important to shop around to
ensure that the best price is obtained.
The Trading Standards Service of Perth and Kinross Council
carries out checks on all such buyers of gold to ensure that the
weighing equipment they use for weighing gold is of the correct
approved type and is accurate.
Take care when shopping online this Christmas
Perth and Kinross Council Trading Standards are warning local
residents to be vigilant about internet scam traders when buying
presents online this Christmas.
Trading Standards receives an increasing number of complaints
each year about internet traders and purchases made over the
web.
Using the internet for Christmas shopping can save time and
money - but people can find themselves without their money
and goods because they have not bought from a reputable
website.
This year has seen a large increase in the number of "copycat"
websites of high street stores. These web sites have a domain name
very similar to legitimate websites but with a slight spelling
mistake e.g. www.eebay.co.uk
They are on closer inspection revealed to be scam websites. If
you use one of these sites you will not receive any goods and
because you will have disclosed your private banking details there
is a good chance your bank account or credit card could be
compromised.
Trading Standards advise shoppers to:
Shop around using price comparison sites and multiple search
engines. Popular comparison sites are www.moneysupermarket.com;
www.kelkoo.co.uk; www.pricerunner.co.uk.
There are also many others.
When comparing prices check that the advertised price includes
everything you have to pay, like VAT and delivery charges.
Know who you are dealing with - check the trader's details on their
website, including their location and email address.
Don't assume that ".co.uk" means that the seller is based in the
UK. Perth and Kinross Trading Standards know of several such sites
which have turned out to be based in China. Try checking for the
address of the registrant of the website by entering the web
address in a "Whois" site - e.g. http://www.who.is/.
Read all a trader's reviews and help others by writing reviews when
you make a purchase. Try searching www.moneysavingexpert.com
for comments on the trader. If you use the Google search engine try
typing the word 'link': followed by the web address of the trader
(e.g. link: pkc.gov.uk) in the search bar to find pages that link
or point to the trader's website - a useful way of searching for
comments about the trader.
Check if the seller is a member of a trust scheme such as Safebuy
or Internet Shopping Is Safe (ISIS). This is a sign that the
retailer is committed to a code of conduct.
Check that you have typed the web address correctly.
Take care when clicking on a link in an email - this is quite often
how copycat web sites divert you to their scam site.
Remember, internet shopping can be safe and savings can be made,
but by following some basic safety procedures and keeping a
sceptical eye out for scams your shopping experience won't spoil
your Christmas.
If you have any doubts about a web site, contact Perth and Kinross
Trading Standards on 01738 476476 for advice before you make a
purchase or give out any of your personal details.
Warning over bogus phone callers - 02 December
2009
Perth & Kinross Council Trading Standards is warning members
of the public to be on their guard against bogus telephone
callers.
Trading Standards has been made aware of phone calls being made
to residents from individuals who claim they are calling from
banks, online retailers and mobile phone companies. These callers
ask for bank account details so that a refund can be arranged.
In one instance, the caller claimed to be from the
Council’s Council Tax section and said bank details were
required to process an overcharge on the council tax paid.
Community Safety Convener, Councillor Willie Robertson, said:
"Each of these calls is a scam which sounds very convincing. When
people are being offered a refund of any sort it can be very
tempting to hand over bank details.
"However, the public should be warned against giving out their
bank details to anyone. If they are contacted in this way and the
caller asks for any confidential details such as bank account
numbers, sort codes or passwords they should hang up before passing
on any information.
"Banks, building societies and local authorities do not contact
people in this way to offer refunds. With particular reference to
the Council, if there has been an over or under-charge on your
Council Tax, the Council will calculate what is owed and then write
to explain what has happened."
If you think you have received a scam phone call and you have
given out any confidential bank details you should contact your
bank and let them know what has happened. Further advice can also
be sought via Perth & Kinross Council Trading Standards on
01738 476476 or by emailing es@pkc.gov.uk
Trading Standards Encouraged by Results of Supermarket Pricing
Survey (Issued: 16 November 2009)
Local consumers can be confident that they are generally not being
overcharged for their weekly shop, safe in the knowledge that
Trading Standards are monitoring prices in local
supermarkets.
Perth & Kinross Trading Standards Officers recently carried out
a survey which revealed that although the rate of pricing errors in
local supermarkets showed that a total of 1.65% of the prices
checked were incorrect, most (1.03%) were in the customers’
favour. The purpose of the survey was to check the prices actually
charged were the same as those advertised on the shelf. Seven
hundred and eighty-eight items were scanned and most of the errors
found were actually in the customers' favour.
Given the large number of items sold by each store, such a small
rate of error against the customer is a reasonably positive result.
However, any overcharge is a breach of legislation and Officers
ensured all errors were corrected and investigated
immediately.
Unless pricing is managed carefully and checked regularly by
supermarkets, charges can often vary as most stores nowadays choose
to mark the product price at the shelf edge, scanning the
electronic barcode of products, rather than pricing each item
individually.
Officers scanned products taken from a wide range of items which
are commonly bought as part of the weekly shop. The items picked
came form the full range of goods available and included premium
brands, own brands and value brands.
Trading Standards will continue to carry out pricing checks in all
market sectors to ensure high levels of compliance.
Trading Standards rely on collecting intelligence from complaints
& surveys to identify problem areas. If members of the public
have any concerns about pricing or any other consumer issues they
should contact Perth & Kinross Council Trading Standards on
01738 476476 or email es@pkc.gov.uk. Alternatively,
advice and information relating to the work of Perth & Kinross
Council Trading Standards can be viewed at www.pkc.gov.uk by searching under
'trading standards'.
Trading Standards' fireworks sales safety checks (issued: 11
November 2009)
In the run-up to November 5th, Trading Standards officers from
Perth & Kinross Council carried out safety visits to all shops
selling fireworks locally.
A total of 18 premises which are registered or licensed to sell
fireworks were visited. Officers checked that each shop had carried
out the required risk assessments and that traders were aware of
the strict conditions for safe storage of fireworks under the
relevant legislation.
Trading Standards were satisfied overall with the need for
responsible retailing and the level of awareness of safety
requirements. Advice was given to a number of traders on the
requirement to display signs stating it is illegal to sell adult
fireworks or sparklers to anyone under 18. Several traders were
also advised on the maximum amount that could be sold to individual
customers.
Community Safety Convener, Councillor Willie Robertson said: "I
am pleased that these checks have not identified any major issues
in relation to the sale of fireworks locally. Fireworks can be a
lot of fun when enjoyed responsibly but retailers and consumers
must be aware of the risks they can present if misused."
If consumers have any queries or concerns about the sale or
storage of fireworks, they can contact Trading Standards by
telephone on 01738 476476 or email es@pkc.gov.uk or search
for "Trading Standards" on www.pkc.gov.uk
Know your rights (issued on 29 October 2009)
Consumers should avoid being pressured into buying goods or
services they don't need by being aware of their cancellation
rights.
This is the message from Perth & Kinross Council's Trading
Standards Team who are making consumers aware of rights and
responsibilities introduced by legislation last year.
If you enter into a contract (written or verbal) with a business
in your own home or place of work, the business must provide you
with written confirmation of your cancellation rights and the
cancellation process. You have seven days from the date of this
confirmation to cancel the work.
If a business fails to do this, the consumer's right to cancel
the order extends beyond seven days. Moreover the customer may not
be liable to pay for goods or services provided.
Some circumstances are exempt from these requirements. If work
has to be done in an emergency and if the customer gives
agreement in writing, work can go ahead within the seven day
cancellation period. In these situations, customers can still
change their mind within seven days but will have to pay for work
done so far.
The legislation providing this protection for consumers is the
Cancellation of Contracts Concluded in Consumers Home or Place of
Work etc Regulation 2008. If you would like more information on
this or other consumer and business advice, please contact Perth
& Kinross Council's Trading Standards team on 01738 476476 or
es@pkc.gov.uk.
Local businesses warned over 'invoice' scam
Perth and Kinross Trading Standards officers are warning local
businesses to be vigilant about a bogus invoice scam that has
recently been brought to their attention.
Trading Standards has been contacted by a number of local
businesses who have been sent documents that at first glance appear
to be invoices demanding payment for goods and/or services.
The invoices are from businesses that the recipients have had no
previous dealings with, and have never received any goods or
services from.
On closer inspection, the documents turn out to be an order for
goods and services disguised, by their layout, to appear to be an
invoice.
Community Safety Convener, Councillor Willie Robertson, explained:
"The scammers sending these documents hope that in a busy office
many unsuspecting businesses will reply, paying the amount quoted
and often entering into a long term costly contract for goods and
services they neither need nor want.
"The best advice we can give to businesses is to be vigilant
and ensure that they only order and pay for the goods and services
they have actually ordered. Any "invoice" that arrives from
companies that are unfamiliar should always be queried before
payment is made."
Trading Standards warning over internet scam
Perth & Kinross Council Trading Standards are issuing a
warning of the dangers of buying goods from retailers via "spam
emails" and internet "pop-up" adverts.
Officers have recently been contacted by members of the public who
thought they were clicking onto a website to receive a "free 15-day
trial pack" of Acai Berry Diet Pills.
The berries are promoted as being the latest dieting and weight
loss product used by celebrities.
People taking up the "free" offer are then asked to supply their
credit card details to, on the face of it, pay for post and
packing. Potential customers are often told that they have only a
very limited time to take advantage of the free offer - some sites
even using a countdown clock to hurry along the sale. It is only
later that some customers discover that they have inadvertently
subscribed to receive more of the products at a cost of £79
plus £3.95 post and packing per month unless they take almost
immediate action to cancel the "contract".
Often, the first the consumers are aware of the subscription is
when they notice the money has been taken from their bank
accounts.
In this instance all the information the customer needs is
available, however it may not be immediately obvious. On closer
inspection of the terms and conditions it can be seen that the
product is supplied as part of trial promotion which is then
automatically followed by the subscription. Failure on the part of
the customer to then cancel the subscription will result in the
additional supplies being sent and the money being debited.
Community Safety Convener, Councillor Willie Robertson, said:
"Members of the public should be wary when responding to any type
of spam email or pop-up ads online. Often these web-based companies
are based outside the UK so it is very difficult to trace them or
get proper recourse when things go wrong. If people do buy goods or
services over the internet, especially from less well-known
sellers, they should carefully check all the terms and conditions
of the sale to ensure that they are well aware of the full costs of
entering into any contract."
Warning issued over fake hair straighteners
Perth & Kinross Council Trading Standards officers are
warning residents to beware of buying potentially dangerous
counterfeit hair straighteners.
Trading Standards has recently become aware that fake GHD hair
straighteners are being offered for sale to consumers through
websites, internet auction sites and at local markets and car boot
sales. The fake stylers have even been offered to local
hairdressers.
The GHD brand is recognised as a leading name for electric hair
styling products, and their straighteners usually sell for around
£120-£130 from approved stockists.
The fake units have been offered at prices of around
£80-£100, and are often well-packaged in an attempt to
mislead the purchaser into believing that they may be old stock or
special offers.
Community Safety Convener, Councillor Willie Robertson, warned:
"These counterfeit hair straighteners are highly unlikely to have
been manufactured to the same level of safety or performance as
genuine GHD products and may not meet with legal electrical
requirements. Unsafe electrical items could cause electrocution,
serious burns or hair damage, and are a serious fire risk.
Although some of the fakes found by our Trading Standards
officers were, with some basic knowledge, relatively easily
identified as counterfeits others including fake sets of limited
edition "GHD IV Pure" and "Pink" straighteners could only be
identified as fakes following contact with the manufacturer. These
are very convincing counterfeits.
If you have any concerns about a recently purchased GHD product
check for the hologram label attached to the cable. This should
have a 15 digit code which when entered into the GHD product
registration page at their website, www.ghdhair.com,
or given to one of their customer service advisers on 0845 330
1133, will verify whether it is a genuine product.
The sellers of these products make it very difficult for us to
track them down, using false names and addresses, and often, in the
case of internet sales, turn out to be based abroad. Our main
concern is the safety of our residents. Buying this kind of product
from recognised or approved stockists is the best way to ensure the
product is genuine and complies with safety legislation."
Anyone who is concerned about a recent purchase of GHD hair
straighteners can contact Trading Standards on 01738 476476
Don't be alarmed!
Trading Standards Officers in Perth & Kinross are urging
householders to think twice if they receive a telephone call out of
the blue offering them the chance to buy an alarm system at a
bargain price.
The sales pitch starts with an unsolicited phone call offering
to fit a burglar alarm. The fitting is said to be free with only a
evasive mention of a charge for monitoring and servicing the
system.
"The initial sales pitch may include claims that there have been
a lot of burglaries in the local area and that the alarm systems
are part of a free scheme for the elderly. This is simply a trick
to get a foot in the door.
Don't buy anything based on a cold call. If you intend to make a
major purchase always research the market and get a number of
quotes from reputable companies."
Trading Standards advise:
If you do receive a call, offering a free demonstration
please:-
Consider carefully whether you want or even need the
product. If you do, use reputable, established companies who
you will be able to contact if things go wrong. Ask relatives and
friends for recommendations or advice.
If you feel pressured by the call, just put the phone down, it's
your time they are wasting and you are not being rude.
Remember, if you do decide to buy following a visit to your
home, you have a seven day cooling off period to give you the
chance to discuss it with someone you trust. Insist on a detailed
written quotation. Insist on using your seven day cooling off
period.
Don't agree to have any work done inside the seven day period.
Your cancellation rights may be reduced if you agree to have work
done.
Don't pay cash, you can trace a cheque.
Stay in control, don't let a doorstep trader decide how
you should spend your money.
If you are worried about unsolicited calls or if you would like
further advice please contact Trading Standards on 01738
476476
Bogus charity collections - it may look like a charity, but
is it?
Trading standards are warning local residents to be wary about
who they give their charity clothing to.
Trading Standards has been contacted by residents who have
received leaflets from companies asking for bags of unwanted
clothes and other goods. The leaflets say that representatives will
be calling to collect the bags and claim that the collection
companies provide people in third world countries with clothes for
their families.
The leaflets also claim that the companies concerned provide
jobs in these countries, business for UK export and employment in
UK factories grading the clothes.
The wording on the leaflets may lead people to believe they are
giving to charity when in fact their donated goods are being sold
on for profit.
Companies House register confirms that the companies often do in
fact exist, although they are not registered charities
and
Trading Standards is taking the opportunity to remind consumers
to think twice about who they donate clothing and to consider using
established charity shops to make donations
Consumers should be on their guard when receiving any leaflets
through the door. Always check that the person you think you
are doing business with is exactly who they say they are, and can
live up to the claims they make. Registered charities and similar
organisations who do such good work and benefit immensely from
local door to door collections of clothing and similar goods may
lose out to companies making profits out of peoples?
generosity.
Anyone unsure about whether or not to donate clothing to
companies offering door to door collections can contact Trading
Standards for advice.
Recent Safety Alerts
http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/advice/advice-recall-list.cfm
