Firstly, always ensure you shop around, just as you would when buying any product. Just because a product comes top on a price comparison site does not necessarily guarantee it’s the best deal as some companies may not be included. Take a bit of time to check different sites and also try and find reviews of the product and the seller if possible.

In terms of your consumer rights, you are may actually better protected when shopping online than when you buy something in person. When you shop online with a UK-based company, you are usually protected by extra legislation which means you are entitled to:

• Clear information about the product or service you are ordering.
   
• Written confirmation of your purchase(usually by email).
   
• A ‘cooling off’ period where you can cancel your order for any reason and receive a full refund. For goods (e.g. books) this ends 7 working days after you receive the item. For services (e.g. mobile phone contracts) it ends 7 working days after the order was made, unless you agree to the service starting before this, in which case it ends when the service begins. This rule does not apply to custom-made goods, perishables like flowers or food, unpackaged CDs or DVDs, newspapers or magazines, or betting, gaming or lotteries.
   
• A full refund if you do not receive your goods within the time agreed (if no time was agreed then you are entitled to a refund if you do not receive the goods within 30 days).
   
• Plus all the same rights you would get if you made the purchase in a shop – item must be fit for purpose and of satisfactory quality.

However, these extra rules don’t apply when purchasing financial services such as insurance or banking, when using an internet auction site (such as eBay) or in certain other circumstances – see http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/after_you_buy/online_shopping/your-rights/ for more information.

Here are some more top tips to remember when buying online:

• If you use a credit card to make online purchases you may be protected under the Consumer Credit Act. This only applies if the product you’ve bought cost over £100, but can be quite useful if you are entitled to it. It means that in the event of a problem you can claim a refund from either the trader you made the purchase from, or from your credit card company, so if the company you bought from goes under or cannot be traced for whatever reason, your money is still safe. Always try to make sure you can afford to pay off whatever you buy on your credit card in full at the end of the month though to make sure you avoid having to pay interest.
   
• Take steps to ensure that the company you are dealing with is real and reputable. Always make a note of the company’s address – this should be a real physical address and not a P.O. Box number. This is important in order to establish the company is genuine and is based in the UK – a ‘.co.uk’ web address is not in itself guarantee that a site is based here. Try putting the company’s name into a search engine and see what comes up – don’t trust any quotes from ‘satisfied customers’ given on the company’s own site as these could easily be faked.
   
• Keep copies of email confirmations of your order and any reference number you are given.
   
• Beware of scams – sites may look authentic but could be set up in order to trick you out of your cash. Before you buy take time to look at the site carefully, find out all you can about the seller and contact them with any concerns you may have. A genuine seller shouldn’t mind answering your queries for you.
   
• Be very cautious if you are contacted directly by someone you don’t know. This could be a sign of a scam. Ask yourself who the person contacting you is and how they have got hold of your details.
   
• Never email your financial details to anyone – ensure if you are going to enter them online that the page offers a secure payment. This is indicated by the web address bar at the top of the page (where you type in the address of the website) showing ‘https://’ rather than just ‘http://’
   
• If you think you may have been the victim of a scam you should contact Consumer Direct (http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/) at https://secure.consumerdirect.gov.uk/reportascam.aspx. Around 3 million people from all walks of life fall victim to scammers every year, and this number can only be reduced if people report their experiences – someone may then hear what has happened to you and be able to avoid getting into the same situation themselves.
   
• For those who are new to online shopping, this site may be helpful – http://www.moneymatterstome.co.uk/Interactive-Workshops/os-intro.htm. It gives an introduction to online banking and an online simulator where you can see for yourself how the process of placing an order online works.
   
• Look at http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/ or http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Consumerrights/index.htm for more information.

Scams are often illegal, but it can still be extremely difficult to get your money back. You may find that the company has simply disappeared, leaving you with no way to trace where your money has gone.

Consumer Direct reports that three million people fall victim to scams every year, losing an average of £850 each. All sorts of people can be taken in by scams, and it can be very distressing. There are some tips which can help you recognise and avoid the most common scams, for instance:

• Be wary of anything which sounds too good to be true. If it seems like a bargain, always question how the seller can be offering it at such good value – it may be a scam.
   
• Avoid dealing with anyone who contacts you out of the blue. A phone call, letter or email from someone you’ve never heard of can often be a sign of a scam. Ask them how they got hold of your details and request they do not contact you again.
   
• Don’t be pressured into making a decision. Con artists often try to get you to make a decision quickly, saying that if you do not take the offer up straight away you may miss out. This technique can be used by legitimate companies as well as scammers, but is always something to be wary of. Take your time to think over the offer and if possible to discuss it with family and friends before you give any details or agree to anything.
   
• Never give out your bank details. You should never give out bank, credit card or debit card details unless you are sure of the company you are dealing with.
   
• Check contact details. A good way to try and find out if a company is genuine is to make sure they have a full contact address, not just a phone number or Post office or mail box number.
   
• Search for them online. Try typing the company’s name into a search engine to see what comes up. Alternatively you can search for them at http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/0c3170594fadec79f38fb638cc1930f3/wcframe?name=accessCompanyInfo to check they are a registered company.
   
• Don’t be fooled by professional looking letters or websites. Scammers will put a lot of time and effort into making these look genuine as they know the rewards will be worth it if they manage to convince you to part with your cash.

If you think you may have come across a scam, you can contact Consumer Direct for advice on 0845 404 0506 or report it online at http://www.actionfraud.org.uk/report_fraud.

The first step is usually to contact the seller. You may want to try and get in touch with them by phone initially, but if this doesn’t resolve the issue than make sure you send a follow up letter and keep a record of this yourself in case things get taken further.

When dealing with the seller, try to remain calm and composed. If you are phoning them it may be helpful to jot down some notes before you call of what exactly the problem is, where and when you bought the product, any key dates so far in your dealings with the seller, details of anyone you’ve spoken to previously about the problem and what you would like to have happen now in order to resolve the situation.

Also make sure you take down notes whenever you speak to anyone so you have a record of all contact. Jot down:

• The name of the person you spoke to
   
• The date on which you called them
   
• Anything that they agreed to do (and the date they said it would be done by, so you can chase them up if necessary)
   
• Anything that you need to do (e.g. you may need to send proof of purchase etc. If you do need to send them anything make sure you only send them a photocopy and keep hold of the original just in case)
   
• When you are next expecting to hear from them (if you are expecting further contact)
   
• Brief notes on anything else important that was said.

If you are unhappy with the way the person you first speak to deals with your complaint, ask to speak to a manager, or consider sending a letter. DirectGov have some template letters (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/DoItOnline/DG_195923) which you may like to look at before writing your own, these should give you an idea of what to include and how best to express yourself.

If your complaint is still not resolved and you need to take the problem further, you can complain to Trading Standards at http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/advice/otherconsumerproblems.cfm
If you have a problem with a company that is not based in the UK which you have been unable to resolve in writing you will need to contact http://www.econsumer.gov/english/report/overview.shtm for more information as they deal with complaints about overseas companies.