Trading Standards are advising consumers to be cautious of websites that lead them to believe that they are buying from a UK based company, after the number of complaints has risen in recent months.

Scambusters is issuing the warning following the National Trading Standards eCrime Centre (NTSeCC) were made aware of complaints about childrens’ dresses sold online which have either not arrived, or have not been of the quality the consumer has expected. When customers tried to return items they were unsuccessful as the company turned out to be based in China.

Attached is an example of one dress which a customer believed to be misdescribed and of poor quality, but which they have been unable to return, resulting in a loss of around £80.

Colin Rumford, a spokesman for NTSeCC and head of Public Protection at City of York Council, said “Trading Standards have investigated many .co.uk websites and found some that are trading from abroad. Potential customers can check who the site is registered to using a website such as https:/whois.domaintools.com/ and make sure that the trader has a corresponding geographical address on the website.

“Companies based within the UK have to comply with legislation that gives consumers rights to return most non perishable items such as these for a full refund. Items have to be returned within seven working days of receipt.

“Wherever possible, pay using a credit card for goods over £100 which affords you some protection if things go wrong.”

The NTSeCC is operated on behalf of the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB). The NTSB brings together trading standards experts from services across England and Wales to prioritise, fund and coordinate national and regional enforcement cases. It is responsible for gathering intelligence from around the country to combat rogue traders and tackle priorities such as internet scams, illegal money lending and other issues that go beyond local authority boundaries.