By Ceredigion County Council's Trading Standards Team:
When shopping from home, you have these additional consumer rights:
a '7 day cooling off' period during which an order can be cancelled without any reason and a full refund made (there are some exceptions to this right e.g. perishable goods - flowers, fresh food - CDs, DVDs if you have broken any seals)
a full refund if goods or services are not provided by an agreed date or within 30 days of placing an order if no date was agreed
protection against credit card fraud
the seller of the goods must provide you with their name and, if payment is required in advance, their address too. In addition...
1. If you've purchased something on a credit card that's over £100 and under £30,000 the credit card company can reimburse you if the company disappears. It may be wise to have a separate credit card for internet purchases with a low credit limit, e.g. £200.
2. Check the website is secure - look for symbols such as the closed padlock. The internet address should also change from http to https when entering a secure area.
3. Never send credit card details by e-mail. This is not secure.
4. Get a personal recommendation before buying from a company you know nothing about.
5. Make sure you know where the company is based and what their telephone number is. A 'co.uk' address is not necessarily based in the United Kingdom.
6. Remember, buying from abroad may present problems in the event of a dispute. It is also worth checking if the goods are subject to a duty.
7. Check the company's 'terms & conditions' and in particular:
Check for a company's policy on returning goodsCheck on delivery times and addressesLook for a privacy policy. A good company will ask you if you want your information passed on. Details on how to complain 8. Make sure you know the total price before buying. Look out for additional costs such as postage, packaging, VAT or credit card charges and check your statements to ensure that you were not overcharged and that there are no irregularities.
9. Beware of unsolicited mail and offers that seem too good to be true.
Should things go wrong and you want further advice, contact Trading Standards or log on to www.consumerdirect.gov.uk. Safe Christmas Surfing!
By Ceredigion County Council's Trading Standards Team
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Buying your Christmas presents online this year? Here's some handy advice from Ceredigion County Council's Trading Standards team. 
