Over the past year Citizens Advice Sherwood and Newark have seen an increase in the number of people dealing with issues connected to unsafe goods, particularly to do with home improvements and faulty products.
To help consumers know their rights, Citizens Advice and the Office of Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) are raising awareness of product safety, what to look out for and what to do if something goes wrong.
When you are shopping think carefully about
- who and where you’re buying from. Use secure payment methods, be wary of sellers that try to change contact details or payment arrangements.
- does the item have safety markings? Check the item conforms to UK and EU regulations. Certain products, such as toys, electrical and gas items sold in the UK must have markings to demonstrate they
- have met UK safety standards. Until 1st January 2023, products sold in Great Britain may display:
- CE marking, or
- UKCA marking, or
- UKCA marking and CE marking, or
- UKNI marking and CE marking
- are the instructions clear?
If you have bought something that is unsafe, stop using it. You can contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service for help and advice about what to do next.
For consumer advice, or to report a seller you are concerned about to Trading Standards, contact 0808 223 1133 (Relay UK – 18001 then 0808 223 1133). For more information and advice visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/if-you-need-more-help-about-a-consumer-issue.
For more information or advice on all other issues, please contact Citizens Advice Sherwood and Newark via:
Local office
- Ollerton: Monday and Wednesday, 9.30am to 2.30pm – 5 Forest Court, NG22 9PL
Phone
- Local: 01623 861769 (you may be offered a call-back)
- Adviceline: 0800 144 88 48 (RelayUK, type what you want to say: 18001 0800 144 8884) available Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm
- Chat online: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/contact-us