Avoiding Retail Scams from Citizens Advice Mid Lincolnshire

I bought a jacket online and when it arrived it looked nothing like the images shown. The company said if I want a refund I must pay to ship it to an address in China, but the website claimed the brand was UK-based. Is this a scam and how do I avoid it in future?

This is a really frustrating situation and unfortunately it’s becoming more common than you might think. It is in fact a type of retail scam and often leads to customers having refund rows with sellers who are misleading people.

These companies are known to convince people they’re based in the UK by using deceiving brand names and having UK websites or postal addresses. Some create AI-generated images of fake products and boutiques - and even go to the trouble of making up backstories about the origins of the brand.

What they actually do, as in your case, is ship low-quality items from overseas that can look nothing like the images advertised. Shoppers are then asked to fork out for expensive international shipping fees if they want their money back.

Understandably, many people don’t bother, because the cost of shipping takes a huge chunk out of the refund they’d receive. The scammers know this, and it’s how they take advantage of people.

When sellers turn out to be based overseas, UK consumer laws are far harder to enforce, so it can be difficult to recover your money.

There are a few steps you can take to help you spot and avoid these scams:

• Research before buying from a company you haven’t used before - check reviews on search engines and third-party websites

• Watch out for heavily discounted, too-good-to-be-true prices and “huge closing down” sales

• Be mindful of the targeted shopping adverts in your social media feeds - this is often how customers are drawn in

• Consider whether images used to advertise an item were created by AI. This can be difficult, but look for overly airbrushed images, inconsistent textures or distortions on the face and body

• Check the company’s website delivery information. Overseas stores offer shipping to the UK in a much longer timeframe than a genuine UK-based brand would

If you have been caught out by this type of scam and you paid by debit or credit card, you may be able to get a refund. If you paid by debit card, ask your bank to use the ‘chargeback scheme’. If you paid by credit card and the item cost less than £100, you can ask to use the same scheme.

If you paid by credit card and the item cost between £100 and £30,000, tell your credit card company you want to make a ‘section 75’ claim to get your money back.

The more people that recognise and report these scams, the more can be done. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has the legal power to enforce UK consumer laws against traders which target UK shoppers but are based abroad, but they rely on people reporting it. If a company has broken the law, they can impose fines and website takedowns. You can report an issue to the CMA but they can’t help people with individual cases.

Citizens Advice can offer support with individual situations and we advise you to report scams to us too - please contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service. You can also report an advert you think is a scam to the Advertising Standards Agency.

If you need help with a scam, please contact Citizens Advice Mid Lincolnshire on 08082787942.

Alternatively, you can email your query to: outreach@citizensadvicemidlincs.org.uk or attend one of our face to face drop in sessions. For information about our service and how we can help you, please take a look at our website www.camidlincs.org.uk

Meet The Locals

This month we talking to Rob from ARN Architectural Ltd

We both have nearly 10 years’ experience in the Architecure field and so took the decision to setup ARN Architectural Ltd in May 2023 to not only have a much better work/life balance but also to provide friendly and professional architectural and energy assessment services throughout Lincolnshire. We are both local to the area so understand the local needs and requirements and really enjoy helping people make their dream home come to life.

Our services include drawing packages for planning permission or building regulation applications and for construction, management/coordination, submission of planning and building regulation applications for extensions, conversions and new builds – no job is to big or small. We are coming up to the end of our second full year of trading and already have a proven track record of innovative designs, effective problem solving and attention to detail and our goal is to meet and exceed the expectations of every client.

We take on all types of jobs from small domestic work to larger commercial projects, all carried out to the highest standards, and at very competitive prices. For more information or to discuss your upcoming project please call or email us on info@arn-architectural.co.uk to organise a FREE no obligation initial consultation. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram.

Blue Elephant Yoga

When you hear the word ‘Yoga’, you probably think of young, fit people making different shapes with their bodies. As I’ve mentioned plenty of times before, yoga actually comprises many different components, of which the poses are only a small part. And that’s the thing about yoga… it can be exactly what you want it to be. So, if for you it simply means coming to a class each week for physical exercise, whilst ignoring breathwork, moral principles or meditation, then that’s absolutely fine.

However, I make no secret of the fact that I personally consider meditation to be the most beneficial part of yoga for me. That may surprise you, particularly if you’ve tried it and failed. It all sounds wonderfully simple when explained by calm people on podcasts. Sit quietly. Focus on the breath. Clear your mind. Unfortunately, the average human brain tends to have other ideas.

The mind is a strange thing. For instance, if I asked you not to think about something… say a blue elephant… what’s the first thing you think of? A blue elephant, right? The same thing happens when we are told to clear the mind and stop thinking. It’s almost like a green light for thoughts to flood in. Exactly the same happens during meditation when we tell ourselves not to think… it simply doesn’t work!

Something that has helped me enormously is recognising that we are separate from our thoughts. We are on one side, our thoughts on the other. We are separate. In other words: WE ARE NOT OUR THOUGHTS!

If they appear during meditation, try thinking of them as clouds passing across the sky, or leaves floating down a stream. That separation between ourselves and our thoughts is significant, and potentially a real game changer if you struggle with meditation.

However, it doesn’t end there. To deepen that sense of separation comes a simple phrase suggested by Eckhart Tolle in his 1997 book The Power of Now. Once a thought drifts past, silently repeat: “I wonder what my next thought will be?” And that’s it!

Soon enough, another thought will appear and, when it does, simply watch it drift by and repeat the phrase again. Asking the question seems to reinforce that separation and, in between those thoughts, is that special meditative space.

Yoga and meditation were never really about becoming thoughtless. The mind thinks… that’s its job. The interesting part is learning that we don’t have to follow every thought that appears.

So, even if you’re a seasoned daily meditator, I’m willing to bet that every time you settle down… BANG! The thoughts arrive. But trying this really can be a game changer!

Likewise, I’m guessing some of you gave up meditation long ago because of those wandering thoughts. Well, perhaps now is the time to give it another try, armed with that one simple phrase.

Good luck, you’ll need it as meditation isn’t easy, but very much worth pursuing!

Namaste - Mark