Media Information

History

Shopsafe.co.uk was launched in January 1999 to make it even easier for the public to find safe shopping web sites. Since then we have helped hundreds of people sort out disputes with online retailers and helped thousands of people make tens of thousands of purchases online in safety.

What is Shopsafe?

Shopsafe.co.uk is a consumer guide for online shoppers. We offer advice on how to make an informed buying decision and give some precautions for shopping online. The site lists only online shops that have met our code of practise, along with the best deals and bargains offered by these online retailers. If a Shopsafe user has a problem with any of the retailers listed on the site, we will try to sort it out for them. We have even discreetly bought items from some of the retailers on the site to make sure they deliver what they promise.

When examining a site for inclusion into the Shopsafe directory we look for:

Online ordering and security of credit card payment transactions.
Product prices and delivery prices that are clearly displayed.
A wide range of products, suitable for "high street" consumers.
Sites that are based in the UK and deliver to the UK.
Full contact details including phone and fax numbers, postal and e-mail addresses and a contact for complaints.
Prominent display of customer service information, including delivery information, a refunds and returns policy and information on how to cancel contracts.
A full privacy policy. If sites not have one, they can use this privacy policy, making any changes they need to suit your business.
Terms and Conditions must be clearly displayed
Good design, making the site quick to load, easy to use and multi-browser compatible.
Compliance with the latest legislation regarding electronic communications and disability acts.

If anyone has a problem with a site listed on Shopsafe they can follow our complaints procedure and we will contact the retailer on their behalf. We provide a safety net for online shoppers.

Who's behind Shopsafe?

The site is run by Edward Robertson Limited, a web design company with great experience in creating online stores. This means we actually know what we're talking about. When we review online stores and check that they are secure we know what we are doing because we've got our hands dirty creating web sites for others. You can go to the Edward Robertson web site.

Quotes

"The Shopsafe web site fulfills a basic need - to shop. We want our web site users to find what they wanted, show them some things they didn't expect and give them a good time while doing so."
- Graham Miller

"Shopping online with confidence online is all about trusting the retailer. Always look for a logo from a safe shopping scheme such as Shopsafe.co.uk on the home page. They've done the hard work for you in working out whether or not it's safe to shop."
- Simon Crisp

How do we help you

We make it easy for people to find safe shopping web sites
We list only well designed UK secure online shops that are suitable for use by all the family
We have examined each shop listed and made sure it meets our code of practise.
We've checked their security, delivery, range of goods, prices, privacy policy and more, and have over 3500 listed.
Only about 25% of sites submitted to us meet our criteria and get a listing on the site.
We assist the customer if they have a complaint or problem with a retailer listed on our site.
We offer advice on how to make an informed buying decision and give precautions for shopping online.
The site lists the best deals and bargains currently offered by online retailers
We have bought items from some of the retailers on the site to make sure they deliver what they promise.

New feature

New to Shopsafe is the 'Save Money' section, where you can find big bargains, sales and voucher codes for all kinds of products from all kinds of retailers.

TV Coverage

graham and hywel sarah preparing to be filmed

BBC2's "Weekend 24" filmed us on the 9th of December 2004 to be shown the following Saturday. We talked to them about shopping online, particularly in the run up to Christmas. The photos below show Graham before being interviewed by Hywel Jones, and Sarah preparing to be filmed for the piece.

See the clip on the BBC news web site (Real Audio format).

Radio Coverage

BBC Radio Manchester invited us on to their popular drive time show with Heather Stott to talk about online shopping. We talked to them about how shopsafe.co.uk can help resolve ordering problems and make your online Christmas go smoothly. Listen to it here (MP3)

Awards

In 2003 we won the Tees Valley Internet Award, sponsored by BT, the criteria being:

Excellence of web site design, in terms of visual appearance, navigability and interactivity.
A demonstrable impact of the use of web technology on the business, internally and externally.
The innovative use of Internet technology to improve business performance or boost competitiveness within an existing business, or to start a new enterprise.

Future Marketing

The Shopsafe service continues because of sponsorship and advertising on the site. All profits from these are put back into advertising and developing the Shopsafe site itself.

Blog

For a view of online shopping from a position in between the shoppers and the online retailers please read our online shopping blog.

For more information please call:
Graham Miller (head reviewer and partnerships)
Simon Crisp (strategy, sales and marketing)
Sarah Brown (affiliate manager)
on 01325 489 300 or email info@shopsafe.co.uk.