www.shopsafe.co.uk, the online shopping portal, has welcomed research which has shown more than a third of the UK’s top online retailers could be breaking consumer laws.
The research, conducted by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), checked 156 popular websites and suggested that 62 may not be complying with consumer protection law.
The OFT has asked the retailers to change their websites before Christmas.
Simon Crisp, director at www.shopsafe.co.uk, said: "Some of the problems reported included unreasonable restrictions on refunds and compulsory charges added at the online checkout without prior warning.
"It is important, particularly in the build-up to Christmas, that consumers are able to shop online with confidence, and knowing that the Office of Fair Trading is keeping a watchful eye on retailers will help to inspire greater faith."
www.shopsafe.co.uk is one of the UK’s leading online shopping portals, featuring more than 4,000 selected retailers, including Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, Nike and Next. Each has been vetted for safety and ease of use, before being listed, to give shoppers greater peace of mind.
Simon added: "We hugely welcome this research and it is vital that the High Street names lead by example, because these are the names consumers are most likely to trust. However, it is worth noting that the majority of problems encountered online relate to smaller, lesser known websites.
"It is heartening to know that the majority of websites checked by the OFT complied with the relevant online trading laws, because I am sure five or ten years ago this would not have been the case."
Further information on safer shopping is available from www.shopsafe.co.uk.