With Christmas rapidly approaching and the cost of living rising, we want to help people avoid scams and bad deals. We will be posting our advisors #toptips for safe Christmas shopping daily so make sure to check back for our #ChristmasCountdown 🎄🎁

We are currently aware of some issues with our phone lines this afternoon. Our technical support team are working on this and we hope that this will be resolved shortly. Please contact us via email at [email protected] if you need our support

Have you received unsolicited goods? We still hear about it occasionally and consumers are never quite sure what their obligations are, if any.

If a company has not fulfilled their obligations, you may be eligible for a chargeback if you have paid on a debit card (or a credit card if the purchase is under £100) The time limit to raise a chargeback claim is usually 120 days so speak to your bank as soon as possible

Is this a problem that you have experienced? If so, we may be able to help if the company is based overseas. Get in touch with us on 01268 886690 or email further details to [email protected]

Signing up to a gym this January? Here's our tips: -Check whether the contract auto-renews -Check the specifics. Does the contract include all the activities? Are there any exclusions, i.e. peak/off peak? -What is their cancellation policy? ..In case you regret it by February 🙊

Our customer satisfaction survey results have been collated for December. 95% of consumers rated the politeness and friendliness of our advisors as good! “It was the first time anyone been able to help at all, and that was a wonderful moment for me.” Great work team!

1 day...#ChristmasCountdown Christmas is coming! We hope you've purchased wisely and safely with the help of our tips. If you've missed any go back and check before the #boxingdaysales Merry Christmas from us all at the UKICC 🎄 #toptips

2 days...#ChristmasCountdown Not long left now so you're probably purchasing in the shops now. Remember that shops don't legally have to allow you to return a purchase if an item doesn't fit or you change your mind. Check a store's return policy before you buy. #toptips

3 days...#ChristmasCountdown When buying electricals, check the terms of that extended warranty they are offering to decide whether it is worthwhile. Does it cover anything additional to your statutory rights? What are the exclusions? And are there excess charges? #toptips

4 days...#ChristmasCountdown If you don't know what to get someone, purchasing gift cards might seem like a great idea but gift cards are not protected if a company goes out of business! Consider a card that can be used in multiple places or even give cash. #toptips

5 days...#ChristmasCountdown Ordering custom or personalised gifts? Usually you won't be able to return these unless they are faulty so make sure you've measured correctly and double check your spellings if it includes a message #toptips

6 days...#ChristmasCountdown Beware of customs charges on products! These are often applied to goods coming from overseas and are the responsibility of the consumer. Check where a company are based and whether the goods that you're buying are affected #toptips

Our phone lines will close for the Christmas break on Friday (23rd) afternoon. We will reopen again on the 3rd January. We are working hard to get through large volumes of cases during this time and will try to respond to as many as we can before this break

7 days...#ChristmasCountdown Making a large purchase over £100? Where possible, pay for this on a credit card. UK consumers benefit from the S75 of the Consumer Credit Act, which gives us the right to claim against your card company if something goes wrong #toptips

8 days...#ChristmasCountdown Have a courier company delivered a product and left it at your door? The seller is usually responsible for the goods until they are in your possession. Just be careful you haven't given the courier permission to leave the goods #toptips

9 days...#ChristmasCountdown Cashback websites are a great way to make your money stretch a little bit further. Lots of companies offer some money back by purchasing through a cashback site. It's usually not much, but it can really add up if you shop online regularly #toptips

10 days...#ChristmasCountdown Lots of scam websites pop up at this time of the year to take advantage of the festive surge in online shopping. If you're caught out by one, act fast. Report the matter to Actionfraud and contact your bank. Don't be afraid to get help #toptips

11 days...#ChristmasCountdown Don't just wrap packages as they arrive (we know, wrapping boxes is much easier than that awkward shaped vase you got for Mum 🤭) Check the product is correct and that it's not defective before you gift it, in case it needs to be returned #toptips