Black Friday sales: Beware toy slime that makes your children sick, make-up containing arsenic and rat-droppings, and dangerous teddy bears – Daryl McKelvie-Whyte

Black Friday sales are underway, bringing the opportunity to pick up some early Christmas presents for a fraction of the cost.

The Black Friday sales are a global phenomenon but don't get carried away and fall prey to scammers (Picture: Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images)

Spending across the UK is predicted to increase to £6 billion this year with 66 per cent of consumers set to shop online.

But sometimes a deal really is too good to be true, and you can end up with more than you bargain for.

Online shopping and auction fraud increased by over a third during the first half of 2020, with more than 40,000 cases in the UK.

This trend is expected to continue through the latter part of the year and scammers have been quick to notice the increased online demand.

So to help keep shoppers safe, a new public information campaign has been launched in Scotland to advise shoppers about Black Friday scams, including counterfeit and unsafe products.

Soft toys that do not meet UK safety regulations, fake cosmetics and perfumes, and unsafe slime products are among the most likely scams to watch out for this year.

With new Xbox and PlayStation consoles released in recent weeks, and stocks from official sellers depleted, shoppers should also look out for over-inflated prices, scammers who falsely claim to have lots of consoles in stock, and sellers who supply less powerful versions of the products they advertise.

Hard to spot fakes online

The new awareness campaign is being jointly led by Scotland’s national consumer advice service consumeradvice.scot and Vistalworks, which provides consumer protection technology.

People in Scotland are being encouraged to report suspected scams and suspicious activity to the new national scamwatch.scot website.

It can be extremely difficult to tell the real from the fake when shopping online, which is why Vistalworks has also developed a free checker tool for shoppers to use to help keep them safe online.

This works by providing information on any risks when the URL of a product is entered, and it can also work in the background as a browser plugin.

One of the most common issues we encounter is soft toy sales.

From small parts that easily fall off to untested, flammable, materials, buying the genuine counterpart is the only way to make sure that these items are safe for young children to use.

Unsafe for children

Be on the lookout for teddy bears from unknown brands and those that are being sold without labels or packaging.

These may be indications that the soft toy does not meet current UK safety regulations, making them illegal to be sold here and unsafe for children to have.

Another popular children’s gift for the past couple of years is slime-based products, and this craze shows no sign of diminishing this year.

But untested and unregulated slime products, including home-made recipes, can contain high levels of the chemical boron, which can cause skin irritation, and gastrointestinal issues making children exposed to it unwell

Stay informed and make sure that you are buying from genuine, regulated sellers.

Horrific stories of counterfeit cosmetics

For adults, counterfeit cosmetics are one of the main issues being highlighted this week.

There have been a number of truly horrific stories: eyeshadows found to contain rat droppings and arsenic; lipsticks containing large volumes of lead; and dodgy eyelash glue causing severe cases of dermatitis.

It is unsurprising that concerns over these fake products are high, especially around this time of the year, with huge numbers of new make-up products saturating the market.

The best way to make sure that you are not falling for a so-called ‘GlamScam’ is to only buy from known, reputable sellers. Their illicit counterparts are unlikely to have gone through the same rigorous testing and are often found stored in disgusting conditions.

Perfumes and aftershaves are also easy marks for criminal sellers. From high quantities of unknown ingredients to listings trying to sell empty perfume boxes, it pays to be wary of dodgy fragrances.

If you are planning to buy perfume or aftershave this Black Friday, make sure you know what the bottle should look like and pay close attention to item pictures and descriptions so that you are sure you are going to receive what you are expecting. Also, be wary of new items that are being sold without packaging.

Cyber Monday scams

Black Friday is swiftly followed by Cyber Monday, and games consoles will be in high demand this year.

But don't be tempted to pay inflated prices for the latest consoles.

Remember that manufacturers may have second releases if consoles sell out fast, so check the manufacturer and trusted retailer websites for more information.

Don't be fooled by scammers who take advance payments for pre-release consoles, only to vanish when the time comes to deliver.

And some scammers are advertising one model of a games console and supplying an inferior version.

This week’s awareness campaign is designed to ensure that Scots consumers can make informed choices and stay safe as they hunt for some great deals online.

Don't rush into purchases – compare prices of alternatives, be wary of fake online reviews, and remember that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Daryl McKelvie-Whyte is marketing and content executive with consumer protection experts Vistalworks

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