ONLINE shoppers in York have been warned against using websites which make false claims about where they are based.

City of York Council’s Trading Standards officers have seen a rise in complaints about websites which lead customers to believe that they are buying from UK-based companies.

The National Trading Standards eCrime Centre (NTSeCC) were made aware of complaints about childrens’ dresses sold online which have either not arrived, or have not been of the quality the consumer has expected.

When customers tried to return items they were unsuccessful as the company was based in China.

Colin Rumford, a spokesman for NTSeCC and head of Public Protection at City of York Council, said: “Trading Standards have investigated many .co.uk websites and found some that are trading from abroad.

“Companies based within the UK have to comply with legislation that gives consumers rights to return most non-perishable items such as these for a full refund. Items have to be returned within seven working days of receipt.

“Wherever possible, pay using a credit card for goods over £100 which affords you some protection if things go wrong.”

Customers can check where a site is registered to using whois.domaintools.com.