The Martin Lewis Money Show star Angellica Bell has shared with Lorraine viewers her top tips for avoiding being ripped off while shopping online.
Martin Lewis’s co-host Angellica appeared on the ITV daytime show alongside host Lorraine Kelly to discuss her work with the Competition and Markets Authority on the Online Rip-Off Tip Off.
The 45-year-old said on Thursday’s show: “You work hard, so you want your money to stretch and grow and there are all these things that snip here and there.”
Angellica highlighted four red flag issues viewers should be aware of when online shopping, noting that a third of all retail is now being conducted online.
The 62-year-old host said: “Especially over lockdown, I was doing a lot of online buying. There’s still things I really like to go and shop for - especially on the high street, you want to support the high street and smaller shops.”
The first area was hidden charges, as Angellica noted that shoppers can find extra costs when they checkout online, including tax or handling charges that rack up the price - as well as a lack of free returns if things don’t fit.
She said: “That’s when you have to ask, do I really need this? That’s a little bit cheeky. It’s about shopping around online.”
Another area was subscriptions, which Angellica also said were “cheeky” as they might seem attractive with a good trial offer at the start.
She said: “If they take your bank details they can start to automatically take money from your account and you don’t notice it.
“I write when the trial is going to end in my diary and see how you can get out of it. You might have to call them up, so read the terms and conditions.”
The third area Angellica flagged was fake reviews online, particularly if a product has plenty of five star reviews.
Lorraine said: “I do look at the reviews of things and it reassures you it’s going to be good quality and a good fit - but you have to look out for that too.”
Angellica replied: “I always say review the review. If a product has five stars with generic reviews - ‘love it’, ‘great’ - what did you love about it? What’s great about it?
“Look for reviews that have a bit more depth and detail, then you’ll know that person did have that product in their hand.
“Also people are paid to review things, so sometimes there’s bias in that. If something has loads of five stars, why? Look around.”
The final area to look out for is pressurised selling, Angellica said, when a retail website urges shoppers to “hurry” as there are only a certain number of items left.
Angellica said: “Most of the time it’s not that true. Retailers now have so many sales during the year, so that product might be on the sale later on. Have some patience.”
She added: “One thing I never do is shop late at night, because sometimes you just buy it because you’re tired. Sleep on it, see what you think and don’t feel there’s only three left.”
She offered the parting advice to always check the retailer’s details on their website, including the address and customer services number.
She said: “Just be savvy and take your time. Don’t put your bank details if you don’t need to, because as we’ve got more and more into digital retail, businesses have got more savvy.”
Lorraine airs weekdays at 9am on ITV
