'Know who you're dealing with' when shopping abroad

When going on holiday, travellers have been advised to ensure that they know who they are dealing with when going shopping.

In order to undertake secure transactions, Apacs has advised holidaymakers to use a credit card for transactions between £100 and £30,000 due to the extra protection that is put in place, which may not be offered on a debit card.

UK consumers are protected on such transactions when abroad, as per last year's ruling by the House of Lords stating that section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 applied to transactions abroad as well as in the UK.

Mark Bowerman of Apacs stated: "Try and make sure you know who you are dealing with and make sure to the best of your knowledge that it is a reputable company."

When faced with an issue of misrepresentation, for example, buying something which the retailer claims to be genuine but is not, the retailer should be approached, Mr Bowerman said.

"Although the section 75 clause means that you could approach your card issuer first if you thought that was easier," he added.