Citizens Advice issues warning over counterfeit Christmas gifts - how to get your money back explained
Citizens Advice has revealed the top five counterfeit goods reported to its Consumer Service in the past year
Shoppers should beware of unknowingly gifting knock-off products this Christmas
The charity has issued advice on how to spot them, report issues and get a refund
Consumers should beware of unknowingly buying fake goods to gift to their loved ones this Christmas, says Citizens Advice, as reports of counterfeit goods are sharply rising.
In the past year, the charity’s Consumer Service received more than 3,500 complaints about counterfeit goods and services - an increase of more than 1,000 complaints from the previous year.
From toys and clothes to perfumes and shoes, shoppers should be cautious when parting with their cash, and report knock-offs to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service.
The top five counterfeit goods reported to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service in the past year:
Tobacco and related products like e-cigarettes and refills - 30% (1,067 complaints)
Clothing and footwear - 25% (887 complaints)
Toys and games - 9% (311 complaints)
Toiletries, perfumes, beauty treatments and hairdressing - 8% (277 complaints)
Media devices, accessories and repairs - 6% (218 complaints)
Almost half (48%) of all complaints about counterfeit goods in the past year relate to products bought from trader premises, compared with items bought online on websites or apps (32%), or from online marketplaces (11%).
Jane Parsons, Consumer Expert at Citizens Advice, said:
“Counterfeit goods are fake products designed to mimic the authentic ones sold by genuine brands. Sometimes it’s easy to spot a knock-off, other times it can be hard to tell.
“Fake goods aren’t only illegal, but they can be dangerous. Counterfeit children’s toys often don’t meet safety standards and can pose choking hazards - poor manufacturing can mean small parts are easily detachable.
“Consumers should watch out for strangely low prices from well-known brands, signs of poor quality like missing security seals, blurry logos or poor stitching and only buy from reputable sellers.”
Anyone who thinks they’ve purchased counterfeit goods can follow Jane’s top tips Getting a refund from the seller:
You’re legally entitled to a full refund on fake goods within 30 days of your purchase
If it’s been over 30 days since you paid, but less than six months, the seller is allowed to give you a real version of the item. If they can't do this, they’re legally required to give you a full refund
If you paid more than six months ago, you’re only entitled to a part-refund based on how much you’ve used the item and how long you’ve had it
If the seller refuses to give you a refund:
Sometimes sellers argue the items were obviously fake because they were very cheap. But they’re breaking the law by selling these items and your legal rights still apply
If you paid by debit card, contact your bank and ask to use the ‘chargeback scheme’. If you paid by credit card and the item cost less than £100, you can ask to use the same scheme
If you paid by credit card and the item cost between £100 and £30,000, tell your credit card company you want to make a ‘section 75’ claim to get your money back
If you want to report counterfeit goods or need more help getting your money back, contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service. You can also report a seller to Trading Standards, which investigates criminal activity. Find out more on our website on counterfeit goods.
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Notes to editors:
Between 01/12/2024 and 30/11/2025 the Citizens Advice Consumer Service received 3,535 complaints that referenced counterfeiting either as the complaint type or the additional complaint type.
The top five goods and service areas associated with counterfeiting during this time period were: Tobacco and related products like e-cigarettes and refills - 1,067 complaints (30.18% of all counterfeiting related complaints in the past year); Clothing and footwear - 887 complaints (25.09% of all counterfeiting related complaints in the past year); Toys and games - 311 complaints (8.80% of all counterfeiting related complaints in the past year); Toiletries, perfumes, beauty treatments and hairdressing - 277 complaints (7.84% of all counterfeiting related complaints in the past year) and media devices, accessories and repairs - 218 complaints (6.17% of all counterfeiting related complaints in the past year).
The top purchase methods associated with all counterfeiting complaints during this time period (3,535) were: Trader premises - 1,703 complaints (48.18% of all counterfeiting related complaints); Trader websites and apps - 1,116 complaints (31.57% of all counterfeiting related complaints) and online marketplace (non-auction) - 390 complaints (11.03% of all counterfeiting related complaints)
Between 01/12/2023 and 30/11/2024 the Citizens Advice Consumer Service received 2,509 complaints that referenced counterfeiting either as the complaint type or the additional complaint type.
Citizens Advice is made up of the national charity Citizens Advice; the network of independent local Citizens Advice charities across England and Wales; the Citizens Advice consumer service; and the Witness Service.
Our network of charities offers impartial advice online, over the phone, and in person, for free.
Citizens Advice helped 2.71 million people face to face, over the phone, by email and webchat in 2024-25. And we had 44 million visits to our website. For full service statistics see our monthly publication Advice trends.
Citizens Advice service staff are supported by more than 19,500 trained volunteers, working at over 1,900 locations across England and Wales.
Citizens Advice is the statutory consumer advocate for energy and postal markets. We provide supplier performance information to consumers and policy analysis to decision makers.
You can get consumer advice from the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133 or 0808 223 1144 for Welsh language speakers.