The Consumer Council of Fiji is urging Fijians to exercise caution when purchasing items sold on social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter especially during this period as people prepare for Diwali.
Council CEO Seema Shandil says they received 99 complaints against online retailers worth more than $28,000 since 2016.
She says it is extremely difficult to recover the money if the goods were of unsatisfactory quality or if they are not delivered at all.
She says it is the consumers responsibility to demand all information about any item before purchasing it and demand for actual photos of the product.
Shandil says consumers should do research and also check reviews of the person or company they are buying from.
The Council is also calling on traders to be ethical and ensure that they do not mislead consumers with false advertising and deliver items as promised.
Shandil is also urging sellers who buy goods online and sell it locally to first register their business in accordance with the Business Licensing Act 1976 and the Companies Act 2015.
