The last few months have seen Brits tighten their purse strings as some face reduced hours, pay or even unemployment.

For others who have continued to work and receive their normal pay, they may have built up cash as non-essential shops as well as bars, restaurants and venues closed their doors.

But with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, many may want to snap up a bargain ahead of Christmas.

It’s easy to get sucked into the hype so consumer expert at Citizens Advice, Jerry Houseago, shares his top tips to ensure safe and savvy shopping…

Firstly, always do your research and compare prices via different sites. You also need to be careful not to end up with a counterfeit item.

Secure websites should start “https” and have a padlock symbol in the taskbar. Be wary of spelling or grammar mistakes, and companies that don’t provide an address.

Also seek out reviews of the seller from other buyers as these can help you decide whether or not you trust the seller. If there is a lot of negative feedback from other people, it’s often a sign that something’s not right.

If you bought something to be delivered, it’s the seller’s responsibility to make sure the item is delivered to you. If the seller used a delivery company, they should chase the company to find out what’s happened to your order – it’s not your responsibility.

Check the delivery address you gave the seller. Then contact them and ask where your order is. Be careful in selecting safe places; if you nominate a safe place and the parcel is stolen you might have lost the right to a replacement.

If you change your mind about a purchase and you bought it online, unless it’s bespoke, made to measure, or you’ve broken a digital or hygiene seal, by law you will get an automatic 14-day cooling off period.

This starts the day after you receive your order, and there doesn’t need to be anything wrong with the item for you to get a refund.

If you buy something in person, shops aren’t legally required to accept returns for unwanted goods. Despite this, the shop may choose to have its own returns policy. If it does, they must honour it, so it’s worth checking your receipt.

If something’s gone wrong with an item you’ve bought, you may be entitled to a refund. You’ll have legal rights if you unwittingly bought an item that is broken or damaged, unusable, not what was advertised or doesn’t match the seller’s description.

You’ll have to move quickly, as you only have 30 days to return something that’s faulty with the guarantee of getting your money back. Your rights don’t end after 30 days, though after this period the retailer doesn’t necessarily have to refund you, instead they have the option of repairing or replacing the faulty product.