A new online shopping guide has been produced by the Consumer Safety Council including information on protecting your parcel deliveries, your rights in relation to digital downloads, as well as how to recognise safe shopping websites and protect yourself from scams.

It advises the following: - Install safety software on your device before shopping online - You have added protection by paying by credit card - Look for https on an internet address before entering payment details. The 's' stands for secure.

- A padlock icon can be faked. If you click on the padlock icon you will see the website's security certificate. The colour of the browser bar will turn green on websites to show it is safe.

- You have 14 days in which to cancel an order - Digital purchases such as downloaded software, music, videos, e-books, games, ringtones and phone apps are recognised as a different type of contract and have specific rules, including the need for clear information about the functionality and compatibility of the product with your computer, phone or tablet.

With more than one in three consumers in Northern Ireland shopping online at least once a month and online spending expected to increase by over 10 per cent each year it has never been more important to shop online safely and know your rights, according to the Consumer Council.

The Consumer Council has released a 'Guide to Shopping Safely Online' which reflects changes in law that came into effect on 13 June 2014 with the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

Speaking about online shopping Philippa McKeown-Brown, Head of Consumer Skills explains: “Consumers now have more rights than ever before when shopping online. The change in law means you have longer to change your mind and cancel your order and the time for refunds has been cut from 30 to 14 days. Furthermore, traders who offer telephone contact must now offer a basic rate telephone number so no more paying premium rates to resolve a problem or cancel your contract. There’s also a ban on hidden costs so that you can work out the full cost of your order and compare prices from the start.

“For the first time ever, the law gives specific protection for digital content such as downloaded films, music, games, apps and e-books. This includes making consumers aware about product functionality and compatibility with their computer, tablet or smartphone.” http://www.consumercouncil.org.uk/filestore/documents/Online_Shopping_Tips.pdf