As long as yesterday's Budget hasn't completely destroyed family finances everywhere, the festive shopping season will continue apace this weekend and every day until the moment the shutters start coming down unexpectedly early at about 4.30p.m. on Christmas Eve

Spending money can be a hazardous pursuit.

Alongside the personal space invaders, heel-clipping fellow pedestrians and frenzied sales staff, there are numerous scams lurking that threaten to make the consequences of Christmas even more horrifying for hundreds of thousands of bank balances.

Here are just some of the misleading, illegal or plain fraudulent tricks that consumers should watch out for when shopping this Christmas:

Statutory rights

Signs declaring "no cash refunds" have no legal effect and should not be displayed, according to the Office of Consumer Affairs (ODCA).

Consumer rights cannot simply be taken away - a message that was part of the ODCA's €650,000 consumer advertising campaign last Christmas.

Consumers are still confused, however, over the instances in which they are entitled to a cash refund and the instances where retailers will issue a cash refund in the interest of good practice and of smooth customer relations.

Number four in the ODCA's top 10 consumer tips on its website is the fact that consumers are entitled to a repair, replacement or refund only in the case of faulty goods.

This is number five: "A consumer has no rights if they simply change their minds if there is no fault with the goods. It is at the shop's discretion as to what, if anything, they wish to offer the consumer in such circumstances."

So if you make a spontaneous gift purchase for a loved one and then find something you know they would like better elsewhere, the retailer is not required by law to give you a refund on the original gift.

Similarly, if your granny gives you an embarrassingly naff Colin Firth-style reindeer jumper as a seasonal gift, a receipt will secure you a cash refund for the unworn, unloved item nine times out of 10, but you won't actually be entitled by law to a refund or exchange unless the stitching was unravelling or the wool was stained at the time of purchase.

Toy standards

All toys on sale or given away free since February 1990 must carry the European Union's CE mark.

The CE mark guarantees that the toy is safe as long as it is used as intended by children no younger than the minimum recommended age stated.

"This means, for instance, that a chemistry set suitable for a 10-year-old should not be put into the hands of a three-year-old!" the ODCA notes.

Certain items qualify as "playthings" rather than "toys" under the EU legislation and thus do not carry the CE mark.

These include sports equipment, darts, toy steam engines, catapults and plastic fashion jewellery for children.

Extended warranties

These policies are very profitable for electrical retailers, and staff members often make commission on their sale.

But consumer groups have accused retailers of using dubious tactics to foist the warranties on consumers, including exaggerating the cost of repairs so that the extended warranty premiums seem like good value and worth the cost in case the hi-fi, TV or other electrical item breaks down.

It is also argued that the policies are unnecessary in many cases as manufacturers' guarantees provide the same cover for free.

Balance transfers

Credit card companies try to lure customers by offering low balance transfer rates of 0 per cent APR to 5.9 per cent APR, usually for a period of six months.

Consumers who have run up large sums of card debt will naturally want to avail of a low introductory rate, rather than continue to accrue interest at the usual purchase rates of 12.9-18.9 per cent APR.

Even if it means paying an additional €40 in stamp duty on the new card, the difference in interest charged may make a move worthwhile.

It is important to remember that the balance transfer rate only applies to the debt moved to the new card.

The rate of interest on any further purchases will be the standard double-digit one.

What is not always made clear is that any lodgement cardholders make will be taken off the balance transfer amount first, with the purchases racking up interest at the higher rate until the transferred money is cleared.

AIB is one exception to this rule: it credits lodgement against cash advances and purchases before it eats into the transferred balance.

Customers thus have a 0 per cent six-month comfort zone on the debt built up elsewhere, regardless of how many new purchases they make.

Consumers who have no debt to clear but want to pay for Christmas expenses through low interest borrowing should be looking for a 0 per cent rate on purchases.

Bank of Ireland gives customers a choice of either a 12-month balance transfer rate of 2.9 per cent or 0 per cent on purchases for six months, while Ulster Bank is currently offering a six-month 0 per cent rate on both purchases and balance transfers.

Card users who fail to reform their borrowing habits even after an emergency balance transfer may want to take notice, however, that Ulster Bank's standard rate is 17.9 per cent, compared to 16.8 per cent at Bank of Ireland.

Store cards

These are cards that can be used to purchase goods on credit in a particular store, for example Arnotts or Brown Thomas. They often have loyalty incentives attached.

Some stores promote the fact that the €40 stamp duty payable on credit cards is not due on store cards. But interest rates on store cards are about 1-2 per cent higher than on standard credit cards, making them an expensive source of long-term credit.

Make sure to obtain and read a full list of terms and conditions on any store card.

Plastic card fraud

Incidents of ATM card fraud - skimming - in Dublin and surrounding areas in recent months have prompted the umbrella body for payments services, the Irish Payment Services Organisation (IPSO), to warn cardholders to be extra vigilant when using ATMs.

Skimming occurs when the account details held on a card's magnetic stripe are electronically copied onto another plastic card.

A lot of IPSO's advice involves common sense: be aware of people standing close by; shield the screen and keyboard so that anyone waiting cannot see you enter your PIN; be aware of any damage to the ATM or out-of-the-ordinary attachments and cancel the transaction and leave immediately if you see anyone or anything suspicious.

Further information is available on www.safecard.ie