Thanksgiving weekend is known as the biggest shopping weekend of the year, but the Better Business Bureau says in some instances, the huge savings aren’t a savings at all.
South Dakota BBB state director Jessie Schmidt says don’t rely on ads alone. Do price comparisons, examine the fine print, research companies and compare prices before opening your wallet.
She says know what the store’s return policy is before you leave the premises.
Schmidt says although Black Friday is still the busiest shopping day of the year for brick-and-mortar stores, over the past few years, Black Friday is no longer a single day event. It lasts for a week.
Schmidt says you can report possible scams at bbb.org/scamtracker.
Other general tips from the Better Business Bureau are available at bbb.org or 1-800-649-6814.
Hear more from Schmidt on holiday shopping precautions in the KGFX Beyond the Mic podcast. It’s available for free through Podbean, Spotify, Google Play or iTunes.
With online sales taking a bigger piece of the holiday shopping pie, BBB wants to remind you to be mindful of your online transactions and to know your rights.
- According to the FTC, orders made online should be shipped by the date promised or, if no delivery time was stated, within 30 days.
- If the goods cannot be shipped on time, the shopper must be notified of the right to cancel and receive a refund.
- Consumers also have the right to reject merchandise if it’s defective or misrepresented; otherwise, it’s the company’s policies that determine whether the shopper can cancel the purchase and receive a refund or credit.
- Pay with a credit card. Using a credit card is recommended because the shopper can dispute the charges if the item is not received. Shoppers also have dispute rights if there are unauthorized charges on their credit card, and some card issuers have “zero liability” policies under which the cardholder pays nothing if someone steals the credit card number and uses it.
- Keep documentation of your order. After completing the online order process, there may be a final confirmation page or the shopper might receive confirmation by e-mail. Save a copy of the web page and any e-mails for future reference and as a record of the purchase.
- Watch for phishing emails: With all the promotional emails received during the holidays, scammers will be out in full force. It’s best not to click on links from senders you don’t recognize. You can also hover your mouse over links without clicking to see if the address is really taking you to where it says it is. Also, check the reply email address. The address should be on a company domain. Watch for look-alike domains.
