BBB Halloween alert: Be cautious when shopping at pop-up stores

As Halloween approaches, pop-up stores selling costumes, decorations, and candy seem to materialize overnight. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises consumers to be cautious when shopping at these temporary stores.

Steve Bernas

“Halloween pop-up stores are now open for business,” says Steve J. Bernas, president and CEO of the BBB. “However, the challenge is that these stores might be here today and gone tomorrow. If the Halloween merchandise is unsatisfactory, consumers could find themselves unable to return products or file complaints once the store has closed.”

Halloween purchases this year will be down slightly. The National Retail Federation (NRF) expects Halloween spending to be about $11.6 billion compared to last year’s all-time high of $12.2 billion.

The NRF projects Halloween enthusiasts will spend $3.8 billion on costumes this year. They also expect another $3.8 billion will be spent on decorations and $3.5 billion, for candy. While the big-box stores often are the go-to places, some of the money spent will be online.

“Many people prefer shopping online for convenience and an increased variety of costumes, but going online brings with it risks, too,” Bernas said. “Be especially alert to inferior merchandise scams, counterfeit websites, and fake emails and texts.”

As Oct. 31 nears, people pressed for time often let their guard down when shopping for trick-or-treat items.

Consumer tips to shop at a Halloween pop-up stores and online:

• Check the company’s business profile at bbb.org. Use your browser to search for the company’s customer reviews by typing their name plus the word “review.”

• When possible, buy from companies that have been around long enough to have a clear track record.

• Check a site’s security settings, ensuring the web address begins with https://.

• Ask at the store how long they plan to occupy their building.

• See if they have a website in case you need to contact them later.

• Inquire about their return policy in detail, ask what type of merchandise they will take back and how to redeem credit after the store closes.

• Save every receipt, whether it is email or paper.

• Use a credit card to dispute problems with the card’s issuer. Services like PayPal are useful because they keep your credit card number from the seller.

If you’ve encountered a scam, report it to BBB Scam Tracker. Sign up for BBB’s free consumer newsletter, BBB Edge, at BBB.org/ChicagoBuzz. Visit BBB.org or follow us @ChicagoBBB on social media. Look for the BBB seal, The Sign of a Better Business.

• Steve J. Bernas is president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau and can be reached at sbernas@chicago.bbb.org