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Opinion: Heed Better Business Bureau tips on shopping smart online for the holidays

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2 weeks ago

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Opinion: Heed Better Business Bureau tips on shopping smart online for the holidays

Be particularly careful if you’re shopping for the season’s hottest toy or other must-have item that stores have run out of but a website claims to have an abundant supply of at a low price.

Randy Hutchinson
 |  Guest Columnist

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Deloitte estimates that holiday sales this year will increase 2.3% to 3.3% over 2023 to $1.59 trillion. While inflation is slowing, prices for many goods are still much higher than last year and retailers will be doing their best to maximize profits with more advertising and extended store hours.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has advice for consumers to shop smart and avoid holiday shopping scams.

Research a company you’ve never done business with (and even ones you have shopped with to verify their reputation is still good). Check them out on BBB.org and read online reviews to learn if other consumers have had a good experience with them. The BBB seal on a retailer’s website or storefront indicates it’s pledged to uphold the BBB Standards for Trust in dealing with its customers.

Price check before you buy. If multiple retailers claim to have the absolute lowest price on an item, some offers are misleading. The best deal may not be the real deal.

Use a credit card if possible so you’ll have some recourse if something goes wrong with the purchase. You may have less protection with a debit card or other form of payment.

Return and exchange policies may change during the holiday season, particularly for “final sale” or “closeout” items, so be sure you know what they are if there’s any possibility you may not keep an item. If you can’t find the return policy on an online shopping site, go elsewhere. Be sure to get gift receipts so the recipient can return or exchange an item. If you’re shopping at a retailer that’s announced it’s going out of business, be sure you understand how a product warranty will be handled.

Heed BBB’s tips for online holiday shopping

Online shopping scams accounted for 41% of all scams reported to the BBB’s Scam Tracker service in 2023 and they pick up during the holidays. The BBB offers these additional tips when shopping online:

  • Beware of phony websites that look like a legitimate retailer’s, but the spelling is off or words have been added to the domain name. Missing contact information or only being able to communicate with the company via a contact page or email are red flags that the website may not be legitimate. Don’t be swayed by a flashy website or professional photos.
  • Make sure the website is secure before entering payment information. Look for “HTTPS” in the URL (the “s” stands for secure) or a small lock icon in the address bar.
  • Be wary if you can only pay by wire transfer, a digital wallet app, prepaid money card, or other non-traditional form of payment.
  • Be wary of an email or text notification of a shipping delay. Don’t click on links or call a phone number in the message unless you’re sure it’s legitimate.
  • Keep the anti-virus software on your computer or phone up to date.

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Be particularly careful if you’re shopping for the season’s hottest toy or other must-have item that stores have run out of but a website claims to have an abundant supply of at a low price. Or you spot an ad in your social media feed.

Chances are you’ll provide your personal and payment information and get nothing in return or a cheap counterfeit version. And maybe become the victim of identity theft.

Randy Hutchinson is president and CEO of Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South.

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