The holiday shopping season is off and running despite a shaky economy. Smart shoppers may be able to snap up bargains before, after and on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that traditionally is one of the biggest shopping days of the year.

However, the Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona advises consumers to arm themselves with knowledge and a budget before hitting the stores. Setting limits on spending is especially important to avoid a deluge of post-holiday bills.
“The holidays are a special time of year, and the temptation to go overboard can be strong, especially with some retailers pushing deferred billing or zero-percent financing for gifts,” said Kim States, BBB President.

“Consumers need to make lists and stick to limits on spending so they don’t find themselves overwhelmed by debt next year.”

Shoppers should be wary of exaggerated claims of discounts whether shopping online, in a mall or at a free-standing store. Be sure to shop around to compare prices, matching descriptions or model numbers of items you want to buy.

When buying gifts, it’s important to obtain and keep receipts for all purchases in case the recipient needs to return an item. Many stores will provide gift receipts upon request, which allow returns but don’t show the recipient how much you paid for an item.

Be sure to check a store’s return and refund policy before you make a purchase. Although some stores relax their return policies during the holiday season, others may require that returns be made within a few days of purchase. Some only allow returns if a product is defective while others may give store credit instead of cash refunds.

While online shopping can be a way to avoid crowded stores, shoppers need to be careful of the sites they patronize. When shopping online, be sure to:

• Check the site’s security settings and read the company’s policy on sharing information with other sites. If the site is secure, its address should start with  https://. You also may see a picture of a small closed lock in the lower right hand corner of the screen.
• Know the company’s refund and return policies before ordering. Are there restocking fees? Do you have to pay shipping costs on returns?
• Do not rely on pictures of a product. Read the description and check model numbers, if applicable.
• Be cautious of free or very-low-price offers.  Often, free offers are followed by an open-ended enrollment in a program that automatically bills your credit card account. Before ordering anything online, make sure you click on and read all terms and conditions.
• Pay with a credit card whenever possible, so you can challenge the charge in the event of a dispute.
• Obtain a tracking number for shipments. If you need the product before the holidays, find out when the seller intends to ship it and if possible, how it will be shipped.

Toy safety also has become a concern for many parents. Make sure any toys you buy are appropriate for the age of the child. If possible, inspect toys carefully to look for sharp edges that may cut, moving parts that can pinch or small, removable pieces that can be a choking hazard. Toy chests should have air holes, and fabric products should be flame-resistant. Check for a UL (Underwriters Laboratories) seal on electric toys.

Research any company carefully before doing business with it.  Check out BBB Reliability Reports online at www.tucson.bbb.org or by calling (520)888-5353

This holiday season, everyone will be on the hunt for the best deals.  Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona warns online shoppers that some deals online for electronics are too good to be true. The BBB is advising holiday shoppers to keep an eye out for five red flags of unscrupulous consumer electronics stores.

Shoppers are increasingly heading to the Internet to look for deals. According to a survey from Burst Media, 85.3 percent of respondents will shop online this holiday season. Because of the economy, holiday spending is expected to drop slightly this year from 2008, and some industry experts predict that retailers will make deep price cuts, particularly on electronics, to lure in shoppers. Unfortunately, not all Web sites promising rock bottom discounts on electronics are legitimate and consumers need to do their research when shopping online or they risk getting ripped off by a scammer’s online store.

“Despite the economy, consumer electronics are still expected to be on many holiday shopping lists,” said Kim States, BBB President. “Everyone will be looking for the best deals this year and scammers know that they can take advantage of that by using low prices to lure in victims.”

The BBB recommends consumers look for the following red flags when identifying suspect electronics Web sites:

The prices for items are too good to be true. Everyone is looking for a bargain on electronics and scammers use tantalizingly low prices to lure victims in. If the prices for items are well below those of trusted competitors, it’s a sign to walk away.

Spelling and grammatical errors abound. Some phony electronics Web sites are created by scammers overseas. As a result, the Web sites, or spam e-mails directing shoppers to the site, might have many grammatical mistakes or spelling errors.

The business accepts payment via wire transfer only. Scammers often ask victims to wire payment through Western Union or MoneyGram because the money cannot be easily tracked or retrieved in the case of fraud. The BBB recommends always using a credit card to pay for (more…)

Once the excitement of the holidays wears off, it’s time to start reaping the promised rewards of mail-in rebates. Retailers and manufacturers are changing the way they issue rebates and  Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona advises that it’s more important than ever to read the fine print when filing for a rebate.

According to CreditCards.com, retailers and manufacturers are increasingly opting to provide rebates in the form of pre-loaded cards as opposed to paper checks. Unlike checks, which can be deposited in a bank and used to pay bills, to get the benefit, consumers must spend. These cards can often only be used where credit cards are accepted. In most cases, the cards can be used at any merchant – much like a debit card – but some retailers are also handing out rebate cards that can only be used at their stores. The cards may also have expiration dates and added fees that could whittle down their value.

“Rebates are a great way to get a deal, but they can also be a great source of frustration for consumers,” said Kim States, BBB  President. “By acting quickly to redeem the rebate and reading the mail-in instructions carefully, consumers can significantly reduce the stress associated with redeeming rebates.”

In the previous 12 months, 70 percent of consumers have taken advantage of manufacturer rebates on products, according to a recent survey by Consumer Reports. The national telephone survey also found that, of those who applied for a rebate, 21 percent of people were unsuccessful. Typically, consumers simply didn’t receive anything or were turned down because of a technicality.

The BBB offers the following advice to holiday shoppers on how to make the process of redeeming rebates as painless as possible:

• Don’t wait. Some rebates have a time window in which they can be redeemed or must be redeemed within a certain amount of time following purchase. Waiting also increases your chances of misplacing necessary receipts or packaging.

• Read the instructions carefully. The guidelines for redeeming a rebate can be extensive and missing steps may delay the process or result in loss of the rebate. Be sure to indicate how you want to receive the rebate – such as if a gift card is the default option – and include all the necessary paperwork and proof of purchase. Also make a point to thoroughly read the fine print details that are included when you receive your rebate card or check in the mail.

• Keep the packaging. Rebates often require UPC bar codes or other parts of the packaging to be included with the paperwork for processing, so don’t throw boxes away until you’re sure you don’t need them.

• Make copies of everything. Keep a copy of all the paperwork you mailed back to the retailer or manufacturer for the rebate. It’s the only record you’ll have of the transaction if anything goes missing.

• Contact the business if the rebate doesn’t arrive. Some retailers and manufacturers use third-party fulfillment companies for processing rebates so keep in mind that you might be dealing with a different business when it comes to tracking down your rebate.

• Help is available if you need it. If the rebate never arrives or is significantly late, file a complaint with the BBB, the Federal Trade Commission or your state Attorney General.

For more advice on being a savvy consumer this holiday season, visit www.tucson.bbb.org.