Want to know how not to become a victim of a scam? Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona advises consumer to just say “no.”

Sounds easy enough. And it should be. But every day thousands of consumers do just the opposite. A few examples:

• A supposed telemarketing or survey call begins with the question: “Are you over age 18?” “Yes, of course.” You’ve just given the caller permission to take advantage of you.
• A rich widow in an African country wants to share her inherited wealth with you. “Yes!” you respond, not hesitating a second in providing your bank account number so she can deposit the funds.
• You spot the car of your dreams online for a fraction of the cost you’ve seen it elsewhere. The out-of-state seller instructs you to wire the funds and the car will be shipped. “Yes!” you respond, counting the days until the convertible arrives.

Maybe you recognized yourself in one of these scenarios, or perhaps there are others that tripped you up, such as the out-of-town contractor who left mid-job with your money or the phishing email that, as it turns out, wasn’t from your bank after all.

“Just say ‘no,’” says Larry D. Newman, a former Secret Service agent and retired senior director of corporate security for Western Union. Newman advises consumers to do what he and his wife do.

“When we get a call and they ask if we’re over age 18, we hang up.” In fact, any question that aims to solicit a “yes” is instead answered by a click.  Never – ever! – say “yes” to anyone you don’t know who calls, emails or sends a letter, he advises.

And by saying “no,” Newman adds, you effectively eliminate one of three requirements for any scam to be successful: the scammer, a non-bank financial outlet (money-wire service, for example) and you.

Below are three additional situations that tend to trip up unsuspecting consumers with suggested actions from your BBB:

Scenario No. 1

With the political season heating up, you should be extra wary of the intended purpose of all those calls you get. Is it really a candidate’s survey about health care costs? Is it really an honest request for a campaign donation? Or is it a scammer sitting in Indonesia posing as a political volunteer?

What to do? Just say “no.” You can donate to the candidate on his or her website or even by snail mail, should you wish to do so.

Scenario No. 2

You get a phone call or email from your grandson who claims to have run into a bit of trouble overseas and needs you to wire $2,500 or some other amount to bail him out of jail, fix a rental car and/or acquire a new passport and plane tickets home. And, he pleads, don’t tell Mom or Dad.

What to do? Just say “no.” If you think it might really be your grandson or granddaughter or best friend from high school, contact that person’s immediate family or coworkers. It’s almost guaranteed they’ll tell you there is no cause for alarm.

Scenario No. 3

You receive a letter announcing that you’re the winner of a mega millions sweepstakes! To receive your winnings, you’re instructed to wire $29.99 to cover taxes and fees.

What to do? Just say “no.” Or rather, toss the letter along with the rest of your junk mail. If you choose to wire the $29.99 – what if this is the real deal, right? – the only thing that will come of it is that your address will be added to the mailing lists of numerous other sweepstakes scams.

And the scammer? If he gets enough people wiring him $29.99, $2,500 or $25,000, he’ll be able to purchase a fleet of luxury sedans and sports cars and not wince at paying full asking price. After all, they’ll look nice sitting in the driveways of his vacation villas scattered across the globe. Paid for, in part, by you.

And you? Don’t you wish you just said “no”?

For trustworthy consumer tips and information, visit www.tucson.bbb.org or call (520)888-5353.

While most retailers love the holidays and the increased sales of the last quarter of each year, no one looks forward to the dreaded post-holiday gift returns. Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is advising businesses to make sure that their return policies are simple and solid before tackling customer gift returns this holiday season.

Most consumers are happy with return policies. According to the National Retail Federation’s, 2010 Holiday Returns Survey, nearly nine out of 10 Americans (88.4 percent) say they find stores’ return policies to be fair.

It’s important for retailers to keep their customers in mind when it comes to their return policy.

“While it’s important that your return policy doesn’t hurt your business, it’s critical that it doesn’t completely discourage and penalize the customer,” said Kim States, BBB President.

BBB recommends that businesses consider the following when creating, solidifying or simplifying their return policy:

Make sure the customer is aware of your policy. Display you policies at the checkout counter and on your website.

Provide gift receipts. Six out of ten shoppers say they include a gift receipt when giving a gift, so be sure to offer one at the time of purchase.

Encourage customers to return the merchandise unused, unworn or unwrapped. Everyone likes getting merchandise in its original package and by encouraging customers to return goods this way, you better your chances that the product can be resold.

Make online returns easy. Lay out the return rules clearly. Explain who pays for the return shipping, where the customer sends the return, and any forms or mailing labels you want them to use.

Stay calm and helpful. The holidays can be a stressful time for everyone and making returns is usually not high on the customer’s list of fun things to do. When working with a customer, always go into a return with a smile. If their experience is good, you may win over a new customer.

For more helpful tips, visit www.tucson.bbb.org.

Layaway has become increasingly popular with the challenging economic times. Many find it very helpful during the holidays to be able to space out payments. However, Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona warns that putting an item on layaway may result in a loss of money or the item itself if you don’t read the contract carefully.

BBBs around the country have received complaints in the last year from consumers whose layaway purchase did not turn out the way they anticipated.

Consumers mainly place furniture, toys and jewelry on layaway and do so at a variety of stores, including national chains, local retailers and pawn shops.

“It’s important to know the policies up front. For instance, a lot of items might not be eligible for layaway on big sale days so call the store before you head down and stand in line on Black Friday, for instance,” said Kim States, BBB President. “Also, the worst thing that can happen with layaway is the company going out of business. So be sure to only sign up with a reliable retailer.”

BBB suggests that consumers consider the following when using layaway this holiday season:

How long can the item be on layaway?

It’s important to know that some items have a time limit and once that time is up, the item is returned (more…)