Holiday ShoppingOnline Tips

Consumer Affairs BranchFairfax County Department ofCable and Consumer Services

fairfaxcounty.gov/consumer

Great way to avoid the crowds. Shop 24/7. Shop in any type of weather. Compare prices with ease. Find deals. Read product reviews. Research company and seller feedback.

Shop Protected

Protect your computer or mobile device with spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a firewall.

Secure your own wireless network with wireless encryption.

Update your computer regularly.

Shop Protected

Choose a PIN that is hard to guess. Avoid the last 4 digits of your social security number, your mother’s maiden name, birth dates, names of pets, or anything easy to guess about you.

Mix numbers, letters and symbols that are hard to guess for passwords.

•4$smasp!

Shop Protected

Make a list. Set a budget. Shop around. Look for price-matching offers. Understand refund and return policies and

warranties. Read the fine print.

Shop Protected

Know your rights before you make a purchase.

Don’t rely 100% on information from friends, family, merchants or blogs.

Understand and exercise your rights.

Online Holiday Shopping

The Virginia Consumer Protection Act promotes fair and ethical standards for transactions between consumers and businesses.

Section 59.1-196 of the Virginia Code.

Consumer Protection Act

Repair Replace Refund Exchange Store Credit All sales final As is No refund

Merchant’s Options

Always find out about the policy before you buy or online.

Return, refund, and exchange policies vary among retailers.

Terms of Sale

Buy now, pay later.

Federal laws offer protections against fraud, abuse and billing errors.

Credit card holders can dispute a charge made to their credit card.

Credit Cards

Buy now, pay now.

Money is immediately taken from your account.

Never pay interest.

When there is a dispute, you have to wait for a refund.

Best for smaller routine purchases.

Debit Cards

Service that allows you to pay, send money, and accept payments without revealing your financial information to merchants and sellers.

You provide bank account or credit card information to PayPal.

Your information is securely stored until you want to make a payment.

PayPal offers $0 Liability for Eligible Unauthorized Purchases.

Refunds for incorrect orders or items that never arrive.

PayPal

PayPal

UPS may send official notification messages, but they rarely include attachments.

Forward suspicious or unexpected email

from UPS to: fraud@ups.com

Phishing Alert

Popular for fraud and scams.

Advertise ‘non-existent’ popular products through spam emails.

Find out as much as you can about the seller.

Research the company and read buyer’s reviews.

Make sure there is reliable contact information.

Read all details of the sale and print a picture of the items.

Save emails and correspondence of all contacts.

Auction Sites

Only agree to secure payment arrangements.

Never wire money.

Report Problems with Online Auctions to:Federal Trade Commission

ftc.gov/complaint

Auction Sites

Help buyers and sellers with purchases that involve money and goods or services.

Buyer sends payment to the escrow service.

Seller sends the product or provides the services to the buyer.

When the buyer acknowledges the product or service, the online escrow service releases the funds to the seller.

Online Escrow Services

Be alert for payment requirements on an online auction site.

Never wire money to pay for an item.

Wiring money is just like sending cash. Pay with a credit card so you can dispute

the charges if you don’t get what you paid for or the merchandise never arrives.

Wiring Money

Don’t be distracted.

Never click on a link in an unsolicited e-mail no matter how tempting it looks.

Go directly to a retailer’s site using the email address you already have to find out about sales and specials.

Clicking on a link many times takes you to a fraudulent site.

Pop Up Ads

A deal is not a deal when:

A Web site or individual offers a deal better than anyone else but won’t accept credit cards.

They demand a direct transfer of funds, wire transfers, or want to send a courier to your home.

Deals

Be alert for advertised sales that offer deep discounts on hot-ticket items or super low prices.

Many times the goal is to get you on the Web site to entice you to buy full priced merchandise.

Hot Ticket Items

Know who has to pay for shipping if a return is necessary.

Shop with merchants you know or have an established relationship with.

Be alert for companies that might go under.

Shipping

Take advantage of free shipping days. Many merchants will offer free shipping on

December 16th with guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve.

Go to freeshippingday.com for a list of participating merchants.

Free Shipping

Sign up for e-mail newsletters and price alerts.

Follow retailers on Twitter and join Facebook fan pages for early access to sales and additional discounts.

Search the Internet for promotion codes for free shipping or discounts before you check out.

Online Shopping

Don’t be pressured to buy additional products or services.

Read and print a copy of all policies for

returns, refunds or delays.

Make sure your computer is secure.

Online Shopping

Don’t click into unfamiliar sites.

Don’t let a search engine pick a site for you.

Enter only addresses you know and trust.

Before entering personal or financial information look for security labels:◦https:// in the URL◦ VeriSign◦ Cybertrust ◦ Lock◦ Report suspicious web sites

Be Safe

Print out receipts for all purchases.

Keep them safe so you can check your credit-card statements against your receipts.

Review your credit-card statements regularly.

Look for unauthorized purchases or charges.

Consider using one credit card for online purchases.

Be Safe

Makes it easier for you to spot unauthorized purchases quickly.

Limits the information that is out there.

Makes it easier for you to check regularly.

Consider online banking so you can check 24/7/365.

Be Safe

Never shop online using a public Wi-Fi connection.

Hackers can tap into Wi-Fi connections at hotspots, such as coffee shops, airports and hotels.

Never use a public computer to shop or check accounts online.

Always log directly onto the site you want to conduct business with and verify all information.

Be Safe

Type in the Website address.

Never follow a link imbedded in an email.

Shopping passwords should be different from other passwords you use.

Never share your password with anyone.

Be Safe

Legitimate business or retailers will never ask for your password in an email or over the phone.

When doing business with someone for the first time, make sure there is a customer assistance center and number you can call with questions or to get information.

Check the number to make sure it is a working number and assistance is actually available.

Be Safe

Price shouldn't be your only criterion.

Pay attention to return policies, fees, shipping costs, and contract termination fees.

Avoid products that are nonreturnable.

Give gift receipts.

Set up an email account just for online shopping.

Online Tips

Keeps your full time email inbox spam-free.

When you finish shopping you can enjoy or ignore all the marketing attempts to get you to purchase again.

Avoid last-minute shopping.

The longer you wait, the more limited your selection and the more you will spend.

Online Tips

12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 433Fairfax, Virginia 22035703-222-8435 TTY 711

www.fairfaxcounty.gov/consumerconsumer@fairfaxcounty.gov

Contact Consumer Affairs