Better Business Bureau offers holiday shopping tips

Tips for a Better Black Friday

The day after Thanksgiving was originally dubbed “Black Friday” as a negative due to traffic, crowds and hostile behavior. It’s now a positive for many people who get excited about the lines, the crowds, and especially the deals. Now it’s the single busiest shopping day of the year. American consumers plan to spend an average $935.58 during the holiday shopping season this year, according to National Retail Federation’s survey conducted by Prosper Insights.

Retailers are gearing up for the big day, especially the “big box” stores that sell name brand appliances, housewares, electronics, and other popular gift items. Newspapers are stuffed with sale flyers, commercials are promoting the “door buster” deals, and online ads promise the best bargains. 

Better Business Bureau offers these tips to make your Black Friday shopping experience productive:

Learn about advertising tricks and gimmicks.  Check it out at bbb.org/adtruth to learn how to identify the most common schemes and cons.

Do your research. Read product reviews, check out bbb.org for Business Reviews, look at the sales flyers and ads, compare prices, look for early promotions and “flash sales.”

Read the fine print. Some stores only honor sale ads during a certain time frame, or on certain days. Some stores may only allow you to purchase one item, particularly large, popular and/or deeply discounted products. Make sure you understand the sale policies.

Know the advertiser. Some of the best deals are only available online, but be careful. It’s easy for a fake site to mimic a famous retailer’s website, so make sure you are shopping with a legitimate site. 

Sign-up for email alerts. Many stores release their best Black Friday deals to people who have signed up to receive their emails. Just make sure it’s the real business and not a scammer.

Ask for gift receipts and save warranty information.  Be sure to pass along any information about returns, exchanges, repairs, and warranties to the person who will use the item.

Support Small Businesses on Small Business Saturday

After the crowds and chaos of the Black Friday sales, check out the small, local and independent businesses participating in Small Business Saturday (SBS), a day to celebrate small businesses and all they do for their communities. According to the SBS Consumer Insights Survey, 95 million people shopped with small business on SBS.

Small Business Saturday was started by American Express, a BBB Accredited Business. Better Business Bureau is pleased to support Small Business Saturday for the fifth year and urges consumers to support small businesses in their community. BBB offers the following tips when you “shop small” on Small Business Saturday:

Get involved. Many communities are hosting special events, and being involved in SBS shows that you support the businesses that make your community unique. Find out what local events are happening in your area on the Small Business Saturday website or check with our local chamber or merchants’ association.

Do your research. Check out businesses ahead of time and find out what past customers have to say at bbb.org. Find out what stores and businesses in your area are participating in Small Business Saturday by going to shopsmall.org.

Sign-up for email alerts. Many stores have Small Business Saturday specials just for people who have signed up to receive their emails.

Check social media. Many small businesses will advertise their SBS sales via social media, so be sure to check your favorite small businesses on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Use #ShopSmall to search for information or to share plans with your friends.

Invite your friends and family.  Visit your favorite local stores, try some new ones, get a head start on the holidays and enjoy time with loved ones.

Ask for gift receipts and save warranty information.  Be sure to pass along any information about returns, exchanges, repairs, and warranties to the person who will use the item.

Be Mindful of Online Transactions on Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday is one of the biggest days of the year for online sales. According to Adobe’s 2016 Digital Insights Shopping Predictions, Cyber Monday is expected to bring in $3.36 billion, up nearly $30 million from 2015’s $3.07 billion (November 28).

Better Business Bureau wants to remind consumers to be mindful of their online transactions during the holiday season.

Test your “Digital IQ.” Get ready for Cyber Monday by taking our fun, 12-question quiz that challenges you to check what you already know about Savvy Shopping. Learn about managing your digital privacy and the value you get from sharing data online.

Be a savvy shopper. When shopping online, be sure to take your time, and read the fine print before submitting your order. Look for the return policy during the holidays, as some stores have different return policies depending on the item you purchase and when trying to return an item you purchased online. 

Know the advertiser. Some of the best deals are only available online, but be careful. It’s easy for a fake site to mimic a famous retailer’s website, so make sure you are shopping with a legitimate site. Check out bbb.org to read more about stores or websites unfamiliar to you.

Trust but verify. When shopping online, use retail websites that you trust. Use common sense and avoid deals that seem “too good to be true.” If you’re shopping with an unfamiliar retailer, visit bbb.org to read customer reviews and learn more about previous customers’ experiences.

Use anti-virus software. To ensure your computer and personal information are safe, use anti-virus software on your computer or mobile device and keep it up-to-date.

Shop with a credit card. A credit card provides additional protections over a debit card in case of fraudulent transactions because it’s easier to dispute any charges that you didn’t approve. Prepaid cards or gift cards don’t have the same protections as a credit card, but you’ll never lose more than the value of the card itself.

Make sure websites are secure. Only share personal information and your credit card number with websites that are https (the extra “s” stands for secure) and that have a security lock icon in the taskbar.

Be careful of phishing scams. A popular one at this time of year is an email claiming to be from a package- delivery company with links to tracking information (clicking on unfamiliar links can place you at risk for malware and/or identity theft).

Wise Giving Alliance Shares Tips to Help Donors Give Wisely on Giving Tuesday

From collection kettles to toy drives to end-of-the-year tax deductions, the spirit of the holidays means giving to favorite causes and to those less fortunate. American charities receive one-third of their annual donations during the holiday season.

With that in mind, several charities started Giving Tuesday to follow the busy shopping weekend after Thanksgiving (Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday). Giving Tuesday falls on November 29 this year.

BBB Wise Giving Alliance urges donors to research charities before giving to ensure that their generous contributions are going to trustworthy organizations. BBB WGA evaluations give donors insight into charity trustworthiness so that their hard-earned dollars go to charities that operate ethically.

BBB WGA is sharing five tips to help donors give wisely and make the most of their generosity this holiday season:

Watch out for name similarities. When charities seek support for the same cause, their names are often similar. Before you give, be sure you have the exact name of the charity to avoid a case of mistaken identity.

Avoid on-the-spot donation decisions from unfamiliar organizations. The holidays bring a higher frequency of donation requests outside public locations. Don’t succumb to pressure to make an immediate giving decision. Responsible organizations will welcome your gift tomorrow as much as they do today.

Be wary of emotional appeals. Marketers have been known to exploit the holidays to make emotional pleas to donors. Always research to verify that your selected charity operates ethically.

Avoid charities that don’t disclose. Although participation is voluntary, charities that don’t disclose any of the requested information to BBB WGA raise a critical red flag for donors. Visit Give.org to find out if your selected charity is nondisclosure.

Rely on standards-based evaluations. Charities can demonstrate they are trustworthy by agreeing to in-depth evaluations such as the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. Get free access to charity reports at Give.org.