Doing your holiday shopping online? Be cautious.

Have you started your holiday buying? Most reports say the best time to buy is right now to ensure product availability and lower prices. Many Black Friday sales are underway. As online buying continues to increase, unfortunately, so do the number of scammers.  

You may have seen ads for holiday decorations online. The Better Business Bureau warns about those. The ads appear on social media and online search results and depict beautiful decor at very low prices. 

If you buy your decorations ....or any item..... through these ads, you probably won’t get what’s advertised. What you will get are low-quality items. You may even get nothing at all and have no way to contact the company for a refund. 

Take the following precautions if you see something you want in one of these type of ads:

• Don’t click on the link in Facebook or social media. Check out a company before buying anything. Type in a company or website’s URL to look for a solid website with contact information. 
• If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Look elsewhere. 
• Use your credit card for online purchases. This way you can dispute fraudulent charges.
• Look up company business ratings and customer reviews on BBB.org. 

I love the convenience of online shopping but I’m very cautious about where I buy.  Purchase from companies you are familiar with, and stay clear of those enticing online ads.

Shop safe. Be wise. Don't be lured in by ads on your social media.

Have a wonderful Tech Tuesday; get outside and enjoy the beautiful fall colors.

Online Shopping Tip

 Promo codes can save shipping costs as well as provide discounts on your online purchases.  Retailmenot is my favorite place to look for these.You can also just Google "promo code _________" inserting the company's name in your search.  Your search results will display other companies offering promo codes, but some of them require several steps and even a login before you get a code. Retailmenot does not require this, and that is why it is my favorite.

How does it work? 

1. Go to Retailmenot
2. Enter the name of the online company from whom you want to make the purchase
3. Peruse the different offers; some offer free shipping, others offer discounts on your purchase total, and still others are just for certain items on the website
4. Click Show Coupon Code
5. Click Copy
6. Go back to the website where you are making a purchase.  Paste or enter the code into the "Promo Code" box when you are checking out with your purchase.

If you are familiar with adding extensions to your browser,
Retailmenot can be added to your Chrome browser which makes it even easier to locate and apply promo codes.

I'm going to repeat one last caution I shared last week:
Don't let the Black Friday mentality get you in its grips, particularly with technology items. Remember - If it sounds and looks too good to be true, it probably is. If you are purchasing technology items, look at the specs before you buy; the price may be really good only because it is an OLDER model.