GETTING A JUMP ON HOLIDAY SHOPPING By Rod Davis BBB serving Southeast Florida and the Caribbean
I
t is hard to believe the holiday season is already here. To help with your holiday shopping, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has a few tips and some unique ideas to help you find something unique for the friends and family on your nice list. One reality of shopping in the post COVID-19 world is the rise of phony/scam businesses and longer delivery times even when buying from some mainstream businesses. BBB recommends that you start earlier this year to avoid late gifts and so that you have the time to find the right gifts and trusted businesses so that your present will arrive on time and as ordered. To begin your process:
• Research any business or store. Look
for a business or store that has been in business for long enough to have a track record you can review. At www. BBB.org you will find the start date for a business, any complaints, whether
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the business has been BBB Accredited, and reviews from your neighbors about their experience. If you see delays or non-delivery of goods/services you might want to find a better option.
• Be careful about look-alike or sound-
alike businesses. Some phony sites attempt to use the good name of another business to trick consumers into letting down your guard. While it is safe to shop at bestguy.com, you might not want to have your credit card info in the hands of the people behind that website.
• Review purchase and return policies.
While we may think it is the perfect gift, we all guess wrong occasionally. Make sure your special someone will have the time to return a gift and that the business honors returned items (i.e. again check with BBB and other review sites).
