Q: I plan on avoiding the crowds on Black Friday and do most of my shopping online on Cyber Monday. Does the BBB have tips on what to watch out for online?
A: Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, has become an extra savings day for consumers to enjoy another option for their holiday shopping. Shopping online also means getting to avoid the crowds, but it also opens up the buyer to attacks from scammers and hackers.
Cyber Monday will be the biggest day of the year for online sales. The National Retail Federation expects online sales this year to exceed $105 billion. In 2014, an estimated 134 million people shopped online. This year retail sales are expected to rise 3.7 percent, according to NRF.
Options are paramount for shoppers, but so are options that save time and provide value. This season, approximately 46 percent of holiday browsing and buying will take place online. Trends for retailers indicate that 77 percent of shoppers will also purchase gifts for themselves. Consumers will spend an average of $805 on holiday merchandise.
BBB recommends the following advice for shopping online this holiday season. Visit www.bbb.org/cybermonday for additional advice. Educational tips for shopping online during the holiday season:
1. Protect your computer - A computer and mobile devices should always have the most recent updates installed for spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware software and a secure firewall.
2. Shop on trustworthy websites - Shoppers should start at www.bbb.org to check on the seller's reputation and record for customer satisfaction. It's a good idea to look for the BBB logo and other widely-recognized seals on retailer websites, but make sure they are legitimate. Connect to legitimate Wi-Fi networks. Before you connect to a network and start shopping online, verify the Wi-Fi network name (SSID) is from a valid service. Do not connect to random networks; it increases your security risk.
3. Protect your personal information - BBB recommends taking the time to read the site's privacy policy and understand what personal information is being requested and how it will be used. If there isn't one posted, take that as a red flag that personal information may be sold to others without permission.
4. Beware of deals that sound too good to be true - Offers on websites and in unsolicited emails can often sound too good to be true, especially extremely low prices on hard-to-get items. Consumers should always go with their instincts and not be afraid to pass up a "deal" that might cost them dearly in the end.
5. Beware of phishing - Legitimate businesses do not send emails claiming problems with an order or an account to lure the "buyer" into revealing financial information. If a consumer receives such an email, BBB recommends picking up the phone and calling the contact number on the website where the purchase was made to confirm that there really is a problem with the transaction. A popular phishing scam at this time of year is an email claiming to be from package Delivery Company. Clicking on links can place you at risk for malware.
6. Confirm your online purchase is secure - Shoppers should always look in the address box for the "s" in https:// and in the lower-right corner for the "lock" symbol before paying. If there are any doubts about a site, BBB recommends right-clicking anywhere on the page and select "Properties." This will let you see the real URL (website address) and the dialog box will reveal if the site is not encrypted.
7. Pay with a credit card - It's best to use a credit card, because under federal law, you can dispute the charges if you do not receive the item. You also have dispute rights if there are unauthorized charges on your credit card, and many card issuers have "zero liability" policies under which the card holder pays nothing if someone steals the credit card number and uses it. If you are going to shop on classifieds websites like Craigslist, never wire money and only buy locally where you can see the item before you hand over your money.
8. Keep documentation of your order - After completing the online order process, there may be a final confirmation page or the shopper might receive confirmation by email - BBB recommends saving a copy of the web page and any emails for future reference and as a record of the purchase.
9. Check your credit card statements often - Don't wait for paper statements; BBB recommends consumers check their credit card statements for suspicious activity by either calling credit card companies or by looking at statements online regularly.
10. Know your rights - Federal law requires that orders made by mail, phone or online be shipped by the date promised or, if no delivery time was stated, within 30 days. If the goods aren't shipped on time, the shopper can cancel and demand a refund. There is no general three-day cancellation right, but consumers do have the right to reject merchandise if it's defective or was misrepresented. Otherwise, it's the company's policies that determine if the shopper can cancel the purchase and receive a refund or credit.
Jim Winsett is president of the Better Business Bureau in Chattanooga.