Consumer Alert: Online shopping this holiday season

Consumer experts say that Americans will spend close to $60 billion in online shopping sales this holiday season. And a study by Visa finds that 47 percent of consumers say that they will do at least

News 12 Staff

Dec 24, 2016, 5:16 AM

Updated 2,822 days ago

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Consumer experts say that Americans will spend close to $60 billion in online shopping sales this holiday season. And a study by Visa finds that 47 percent of consumers say that they will do at least some holiday shopping online - a record high.
The Better Business Bureau says that there are some things consumers should keep in mind when shopping online.
"You certainly want to be working with reputable established companies," says the bureau's Melissa Companick. "We've been getting a lot of complaints into our scam tracker from customers who are just finding a website, placing an order, not doing any research about the company, and then finding out [they've been scammed.]"
Kane In Your Corner also suggests consumers keep an eye on a package's delivery date. There has been a rash of thefts of packages off porches recently in New Jersey. News 12's Walt Kane says that if a delivery date comes and goes and the package wasn't on the porch, it may have been stolen.
Consumers are also advised to research a retailer's return policy. Some stores will allow items purchased online to be returned at the retail store, others won't.
Kane also says to use a credit card and not a debit card while shopping online. He says that cards can be compromised and credit cards are often protected. A compromised debit card can provide a thief with access to the user's bank account.