Back to School 2021
How to Avoid Scams in Online Back-to-School Shopping (or Any Online Shopping)
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Back-to-school season can be stressful for many kids and their parents — especially when scammers are back to work with online school shopping scams. But there are ways to get your school shopping done while avoiding scams that cost you valuable time and money. — This article by Andrew Rayo was published on the Federal Trade Commission’s The Latest in Consumer Advice blog
Once you’ve got the list of teacher-approved school supplies and taken an inventory of what’s left from last year, you’re ready to shop. Many people like the convenience of online school shopping, but what happens if something goes wrong with your order or the website turns out to be a scam? Before you drop items in your shopping cart, remember this advice:
Check refund and return policies, especially on sale or clearance items. Sellers often have different (and stricter) refund and return policies for sale items and dishonest sellers will use tricky disclosures and fine print to deny refund requests. Use a credit card for online purchases, if possible. Credit cards offer the most protection against fraud, including the right to dispute charges if there are problems with your purchase.