![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/files\/2020\/11\/Online-Shopping-Plan-1-410x1024.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n- \n
- Make a list and check it twice<\/strong>.\u2014I know, but seriously. I am going to keep a list of what I plan to buy, update when it is purchased and document where from, write down the scheduled arrival date, and write down when it arrives. I may also write where in my house I hid it. I\u2019ll probably keep this information in a password protected document to prevent prying eyes from seeing!<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Before I buy online, I will research the site thoroughly<\/strong>. There are several ways to do this, some of my favorites include checking consumer complaint sites like bbb.org, yelp.com, and ripoffreport.com. But, when I can\u2019t find anything there, searching the business name and \u201ccomplaints\u201d or \u201cscams\u201d in my browser helps to locate reported consumer problems. I\u2019ll also ask friends about sites they have used and their experience.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- I won\u2019t forget about my favorite local stores.<\/strong> Many stores have moved online because of the pandemic. I\u2019ll call local stores to double-check that they now have online ordering. If I want items delivered, I\u2019ll check the cost of the delivery before confirming my order.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- When purchasing online, I will set up an account with each vendor.<\/strong> I\u2019ll use unique usernames and passwords for each site, and use strict passwords (combinations of letters–upper and lower case, numbers, and symbols, that don\u2019t spell out a dictionary word; and absolutely is not my dog\u2019s name). I will use the same email address for all my online shopping though, for simplicity.\u2014I\u2019ll always know where to expect an order confirmation or delivery notice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- I will not save my payment information on the site.<\/strong> This will help protect me in case the online account is breached at a later date. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- I will use a credit card for online shopping<\/strong>, because I know that credit cards have fraud protection and a chargeback dispute process for when items are not delivered. Recovering funds through newer pay services such as peer to peer payments, like Venmo, Zelle, Apple\/Google Pay is not so easy due to having few regulated safeguards.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- If a problem occurs with my order<\/strong>, I will reach out to the company through the portal of my online account.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- I won\u2019t take the bait of emails, calls, or texts<\/strong> that claim there are unauthorized funds on my account, or problems with my order. Instead, I\u2019ll go back to the online account portal.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
This last step is especially important right now. With the general increase of online shopping, our office has documented an increase in scam reports of emails, calls, or text messages that claim credit cards have been charged large sums of money by Amazon.com and other vendors. Consumers are invited to call company support to dispute any charges that may be unauthorized. When consumers call the number provided, they are asked to provide credit card numbers and personal information and take steps to allow remote access to computers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last month, CAP was on Across the Fence<\/a> talking about this important issue.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My online shopping plan will help me to avoid scams when they crop up. I hope they help you, too. If an issue does arise, the Consumer Assistance Program is a resource to help mediate and resolve consumer transaction disputes. We provide letter mediation. When we receive a written complaint from you, we will reach out to the business on your behalf. You can find our online form here: https:\/\/ago.vermont.gov\/cap\/consumer-complaint\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hope you have a safe and healthy holiday season. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With online shopping ramping up and expected to continue to remain steady with the holiday giving season approaching, how can we be savvy online shoppers?\u00a0 As I prepare for the season, I am going to follow an online shopping plan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4480,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[15828,481474,639386,505492,482450],"class_list":["post-1025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-across-the-fence","tag-consumer","tag-online-scams","tag-online-shopping","tag-scams","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1025","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4480"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1025"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1025\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2108,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1025\/revisions\/2108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1025"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1025"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/cap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1025"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Before I buy online, I will research the site thoroughly<\/strong>. There are several ways to do this, some of my favorites include checking consumer complaint sites like bbb.org, yelp.com, and ripoffreport.com. But, when I can\u2019t find anything there, searching the business name and \u201ccomplaints\u201d or \u201cscams\u201d in my browser helps to locate reported consumer problems. I\u2019ll also ask friends about sites they have used and their experience.<\/li>\n\n\n\n