Holiday Shopping

Tis the Season—Holiday shopping is about showing someone you care about them by shopping for that perfect gift for them. While you won’t have problems with most purchases, there are some important thinks you need to know before heading out.



o The most common problem involves returning unwanted merchandise. Maryland law allows merchants to set their own return policy concerning refunds and exchanges as long as it is posted on a prominent sign or written on the sales receipt or price tag. Find out ahead of time what a store's return policy is before making a purchase. While most stores have fairly liberal return policies, many have restrictions, some do not allow returns at all and some stores’ return policies have become more restrictive than in the past. Get a gift receipt when purchasing an item for someone else. If they choose to return it, they will get the full value of the money you spent, not the after holiday “sale price.”

o In Maryland, these return policies do not limit a merchant’s responsibility when the merchandise is defective. If a product is defective, the manufacturer or retailer should repair or replace the defective product or refund the purchase price.

o Consumers who are shopping online should research the product and the company carefully before buying. Be sure to get a physical address and phone number for the company--having their website address is not enough to track a company when the product never arrives or arrives broken, or otherwise unsatisfactory. As with any purchase, check the refund policy and the warranty coverage. Be sure to compare delivery charges and the date when the item is going to shipped out. Print out any email purchase confirmations.

o Be careful buying an item that offers a mail in rebate. While the price for the item, including the rebate, may be a good one, consumers need to read the terms of the rebate carefully. Most offers require you to cut the UPC code off the box, which may be difficult to do if the item is a gift.

o Review all advertising claims carefully, especially ads which claim to offer the best price this year, the lowest price of any store in the area, or a discount off the regular price. Consumers should do their own comparison-shopping.

For more information, check the FTC’s Holiday Shopping Tips: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/12/holidaytweet.shtm



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