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It’s back-to-school season, which means parents and students are probably looking to save on college essentials online. And while the latest deals may save you some time and money, scammers may be looking to test you.

Back-to-school shopping can add up and if you’re moving too quickly, it’s easy to miss details. For example, the return and refund policies, in case what you get isn’t what you were expecting. Or delivery times and fees, so there are no unwelcome surprises.

To avoid online shopping problems later, study this advice before you hit the order button.

  • Pay by credit card if you can. This gives you the most protection. If you paid with a credit card and are charged twice, never got what you bought, or have other problems with the purchase, you should be able to get a full refund. If the vendor insists that you pay with gift cards, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency, that’s a sign of scam.
  • Know who you’re buying from. Before you think about adding an item to your cart, do some research on the website. Read what people are saying, but be on the lookout for fake reviews. Check several sources and consider where a review is posted, who wrote the review, and the reviewer’s history.
  • Keep receipts. Keep records of what you bought, how much you spent, where you bought it, and your receipt or credit card statements.
  • Account for shipping delays. If you bought something online and never got it, tell the seller as soon as possible. If the seller hasn’t shipped the item within the timeframe they promised when you bought it, the law says you can cancel the order for a full refund.

Learn more at ftc.gov/OnlineShopping. And then, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.

  • We won’t post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions.
  • We won’t post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups.
  • We won’t post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity.
  • We won’t post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.

Michael ODonnell
August 16, 2024

I read and value your advice each day. I also mention this to friends and relatives. Keep up the excellent work. Thank you.

Carole A Brearley
August 16, 2024

Excellent advice. Would apply to *any purchase online...!

Thank you

Caesar Wong
August 16, 2024

Really nice advice. So much scam nowadays.

Veronica A. Roberts
August 19, 2024

General comment: I am so happy to have signed up for the FTC newsletters. I am aware of scams BUT not to the degree that the FTC is aware of them. Thank you for looking out for consumers of all ages. I always learn something new!

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