Shopping online for college essentials? Add this advice to your cart

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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