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Shopping Advice

Avoid Scams When You Travel

Before you start your travel plans, learn common tactics scammers use that can ruin your entire trip.

Avoiding and Reporting Gift Card Scams

If someone insists that you to pay them with gift cards, stop. You’re dealing with a scammer.

Buy Now, Pay Later, Rent-to-Own, Lease-to-Own, and Layaway

When you shop for new appliances, furniture, or expensive electronics, a seller might offer different ways to pay over time. Here’s what to know.

Buying Alaska Native Art

If you want to buy genuine Alaska Native-made arts and crafts, learn about the materials, appearance, and price of authentic items.

Buying American Indian Arts and Crafts

Sometimes it can be hard to tell whether arts and crafts are genuine or are imitations. Learning about American Indian arts and crafts can help you make sure to buy quality, authentic pieces.

Buying From an Online Marketplace

Online marketplaces sell goods from local groups and national companies. Before you buy, learn about refunds, returns, and how to get help in case of problems.

Buying Gemstones, Diamonds, and Pearls

Before you buy, know that gemstones, diamonds, and pearls may be natural, manufactured, or treated to change their appearance.

Buying Platinum, Gold, and Silver Jewelry

Before you buy, learn about the words and symbols jewelers use to describe the quality and purity of the platinum, gold, and silver jewelry.

Getting In and Out of Free Trials, Auto-Renewals, and Negative Option Subscriptions

Offers for subscriptions and free trials can cost you more that you bargained for if you’re not careful.

Hiring a Lawyer

Take time to find a lawyer with relevant experience in the legal area you need. Find out about experience, fees, and possible outcomes. Get agreements in writing.

How To Evaluate Online Reviews

Online reviews might help you decide what to buy or what company to hire. You should be able to trust that these reviews reflect the honest opinions of people who actually used a product or service. Unfortunately, some reviews are fake, deceptive, or manipulated — and that hurts both people and honest companies.

How To Report Suspicious Online Reviews

How to report suspicious online reviews across some popular websites.

Online Shopping

Before you buy online, comparison shop and check sellers and products. Keep records of purchases to make sure you can hold a seller to its promises

What To Know Before You Wire Money

Scammers pressure you to wire money to them because it’s easy to take your money and disappear.

Warranties and Service Contracts

Extended Warranties and Service Contracts

Before you buy an extended warranty or service contract, compare it to the warranty that came with the product. Will buying the coverage add extra benefits?

Warranties

A warranty is a manufacturer's promise to stand behind its product. Read the warranty to see what is and isn’t covered, and what to do in case of problems

Solving Problems

Buyer’s Remorse: The FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule May Help

The Cooling-Off Rule gives you 3 days to cancel sales made at your home or certain other locations. But not all sales are covered.

Refund and Recovery Scams

If you’ve been scammed, someone might promise to help you get your money back –– if you pay in advance. That’s another scam.

Sample Customer Complaint Letter

Here's a sample to help you write a complaint letter about a product or service.

Solving Problems With a Business: Returns, Refunds, and Other Resolutions

These strategies can help you resolve a problem if you aren’t satisfied with a product or service.

What To Do if You Were Scammed

Find out what to do if you paid someone you think is a scammer, or if you gave a scammer your personal information or access to your computer or phone.

What To Do if You’re Billed for Things You Never Got, or You Get Unordered Products

Billed for products you never ordered, or for products you ordered but never got? Federal laws protect you. Here's what to do.

Related Scams

From Consumer Alerts

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Consumer Alert

Avoid online JOANN impersonators and their fake sales

BCP Staff

May 7, 2025

You may have heard the news: JOANN Fabric & Craft stores are closing — and holding big clearance sales before they shut their doors. Looking to grab some deals? The real JOANN sales are only happening in person in their physical stores. But that hasn’t stopped scammers from setting up bogus websites with fraudulent deals claiming to give you 80-90% off. Here’s how to avoid these JOANN online impersonators.

Consumer Alert

FTC settlement order bans sales of Genshin Impact loot boxes to kids under 16 without their parents' consent

Andrew Rayo

January 17, 2025

If you don’t know what a loot box is, just ask any kid in your life to explain it. While you’re at it, ask them about the video game Genshin Impact. Then tell them about why the FTC just sued the game’s developer HoYoverse (Cognosphere Pte. Ltd and Cognosphere, LLC) for its confusing loot box system that costs players a LOT of money.

Consumer Alert

Got a package you didn’t order? It’s probably a scam

Jim Kreidler

January 6, 2025

What could be better than opening the mailbox or the front door and finding an unexpected package? Free gifts might seem like fun — but when an unexpected package lands on your doorstep, it may come with a higher cost than you expected.

Consumer Alert

Check out gift cards before you buy them

Andrew Rayo

December 19, 2024

Doing some holiday shopping? Here’s a type of gift card scam to look out for: scammers can get the gift card number and PIN before you buy the card. So if gift cards are on your holiday shopping list, keep reading.

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