WEST VIRGINIA (WCHS) — West Virginia’s attorney general is urging consumers to be cautious as they shop online during the holiday season.
The push comes during Holiday Consumer Protection Week, which is kicked off by the popular Cyber Monday shopping period.
“Online shopping makes it so easy to find the perfect gifts for those we love with just the click of a mouse or the tap of the screen,” attorney general Patrick Morrisey said in a news release. “Consumers need to exercise extra caution when shopping online because this is the time of year when scammers try to take advantage of increased consumer activity.”
One of the first things consumers need to do is check to make sure that the online retailer is legitimate, the news release said. One way to do this is to look for reviews for not only items but the company itself.
Consumers should also double-check the delivery date before checking out. If no date is provided, the retailer has 30 days to ship, according to the news release. If consumers are notified of a delay in shipping, you have the right to cancel the order for a full refund.
Morrisey urged buyers to use credit cards rather than debit cards when possible. Credit cards provide protection for consumers if goods or services do not arrive as promised and debit cards do not.
When shopping online, buyers should make sure any payment website starts with “https://” as the “s” indicates a secure page, the news release said.
Keep your receipt in case the item is damaged or does not arrive as promised and consider having your package held at the post office or delivered to your workplace if you won’t be home.