WHITE PLAINS, NY — With the holiday shopping season here, Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino and the Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection today reminded shoppers how to “shop smart” this holiday season by offering the best practices and tips for purchasing gifts. Astorino was joined by Mark Fang, director of the Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection, and John Gaccione, deputy director of the Department of Consumer Protection and the director of Weights and Measures, to announce these simple tips at the Cross County Shopping Center in Yonkers.
“No matter the price of a gift purchase, it’s important that people make informed purchases,” said County Executive Robert P. Astorino. “By following these suggested best practices, shoppers can make life easier on themselves whether they are shopping in a local store or using the internet.”
Westchester County’s best practices to shop smart include:
· Comparison shop for the best price; find out all you can about an item before you purchase it. Know the refund policy of the merchant you are buying from. In a retail store, the refund policy must be posted at the point of sale.
· When making purchases, keep your receipts together and organized. Make sure the price that you are paying at the register is the same as the price tag.
· Quickly retrieve your credit cards after using them and use the newly encrypted “chip” credit cards. The chip inside the card provides additional protections against credit card fraud. Always remember that the credit card company can help you when you have a dispute with a merchant. Find out the warranty information about a product before you purchase it. It varies from product to product. Sometimes warranties are offered by the merchant as well as by the manufacturer and your credit card company.
· This year, more than half of all holiday shopping will be done online. Shop with companies you know, or that have provided good service to people you know. Use secure web sites that begin with https:// rather than just http://, as the “s” means the website is secure. Be sure to review the website’s privacy and security information. Does the website have a customer service phone number besides an e-mail address?
· Don’t wait until the last minute to make an online purchase. Understand what costs are associated with shipping and handling. Confirm delivery dates with merchants, but remember factors outside the control of the merchant can affect delivery times.
If you are experiencing a problem with a purchase, contact the Department of Consumer Protection at (914) 995-2155, conpro@westchestergov.com or visit our website at http://consumer.westchestergov.com/.
