Don't Get Spooked When Shopping At Seasonal Halloween Stores, Websites, BBB Advises

BBB Advises Consumers To Check Halloween Stores and Websites Out With BBB Before Buying or Ordering Merchandise

Pop-up stores and websites offering Halloween costumes and decorations seem to come out of nowhere every fall. Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises shoppers to check unfamiliar stores or websites out with BBB before buying. 

Cute costumes at low prices may seem like a good deal, but it pays to check into a website’s reputation before you place an order online.  Consider shipping schedules if you need an item by a specific date.  If you’re buying from a temporary store, ask about return policies before making a purchase. 

BBB receives hundreds of complaints about costume stores and websites every year.  Complaints range from deliveries that were late, merchandise that never arrived, poor quality and difficulty obtaining refunds. 

Complaints about products at temporary stores ranged from a non-working mechanical spider to a poorly operating fog machine to a Wonder Woman costume that ripped as it was being put on by a child.  In several cases, store employees told customers they could not return items because they had been used, were broken during the unpacking process, or that they were returned past a posted store deadline.  Some customers found stores closed when they returned to report a problem. 

Connecticut BBB offers these tips to help you avoid being haunted after Halloween is over: 

Location - If you're interested in trying a new or unfamiliar online merchant, ask the company for its physical location (address and phone number) so you can check its BBB Business Review at www.bbb.org.

Customer satisfaction policy - Determine the company's refund and return policies before you buy.  If online companies can’t offer concrete commitments on how they will handle any potential problems you may have with their products or services, reconsider doing business with them.

Leave nothing to chance - Be sure you have a thorough understanding of everything involved before placing an order.  Be clear on the price and any shipping and handling charges.  Know the terms of any product or service guarantees.  Find out how long it will be before you receive your order. Federal law requires that goods and services be delivered within 30 days, unless a different delivery period is specifically stated by the merchant.

Guard your personal information - Only provide your credit card number online in a secure environment.  Look for the prefix “https://” in the URL box listing the website’s address, to be sure that the site you are using is secure.

Ask how long a store will operate - If you’re buying from a seasonal store, ask whether it will be open after the holiday and whether it will accept returns when the season is over.  If not, consider buying elsewhere or taking more time to be sure the item is exactly what you want before making the purchase.

You will find additional consumer tips at www.ct.bbb.org. 

-Submitted by Howard Schwartz, Executive Communications Director, Connecticut Better Business Bureau 

Do you like Connecticut Better Business Bureau posts?   If you don't want to miss any of our helpful posts, you can subscribe to our blog by clicking this link and then click "Get email updates," and our posts will arrive in your email.