Don’t get scared this Halloween season: Tips for Halloween shopping
By Whitley Ray
From costumes to candy to decorations, Halloween is a huge shopping holiday, which means unscrupulous businesses have plenty of opportunities to cash in. In the rush to purchase a costume or decorate the house, consumers can miss red flags. This Halloween, watch out for pop-up store confusion, online shopping scams, haunted events, and other seasonal hazards.
Halloween is getting very popular with adults, and there are numerous haunted theme events you can attend with your friends. Be cautious of events that advertise only online or in social media or that don’t provide information on how to contact the event organizers. When in doubt, contact the venue and see if they have a paid booking for the date and time listed or if they have heard of the organizer. One company that came to Better Business Bureau’s attention has a stated “no refund” policy, which applies even when they are the ones to cancel the event! Talk about scary.
Each fall, pop-up Halloween stores appear in empty storefronts across the United States and Canada. These shops can be a great way to purchase costumes, decorations, and other themed merchandise. But their temporary nature can leave consumers in the lurch.
If you are shopping online, make sure the website is secure before entering your credit card information (look for URLs that start with “https://”). Read the fine print, making sure you understand the return policy and shipping times. Also, ensure the shop has working contact information so you can follow up in case of problems.
Here are some tips for Halloween shopping at a seasonal Halloween store.
Know the return policy
Ask whether the store will be open after the holiday and whether it will accept returns when the season is over.
Use a credit card
Save your receipts and use a credit card. If there’s a problem with your purchase, your credit card company may help handle the dispute.
Check for contact information
Make sure the store has a website with contact information in case you need to reach them later.
Check the shop’s BBB Business Review
Search for the store on bbb.org to see past complaints and rating information.
Scary costumes aren’t just for the kids anymore! As consumers search for clever and fun costumes, ordering Halloween costumes and decorations, it’s important to spend a few minutes checking out the business first. Complaints submitted to the BBB mention costumes not being received in time, used costumes instead of new, wrong sizes, and no returns available. Check bbb.org/shoppingonline for more tips about shopping online.
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