The document provides tips and guidance for consumers on online shopping safety, understanding purchase policies and rights, protecting personal information, avoiding scams, and tips for saving money. It advises being cautious of unsolicited emails, only shopping on secure sites, keeping software updated, using strong and unique passwords, and regularly checking financial statements for unauthorized charges. The document is from the Consumer Affairs Branch of Fairfax County on protecting consumers and promoting understanding of rights and responsibilities.

1. Consumer Affairs Branch
Fairfax County Department of
Cable and Consumer Services
fairfaxcounty.gov/consumer

2.  Great way to avoid the crowds.
 Shop 24/7.
 Shop in any type of weather.
 Compare prices with ease.
 Find deals.
 Read product reviews.
 Research company and seller feedback.

3.  Protect your computer or mobile device with
spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware
software, and a firewall.
 Secure your own wireless network with
wireless encryption.
 Update your computer regularly.

4.  Choose a PIN that is hard to guess. Avoid the
last 4 digits of your social security number,
your mother’s maiden name, birth dates,
names of pets, or anything easy to guess
about you.
 Mix numbers, letters and symbols that are
hard to guess for passwords.
•4$smasp!

5.  Make a list.
 Set a budget.
 Shop around.
 Look for price-matching offers.
 Understand refund and return policies and
warranties.
 Read the fine print.

6.  Know your rights before you make a
purchase.
 Don’t rely 100% on information from
friends, family, merchants or blogs.
 Understand and exercise your rights.

7.  The Virginia Consumer Protection Act
promotes fair and ethical standards for
transactions between consumers and
businesses.
 Section 59.1-196 of the Virginia Code.

8.  Repair
 Replace
 Refund
 Exchange
 Store Credit
 All sales final
 As is
 No refund

9.  Always find out about the policy before you
buy or online.
 Return, refund, and exchange policies
vary among retailers.

10.  Buy now, pay later.
 Federal laws offer
protections against
fraud, abuse and billing
errors.
 Credit card holders can
dispute a charge made to
their credit card.

11.  Buy now, pay now.
 Money is immediately taken from your
account.
 Never pay interest.
 When there is a dispute, you have to wait for
a refund.
 Best for smaller routine purchases.

12.  Service that allows you to pay, send money, and
accept payments without revealing your
financial information to merchants and sellers.
 You provide bank account or credit card
information to PayPal.
 Your information is securely stored until you
want to make a payment.
 PayPal offers $0 Liability for Eligible
Unauthorized Purchases.
 Refunds for incorrect orders or items that never
arrive.

16.  UPS may send official notification messages,
but they rarely include attachments.
 Forward suspicious or unexpected email
from UPS to: fraud@ups.com

17.  Popular for fraud and scams.
 Advertise ‘non-existent’ popular products through
spam emails.
 Find out as much as you can about the seller.
 Research the company and read buyer’s reviews.
 Make sure there is reliable contact information.
 Read all details of the sale and print a picture of
the items.
 Save emails and correspondence of all contacts.

18.  Only agree to secure payment arrangements.
 Never wire money.
 Report Problems with Online Auctions to:
Federal Trade Commission
ftc.gov/complaint

19.  Help buyers and sellers with purchases that
involve money and goods or services.
 Buyer sends payment to the escrow service.
 Seller sends the product or provides the
services to the buyer.
 When the buyer acknowledges the product or
service, the online escrow service releases the
funds to the seller.

20.  Be alert for payment requirements on an
online auction site.
 Never wire money to pay for an item.
 Wiring money is just like sending cash.
 Pay with a credit card so you can dispute the
charges if you don’t get what you paid for or
the merchandise never arrives.

21.  Don’t be distracted.
 Never click on a link in an unsolicited e-mail
no matter how tempting it looks.
 Go directly to a retailer’s site using the email
address you already have to find out about
sales and specials.
 Clicking on a link many times takes you to a
fraudulent site.

22. A deal is not a deal when:
 A Web site or individual offers a deal better
than anyone else but won’t accept credit
cards.
 They demand a direct transfer of funds, wire
transfers, or want to send a courier to your
home.

23.  Be alert for advertised sales that offer deep
discounts on hot-ticket items or super low
prices.
 Many times the goal is to get you on the
Web site to entice you to buy full priced
merchandise.

24.  Know who has to pay for shipping if a return
is necessary.
 Shop with merchants you know or have an
established relationship with.
 Be alert for companies that might go under.

25.  Take advantage of free shipping days.
 Many merchants will offer free shipping on
December 16th with guaranteed delivery by
Christmas Eve.
 Go to freeshippingday.com for a list of
participating merchants.

26.  Sign up for e-mail newsletters and price
alerts.
 Follow retailers on Twitter and join Facebook
fan pages for early access to sales and
additional discounts.
 Search the Internet for promotion codes for
free shipping or discounts before you check
out.

27.  Don’t be pressured to buy additional
products or services.
 Read and print a copy of all policies for
returns, refunds or delays.
 Make sure your computer is secure.

28.  Don’t click into unfamiliar sites.
 Don’t let a search engine pick a site for you.
 Enter only addresses you know and trust.
 Before entering personal or financial
information look for security labels:
◦ https:// in the URL
◦ VeriSign
◦ Cybertrust
◦ Lock
◦ Report suspicious web sites

29.  Print out receipts for all purchases.
 Keep them safe so you can check your credit-
card statements against your receipts.
 Review your credit-card statements regularly.
 Look for unauthorized purchases or charges.
 Consider using one credit card for online
purchases.

30.  Makes it easier for you to spot unauthorized
purchases quickly.
 Limits the information that is out there.
 Makes it easier for you to check regularly.
 Consider online banking so you can check
24/7/365.

31.  Never shop online using a public Wi-Fi
connection.
 Hackers can tap into Wi-Fi connections at
hotspots, such as coffee shops, airports and
hotels.
 Never use a public computer to shop or check
accounts online.
 Always log directly onto the site you want to
conduct business with and verify all
information.

32.  Type in the Website address.
 Never follow a link imbedded in an email.
 Shopping passwords should be different from
other passwords you use.
 Never share your password with anyone.

33.  Legitimate business or retailers will never ask
for your password in an email or over the
phone.
 When doing business with someone for the
first time, make sure there is a customer
assistance center and number you can call
with questions or to get information.
 Check the number to make sure it is a
working number and assistance is actually
available.

34.  Price shouldn't be your only criterion.
 Pay attention to return policies, fees, shipping
costs, and contract termination fees.
 Avoid products that are nonreturnable.
 Give gift receipts.
 Set up an email account just for online
shopping.

35.  Keeps your full time email inbox spam-free.
 When you finish shopping you can enjoy or
ignore all the marketing attempts to get you
to purchase again.
 Avoid last-minute shopping.
 The longer you wait, the more limited your
selection and the more you will spend.

36. 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 433
Fairfax, Virginia 22035
703-222-8435 TTY 711
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/consumer
consumer@fairfaxcounty.gov