Ohio A-G provides holiday shopping tips

Ohio Attorney General’s information

COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine encouraged consumers to remember their rights and watch for potential scams while shopping this holiday season.

“Understanding your rights as a consumer can help you avoid scams and make the most of holiday shopping,” Attorney General DeWine said. “We want to help consumers identify potential problems, and we encourage them to contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office if they need help.”

Since January, the Ohio Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section has received more than 24,600 complaints involving a variety of issues. Top problem areas include billing, misrepresentation, failure to deliver, poor service or shoddy work, and refund problems.

To avoid problems in consumer transactions, Attorney General DeWine offers consumers the following advice:

• Check the exclusions and limitations of an offer — Exclusions and limitations must be clearly disclosed in advertisements, including online, so consumers should review terms and conditions carefully before they go to the store or make a purchase.
• Find out if rain checks apply — If a seller advertises a product at a certain price but sells out of that product by the time consumers respond to the ad, they may have the right to a rain check. However, sellers are not required to provide rain checks if they clearly disclose the number of goods available at that price or if they clearly state that no rain checks will be given.
• Understand return policies before buying — In Ohio, sellers can choose to set their own return policies, including policies of “no returns,” but they should clearly tell consumers what their return policy is before they check out or complete the transaction (for example, the return policy shouldn’t be posted only on the back of a receipt).
• Look out for misrepresentations — Sellers may not misrepresent important characteristics of a product or use “bait-and-switch” tactics to lure shoppers in with one advertised product, only to encourage consumers to buy more expensive items. 
• Know that “free” must really mean free — Sellers may not advertise goods or services as “free” when the cost of the “free” offer is passed on to the consumer. For example, if a seller is advertising a buy-one-get-one-free sale, the seller can’t raise the base price of the first item in order to offset the cost of the “free” item.
• Check delivery dates — Generally when consumers order a product or service, the seller has eight weeks to deliver the product or to offer a refund or substitution. Shoppers should carefully review expected delivery dates before making a purchase so they know when to expect the delivery. Pick up delivered packages promptly so that they’re not stolen or damaged outside one’s door.
• Keep receipts — Maintaining a complete record of a sale will help shoppers handle problems that may arise after the purchase. Keep copies of receipts, sales agreements, advertisements, photos of products, or other documentation of a sale until the transaction and billing process are complete.
• Monitor accounts — Regularly check credit card and bank accounts for unauthorized charges or unexpected activity. Consumers who find problems should immediately notify their credit card provider or bank. The sooner consumers identify a problem, the sooner they can work to correct it.
• Watch for scams — Con artists operate year round. Those who receive a message saying they’ve won the lottery, the IRS is coming to arrest them, or a family member is out of the country and in need of money immediately, should know it’s likely a scam.

Consumers who suspect an unfair business practice or want help addressing a consumer problem should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov or 800.282.0515.