PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – With the arrival of the holiday shopping season, the Florida Office of the Attorney Attorney General has released its 2015 Holiday Consumer Protection Guide.
In it Floridians will find advice on purchasing items online, tips to avoid charity scams and advice on how to stick to a budget.
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The guide also includes a list of items recalled by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission during the past year.
"These products have been recalled by their manufacturers because of safety and health concerns," explained Florida attorney general Pam Bondi. "These recalls include toys and other home products that may be unsafe for your children. I urge you to review this list for unsafe items that may need to be removed from your home. Please also keep this guide handy and review it as you purchase and receive gifts this holiday season."
To find lists of recalled items year-round, visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's website.
Tips from the guide:
•When shopping online, it's wise to pay with a credit card instead of a debit card, if possible. Both allow you to dispute a charge if the merchandise never arrives or is different from what was ordered. However, with a debit card, the price will have already been deducted from your bank account.
• When ordering online, look to ensure that your browser has a secure connection. In the address bar, a padlock should appear if your browsing session is secure.
• Some credit card providers offer one-time card numbers to be used for online transactions to further protect your financial information. Contact your account holder to see if they offer such a service.
• Don't forget, when shopping online there are often additional costs, such as shipping and handling fees. Be sure to include additional charges when comparing prices across multiple websites.
• Some retailers may offer layaway plans or other payment plans so you can pay for that must-have holiday gift over time or at a later time. Before you agree to such a plan, be sure to ask whether the retailer charges fees to use its payment programs and whether the payments and fees are refundable if a purchase is canceled.
• Keep your receipts and be sure you understand retailers' return and refund policies so you can return any unwanted items in a timely manner and get a full refund.
•Be sure you know that the charity soliciting money is legitimate. In order to determine whether it is a legitimate charity, first check to see if it is registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at www.800helpfla.com or by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA. You may also contact the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance at Give.org to determine whether the charity you are donating to has any complaints against them.
• Do your homework and review the solicitation carefully. Be sure you understand how much of the donation will actually go toward the work of the charity as opposed to administrative and fundraising expenses. To learn more about a registered charity's spending, visit www.800helpfla.com and click on the Gift Givers' Guide.
• Never give your credit card number or bank account information to a caller on the phone or someone who sent you an unsolicited email. If you are interested in donating to a charity that has initiated contact with you, ask them to send you a pledge form and information about the charity in the mail. Legitimate charities should have no problem with this request.
• Watch for similar sounding charities. It's not unusual for scam artists to choose names that sound like the names of legitimate, widely known charities.
• Most tax-exempt organizations are also required to file an annual return or notice with the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS requires automatic revocation of a charity's taxexempt status if it fails to file a return for three consecutive years. Publication of an organization's name on the Auto-Revocation list on the IRS website helps potential donors determine the status of a charity. To learn more about the tax-exempt status of a charity, go to www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits.