RENO — Holiday shopping is in full swing. Many shoppers are skipping the stores and heading online to purchase gifts for their children, continuing the trend for several years.
How can you get your holiday shopping done safely and efficiently?
The following tips, some of which were collected from tips provided by the BBB National Programs’ Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) team, will help.
How to safely choose gifts for kids online:
• Proceed with caution when shopping for the season’s hottest toys. Stores choose toys they think will sell out quickly, but they don’t always take a toy’s safety or data collection practices into consideration. Make sure toys are safe and have good privacy policies before you buy.
• Guard your privacy (and your child’s privacy too). Purchase apps and connected toys from companies that are a member of a Federal Trade Commission-approved Safe Harbor.
Make sure that none of your child’s personal information will be collected without your explicit consent by choosing apps and toys from companies that display seals on their website and toys from the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) or another Safe Harbor.
• Scrutinize toy descriptions. It’s easy to miss specific details about toys when you can’t examine them in person, so take your time reading toy descriptions online.
Pay close attention to age recommendations, potential choking hazards, exactly what comes with the toy, and what accessories you may need to purchase separately.
• Read plenty of reviews before you buy. Another good way to get to know a toy without seeing it first is to read other consumer reviews.
Pay close attention to both positive and negative reviews. Review videos can help you get a better idea of what a toy is like and how it works too; however, keep in mind that many reviewers, bloggers, influencers, etc. may be getting paid to post their reviews.
• Keep in mind age recommendations. Take age recommendations seriously, since toys meant for teenagers could be dangerous for younger children. When shopping online, age recommendations may not be readily apparent, so do plenty of research before you make a purchase.
• Watch out for in-app advertisements. Many toys come with connected apps. These, along with gaming apps for kids, likely feature in-app advertisements. Some in-app ads may be inappropriate for children. CARU offers some excellent suggestions on how to educate your children about in-app advertising and what to watch out for as a parent.
• Double-check small business web security. Supporting small businesses this holiday season is an excellent way to give back, but keep in mind that many small businesses have had to pivot from in-person sales to online sales.
Some small businesses may not have the resources or technical know-how to set up secure online purchasing.
Call and ask about in-store purchase hours if a small business website seems less than secure. Check BBB’s online shopping guide.
• Don’t fall for phishing scams. This year, scammers are looking to trip consumers up with a plethora of phishing scams.
These include compromised account messages, fake retail coupons, emails claiming there’s been a problem with package delivery, and more. Read up on phishing scams to avoid falling prey.
For More Information:
See BBB.org/onlineshopping for more online shopping tips. For more about avoiding scams this holiday season, check out BBB.org/Holiday.
If you’ve spotted a scam (whether or not you’ve lost money), report it to BBB Scam Tracker. Your report can help others avoid falling victim.
If you see a questionable ad, report it to BBB AdTruth so we can investigate.