Hassle-free Online Shopping

Shopping Online

Are you an online shopper? Check out these helpful hints for hassle-free online shopping: get the details, pay by credit card, keep records, and protect your personal and financial information.  

Watch the video or visit www.onguardonline.gov to learn more.

Travel Tips

Need a vacation? Before you start relaxing to the sound of the waves or skiing the slopes, do some smart travel shopping first — not only to end up with a great trip and a good deal, but also to avoid a scam. Deal with businesses you trust, get a copy of the company’s cancellation and refund policies, and ask “What if...?” And if someone says you have won a “free” vacation but need to pay? Just walk away.

Familiarize yourself with these Travel Tips to help plan a great trip at a good price, all while avoiding the scam.

Disputing Credit Card Charges

Have you ever been billed for merchandise you either returned or never received? Has your credit card company ever charged you twice for the same item or failed to credit a payment to your account? While frustrating, these errors can be corrected. It takes a little patience and knowledge of the dispute settlement procedures provided by the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA).

The law applies to "open end" credit accounts, like credit cards, and revolving charge accounts, like department store accounts. It does not cover installment contracts — loans or extensions of credit you repay on a fixed schedule. People often buy cars, furniture, and major appliances on an installment basis, and repay personal loans in installments, as well.

To learn more about disputing credit card charges click here or visit www.consumer.ftc.gov.

Protecting Your Child’s Privacy Online

As a parent, you have control over the personal information companies collect online from your kids under 13. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act gives you tools to do that. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the COPPA Rule. If a site or service is covered by COPPA, it has to get your consent before collecting personal information from your child and it has to honor your choices about how that information is used.

To learn more about the COPPA Rule and how it allows you to protect your child’s privacy online, click here.