MARLBOROUGH, MA — ‘Tis the season for pumpkin picking, hot cider, and of course, trick-or-treating. As the holiday approaches, stores and websites offering Halloween costumes and decorations seem to pop up overnight. Better Business Bureau Serving E. MA, ME, RI & VT (BBB) advises shoppers to check out unfamiliar stores or websites first before buying.
According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), the Halloween industry is expected to reach a record-breaking $8.4 billion in sales this year. This means more and more people are hopping on the costume-selling bandwagon, but may not encompass the business practices you want to invest your time and money in. The last thing you need is to order a costume and have it arrive looking nothing like it was advertised, clearly damaged, delivered too late, or not delivered at all.
“Every year, we hear Halloween horror stories from consumers who received poor-quality items,” said Paula Fleming, Chief Marketing & Sales Officer for the local BBB. “Getting a costume at a discounted price may seem like a good deal, but you should examine items carefully before purchasing, or at the very least, check the store’s return policy.”
One consumer’s horror story involved ordering her child’s costume online. “I wanted to avoid spending an entire day rummaging through the chaotic costume racks at the nearby shopping mall, so I figured shopping online was the way to go this year.”
The customer ended up using a third-party site to buy a used costume for a discounted price for her child. The picture the seller used featured the product in its original packaging, so she assumed it would look as promised. When the costume arrived, it was wrinkled and looked well-worn. It definitely didn’t make her or her child excited about dressing up that year.
If you’re shopping for costumes and decorations this Halloween, there are some tricks to keep an eye out for to avoid being haunted well after the season:
Look for the Seal: BBB Accredited Businesses meet Accreditation standards, which include a commitment to make a good faith effort to resolve any customer complaints. With more than 400,000 Accredited Businesses, simply looking for the BBB seal is an easy way to make sure the business that you’re dealing with is trustworthy.
Double Check the Site’s Security: Only provide your credit card number online in a secure environment. On pages where you enter a credit card number or PayPal account login, look for the prefix “https://” in the URL box listing the website’s address to be sure that the site you are using is secure.
Shopping at a Seasonal Store: If you’re buying from a seasonal store, ask whether it will be open after the holiday and whether it will accept returns when the season is over. If not, consider buying elsewhere or taking more time to be sure the item is exactly what you want before making the purchase.
Renting vs. Buying: Sometimes it feels a little silly to buy a costume your child is only going to wear once. Renting may seem like a smart way to get a great costume at a less expensive price, but understand that rented costumes mean multiple children have already worn them and have probably left their mark on them. If renting this season, make sure you check the condition the costume is in.
Look at the Return Policy: Determine the store’s refund and return policies before you buy. Know the terms of any product or service guarantees. Find out how long it will be before you receive your order. Federal law requires that goods and services be delivered within 30 days, unless a different delivery period is specifically stated by the merchant.
For more tips you can trust, visit us at bbb.org/boston.
ABOUT BBB
For more than 100 years, Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses and brands they can trust. In 2015, people turned to BBB more than 172 million times for BBB Business Reviews on more than 5.3 million businesses, all available for free at bbb.org.
The Council of Better Business Bureaus is the umbrella organization for the local, independent BBBs in the United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as home to its national and international programs on dispute resolution, advertising review, and industry self-regulation. BBB Serving Eastern Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont was founded in 1920.
(NOTE: The above press release is from the Better Business Bureau.)
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