"As Black Friday draws near, thoughts turn to holiday shopping, and how to get the items you want for a price you can afford. If you choose to buy using layaway, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, has a few holiday tips for you:
First, get all the details about the retailer’s layaway plan in writing before you shop. Look for the terms of the plan — including the time you have to pay for your items, the store’s refund policy for layaway items, minimum payments, and layaway charges or other fees.
Second, it’s useful to compare the costs of using layaway versus using credit. Add up the total amount in fees you will pay at a specific store before you get your item(s) out of layaway. Then, if you have a credit card, determine how much money in interest you would pay if you charged the same item(s).
Third, be sure to check out the store, including online retailers, before you shop there at all. Your state Attorney General’s Office (www.naag.org), local consumer protection agency (www.consumeraction.gov), and your local Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) can tell you if consumers have filed complaints against the retailer or online service..."
Showing posts with label fees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fees. Show all posts
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Chairman Rockefeller Launches Investigation Into Deceptive Online “Mystery Charges"
"John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation today announced a Senate Commerce Committee investigation into certain e-commerce marketing practices that generate thousands of mysterious monthly charges to consumer credit cards.
KEY BACKGROUND INFORMATION
• The source of these puzzling monthly fees appears to be from a group of marketing companies that acquire consumers’ billing information through agreements with popular online retail sites.
• On many well-known websites, including Fandango.com and Orbitz.com, after consumers make a purchase, a hyperlink or “pop up” window appears and offers consumers a cash back reward if they sign up for a company’s online membership service. If consumers accept the offer by providing an e-mail address and clicking a “yes” button, their credit card or debit card account information is automatically forwarded to the company and they are automatically enrolled in the service. And unless the consumer cancels this online membership service, their credit card or debit card is indefinitely charged $9-$12 on a monthly basis..."
"John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation today announced a Senate Commerce Committee investigation into certain e-commerce marketing practices that generate thousands of mysterious monthly charges to consumer credit cards.
KEY BACKGROUND INFORMATION
• The source of these puzzling monthly fees appears to be from a group of marketing companies that acquire consumers’ billing information through agreements with popular online retail sites.
• On many well-known websites, including Fandango.com and Orbitz.com, after consumers make a purchase, a hyperlink or “pop up” window appears and offers consumers a cash back reward if they sign up for a company’s online membership service. If consumers accept the offer by providing an e-mail address and clicking a “yes” button, their credit card or debit card account information is automatically forwarded to the company and they are automatically enrolled in the service. And unless the consumer cancels this online membership service, their credit card or debit card is indefinitely charged $9-$12 on a monthly basis..."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
