9 tips for smart back-to-school shopping from NYC's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
Want to shop smarter this year? This guide will help you and your family save money and protect yourself against scams.
It's time to do your back-to-school shopping!
New York City's Department of Consumer and Worker Protections (DCWP) put together a guide to help families shop smart this year.
The tips below will help parents avoid overspending and make smarter financial decisions:
1. BUDGET
Make a list and create a budget. Help kids make smart decisions when choosing which supplies to buy. Get the teacher’s supply list and then educate children about how to create a budget based on how much they have to spend and what they need to get. Whether you shop online or in-store, stick to the list and the budget.
2. COMPARE PRICES
Use websites, smartphone apps, and social media to research products, compare prices, and find sales and discounts. Avoid entering your personal information to get a coupon - some scammers use the promise of discounts to steal your information.
MORE: Identity theft can happen to anyone. Reduce your risk with these 4 tips
MORE: Are you the victim of a data breach? Here are 4 steps to protect your identity.
3. LOOK FOR PRICES
Stores must post prices either on the item or on a sign where the item is displayed. It is illegal to charge more than that posted price.
4. BEWARE OF PRICE GOUGING
It is illegal for businesses to charge excessive prices for goods or services essential to health, safety, or welfare during a declared state of emergency. Goods or services include disinfectants, soap, cleaning products, diagnostic products and services, and medicines.
MORE: How do you know what type of computer is best for the 2023-24 academic year? Click here for News 12’s full guide on how to pick the perfect computer.
5. ASK FOR A RECEIPT AND SAVE IT
Protect your personal information—by law, a customer’s receipt must not show the credit card’s expiration date or more than its last five digits.
6. CHECK REFUND
Check store refund policies. Stores must post a sign detailing their policy. If they don’t, you are entitled to a refund within 30 days of your purchase.
7. PROTECT YOURSELF WHEN SHOPPING ONLINE
If you are planning to do your back-to-school shopping online, make sure to shop on secure websites only. Use familiar websites or research and read reviews of new websites and check that links start with https (not just http; the “s” stands for secure) or have a padlock icon. Avoid typing your personal information when using unsecured Wi-Fi. Also, don’t click on links in unsolicited emails or on social media sites - type the address directly into your browser. Visit OnGuardOnline.gov for more information on how to be safe, secure, and responsible online.
MORE: 4 tips to dispute a credit card charge
8. BEWARE OF SCAMS
Be on alert if someone contacts you claiming to be from your school or local department of education requesting money in exchange for a product or service for a student. This is a scam. Also, do not click on any links in emails that do not come from official email addresses.
MORE: 17 tips to keep you safe from phishing schemes
9. TEACH YOUR KIDS ABOUT CREDIT
Teach your children about credit and how it works. Explain that credit cards are not “free money,” and that what you pay for with the card must be paid back with interest. Teach them about paying minimum balances versus the full balance and about the consequences of using a credit card irresponsibly. Here's what they should know to use credit cards more responsibly.
Millennial Money: Curb inflation with 5 credit card perks
Would you like to see these tips in other languages? Click here for more information.
Source: NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
For more back-to-school resources and stories across News 12 Networks click in the links below:
