How to take the stress out of Xmas shopping
whether it’s worth spending your hardearned money on.
If something you’ve bought turns out to be faulty or not able to do what it claimed to do, you’re protected by consumer law. Don’t just put it to the side and write it off as a dud. Under the Consumer Guarantees Act, goods have to be of acceptable quality and match how they were described in advertisements, on a website or by the salesperson.
6.
The lead-up to Christmas is a scammer’s paradise. Buy gift cards from the store or the store’s website, not social media.
Don’t click on any ads you see online claiming to sell vouchers. Scammers try cashing in on the holiday spirit, so check any charities you’re asked to donate to are listed on the Charities Register.
7.
Do your research if you’re buying online from websites you haven’t dealt with before.
Check the website’s cut-off date for pre-christmas delivery and make sure you’re happy with its policy on returns.
Look for https:// and a small padlock symbol in the URL box to check the site’s buying process is encrypted. Take a screenshot of the product description so you can complain if the product doesn’t stack up.
8.
If a parcel doesn’t show up or it isn’t what you ordered, contact the store. If it refuses to help or ignore you, talk to your bank.
If you paid by credit or debit card, your bank can do a charge-back. You’ll need to provide a few details. If the retailer doesn’t have enough money to refund you, the bank will stump up if you meet its conditions.
9.
Check your receipts and bank statements to make sure you’ve been charged the right price and haven’t been charged more than once. It’s a busy time for store staff too and mistakes can happen.
You could also check you’re not buying a lemon by seeing how it scored in our testing at consumer.org.nz.
Keep in mind that retailers do not have to give you a refund if you change your mind about something you’ve bought.
But they do they have to put things right if there’s a problem with it – even if it was on sale.
The only exception is if a retailer clearly states the item is on sale because of the defect.
10.
Sue Chetwin is the chief executive of Consumer NZ. For thousands of independent test results and research on a range of products and services, visit consumer.org.nz.