Christmas shopping

Beware Of Holiday Fraud

December 21, 2016 By Twila Van Leer

Find out how you can become more aware of protecting yourself against fraud.

The happiest time of the year also is the most opportune for those who wreak fraud on the rest of us. With people spending more, traveling more and donating more to charities, they are looking for ways to dip into your holiday spending money, warns the Better Business Bureau.

The bureau advises extra caution. Don’t get so caught up in the season’s frenzy that you make yourself vulnerable to the predators. Here are some tips from the experts to help you negotiate the holidays without being victimized:

Online Shopping Issues

Online shopping has become popular because of the convenience, but it also can be the route to fraud if you aren’t careful. The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team, an arm of the Department of Homeland Security, warns of the most common ways in which criminals can steal your vital information or relieve you of your cash through fraudulent means. They create phony sites and email messages, intercept insecure transactions and target vulnerable computers.

Verify Good Deals

You can best foil them by using the good sense you apply to shopping year-round. Deal with vendors you are sure you can trust. Don’t be misled into error in your search for a good deal. Be careful of sites that mimic the reputable dealers by offering a brand that is slightly off. Avoid clicking on emails and links from unfamiliar senders. If you find deals that are too fantastic to be real, they probably are not. The most frequent complaints to the National Consumers League involve such come-ons that prove to be dishonest. Popular items such as electronics and clothing tend to be the most frequently offered in fraudulent online “deals.”

Charity Donations

The holidays bring out the generosity in many people. Charities tend to use that fact to reline their coffers. Give, but back your generosity with some solid research. The Federal Trade Commission suggests looking at the BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch and/or GuideStar before making your donation. Avoid any purported charity that won’t share pertinent information about its identity, mission and costs. Also beware of those that use a name that closely resembles a well-known charity in an attempt to misguide you. Never send cash or wire money. Pay be check made out to the charity or by credit card.

Travel Deals

Travel is an important item on the Christmas lists of many people. Keep the memories pleasant by avoiding hokey come-ons online offering hotel booking sites at a bargain. Stick with those whose reputations are firmly established. Use a good broker or make reservations yourself. Use only licensed taxi or ride services. Protect the details about sky miles and loyalty points as you would any other personal information. Using “free” Wi-Fi spots in the airport may make you vulnerable to exposure of the personal information on your phone, computer or other device.

Email Warnings

Some scammers even use Santa’s good name to do their damage. Be sure that the charming and personalized message you get from the North Pole is legitimate. Take the same precautions with electronic greeting cards. Gift exchanges online are just another variation on the old pyramid schemes and are illegal.

Keep your Christmas merry by thwarting the fraudsters who would make hash of your holidays.

Black Friday: What Happened This Year?

March 11, 2016 By Twila Van Leer

Well, the annual bacchanalia of holiday bargains has come and gone. Whether it was the standard grab-for-the-goodies frenzy or a ho-hum just another day depended to a large degree on where in the country you are located.

As predicted, some of the oomph of the post-Thanksgiving spree has eased, with fewer shoppers willing to brave the early hours and crowds, reports from around the country indicate. In some locales, demonstrators piggy-backed on the opportunity to attract a crowd. And some people opted to stay home and peruse the ads in newspapers or online before making spending decisions.

Bottom line, according to an Associated Press rundown, crowds this year seemed to be smaller than in the past. But there were variations on the theme in some places.

Colorado

In Colorado, which legalized marijuana recently, discounted weed and specially wrapped holiday combinations were on sale for the Black Friday crowd. In traditionally snowy Denver weather, some crowds lined up and braved the cold to get in on the weed deals.

Chicago

Some Chicagoans linked arms and tried to block traffic into stores in protest of the shooting of a teenager in their city. In some of the stores, employees safely ushered shoppers out of side doors to prevent possible clashes with the protestors. Some of the shoppers took it all in stride and used their smartphones to photograph the event.

Kansas City

Some shoppers who have reveled in the competition and excitement of Black Fridays past were actually disappointed to find themselves in stores without crowds. One woman in Kansas City listlessly shuffled through racks of clothing and wondered where the fun went.

Arizona

In sunny Arizona, people told news reporters they preferred hiking in the saguaro-studded hills rubbing elbows with crowds of shoppers. For some like-minded non-shoppers, it was an opportunity to impress upon children the true meaning of the holidays, one Tucson mother was reported as saying.

Online

As technology takes over more and more of the country’s shopping functions, the experts reported that – as predicted- more retail shoppers used their phones than their desktop computers to order goods. The option of sitting at home quietly digesting the Thanksgiving turkey while ordering online rather than facing the mobs in stores, seemed to make even more inroads into the Black Friday events.

Big Retailers

Even with the slight slackening of Black Friday traffic, some of the nation’s biggest retailers reported brisk sales. WalMart reps reported that its stores dotting the country saw increased sales this year, both in the stores and online, over last year. Ditto Target, which racked up a record in online sales, particularly electronics. Business in Target’s stores also was satisfactory, spokesmen said. Penneys put considerable effort pre-season into making its apps more user-friendly and said the results were good. It was apparent that many shoppers were researching online then going to the stores for purchases, a spokesperson said.

Black Friday may be losing a little of its luster, but don’t count it out yet as a holiday event of great magnitude.

Christmas Shoppers Are Getting Smarter

December 23, 2014 By Sherry Tingley

Smart phone apps allow users to scan bar codes to find the best prices for items.

It happens every year. Suddenly, the shopping frenzy is upon us and the race is on.

Many Americans are taking advantage of the electronic age to get it done smarter, faster and more efficiently. They know how to find legitimate deals, avoid the fake ones and how to leave items in online shopping carts while they make sure they have the best deals they can find. To spot a shopper in the aisle of a leading retailer using a smartphone to check competing prices in another outlet is not outside the norm.

It’s this kind of savvy that took some of the energy out of Black Friday and other mega sales days this year. Many retailers who invested in huge advertising promotions before Thanksgiving apparently left customers with the impression that the deals were so big they had plenty of time to take part in the annual shopping spree without hassling the crowds.

C. Britt Beemer of America’s Research Group, reported that 75 percent of of the Black Friday shoppers were focused only on the door busters, deeply discounted specials that retailers hope will get people into the store. Last year, only 49.9 percent of the Black Friday shoppers said that the door buster was their main objective. The stores, many of whom have losses on the door busters, also lost the additional revenue generated by the impulse spending they hoped for once the customer was inside the doors.

ShopperTrak, a consumer analytics company that tracks in-store purchases, pegged the Thanksgiving weekend sales at $21.76 billion, a dip of 2.1 percent over the last holiday season. Sales rose 8.5 percent on the Monday after that weekend, an indication that more people were opting to miss the rush without feeling they might miss the best deals. Even so, before the end of the year, sales for November and December will have increase by 4.1 percent, the National Federation predicts. Most retailers see 20 percent of their sales in those two year-end months.

This is how shoppers are doing things smarter and changing the way the retailers are likely to approach the holidays in the future:

It takes more to catch the buyers’ attention now than in a less sophisticated day. If the retailer offers 20 percent off, they may ask for free shipping too. They are more savvy about the elements of retail selling and more apt to press the limits. Free shipping is, in fact, a big factor in online shopping. Merchants that don’t offer the service have 10 to 15 percent lower sales on their websites, according to analysts. Target is piloting a free shipping policy and saw online sales surge, the company reported. Their free shipping deal is available through Dec. 20.

Online buying obviously is making more inroads into store sales. Shoppers are not in such a hurry as they once were. This year has not seen any toys that are so hot people have a hard time finding them, reducing the mad scrambles that occurred in the past with such items as Cabbage Patch dolls and Tickle-Me Elmo. The shopper is willing to wait for further discounts as the season progresses. That puts the customer in the driver’s seat.

Online shoppers are learning to hold items in a shopping cart while they take time to look for better deals. They may have full shopping carts waiting for some time before consummating their deals.

In all, the 2014 shopping season may impact what happens in the future as shoppers become even more tuned in. Watch and see.

How To Choose Christmas Gifts For Teens

December 7, 2014 By Sherry Tingley

Choosing gifts for teens can be challenging.

Shopping For Teens Can Be Tough

Teens, bless them, can be a challenge when it comes to buying gifts. They tend to have extensive gift lists that change as often as their minds. They want the newest, trendiest items and what’s at the top of the lists may be changed from day to day.

Electronics

You can bet, though, that electronics of all kinds will be at the top of many lists. Your teen is likely into phones, accessories, video games, fashion accessories, active-wear and other items that say “let me be me.” The smartphone is far and away the most frequently sought in this age group. If you got the phone last year, try for accessories this season.

Gift Cards

Gift cards may have earned their reputation as quick and thoughtless, but they don’t lose popularity in the teen crowd. They beat a clothing, makeup or handbag gift that the particular recipient does not like. Those are items best left to the individual to select, and if the gift card fits . . . Even better is cash, that has no limits as to where it can be used.

Cash, gift cards or electronics, say the experts. And one larger gift card for one store beats a pile of smaller cards that fall short of price of a teen-coveted item. Mix-and-match. Match a gift card for iTunes, for instance, with new earbuds. A Darth Vader flash drive or a purse-size cellphone charger/flashlight might be the stocking stuffer of choice for many a teen.

Food

A gift of food can never be far wrong for the majority of teens. Candy, cookies, soft drinks, chips, etc., in a basket will keep the holiday alive, at least for a day or two. And again, a gift card to a local eatery will let them order for themselves.

Find Out Likes On Social Media Sites

With modern technology, it is possible to check out a teen’s social networks to learn if they have special interests in music, sports or hobbies. An item of clothing, say a winter hat, sporting the favorite team’s logo, is a good choice for the sports nuts.

Clothing

Teens are looking for items that set them apart as an individual. When you look for clothing items, take their personal choices into account. In active wear, sizing is easier if you stick with relaxed-fit items like jogger pants.

Providing the wherewithal for a teen to have a new experience such as flying in a jet pack or taking a hot air balloon ride may be the answer for the youth who has everything, or seems to have.

10 Tips To Cope With Holiday Stress

November 28, 2014 By Twila Van Leer

Stressed? Depressed? Here’s How To Cope

If you’re feeling Grinch-y, Scrooge-y and a bit more than bah hum-bugged, overwhelmed by the array of demands the holidays bring, there are ways to make things better, according to a Mayo Clinic release.

Among the stressors are too many – sometimes unwelcome – guests, selecting and then paying for gifts, shopping, baking, cleaning and entertaining. And the list goes on, depending on your own circumstances. Plenty to make for a no-good, no-fun, no-happy Noel.

The trick, if possible, is to recognize the potential and stop it at the pass. Especially if you’ve had problems in the past, anticipate an emotional toll and don’t let it happen.

The Clinic’s suggestions include:

1. Acknowledge your feelings. If you’ve had particular challenges recently, don’t expect them to be less emotionally draining just because it’s the holidays. It’s all right to cry or otherwise express your feelings.

2. Reach out to others. If loneliness or isolation get too big to bear alone, seek out community, religious or other opportunities to be with others. Volunteer to help others as a way to put your troubles into perspective and broaden friendships.

3. Be realistic. Nobody’s holidays are perfect. If things are different from last year, if your family structure has changed, traditions and rituals altered, don’t expect things to be the same. Hold onto some of your personal traditions and be open to new ones. For example, if your adult children can’t make it home, find new ways to share long-distance, through emails, pictures, chats or videos.

4. Set aside differences. Looking for the ideal in any normal family is an exercise in futility. Accept each other as is. If there are grievances, wait for a more opportune time to discuss them. If others get upset or distressed, be understanding. Avoid confrontation.

5. Stick to a budget. If your stress and depression are triggered by money matters, make them matter less. Plan a realistic holiday budget and then stick to it. Buying an avalanche of gifts that you can’t afford will only extend the pain beyond the holidays. Give homemade gifts, donate to a charity in another’s name, promote a family gift exchange.

6. Plan your time. Divide up the chores into manageable bits: a time for shopping, baking, parties and other activities. Avoid last-minute scrambling. Be sure you have the ingredients you need for cooking. Line up help for preparation and cleanup.

7. Learn to say No. If you overextend yourself, you end up feeling resentful and overwhelmed. If you can’t involve yourself in every possibility that comes your way, don’t feel the need to apologize. If you can’t avoid the added demands, for instance, if the boss says he needs you overtime, drop something else from your schedule if you can. The days during the holiday season are just 24 hours long, as usual. Don’t try to pack them too tightly.

8. Retain healthy habits. Have a snack before a party to avoid overeating. Get enough sleep. Make exercise part of every day.

9. Take a breather. Make time to relax and be by yourself. Just 15 minutes maky be enough to refresh and help you handle what’s on the agenda. Take a nighttime walk. Listen to music, read a book, get a massage. Whatever it takes to relieve the tension and prepare you to jump back into the maelstrom.

10. Get professional help if you need it. If you persistently feel sad or anxious, have recurring physical symptoms, can’t sleep, are irritable and feel hopeless and unable to face routine expectations, see a doctor or mental health professional.