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BBB – Suggestions for Safe Shopping Satisfaction
PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Adam Harkness, Alaska Public Relations Manager: 907.644.5202 |pr@thebbb.org
Niki Horace, V.P. of Marketing and Public Relations: 206.676.4187
SUGGESTIONS FOR SAFE SHOPPING SATISFACTION
Stay Secure Online This Holiday Shopping Season
Anchorage, Alaska – Dec. 6, 2011 – The popularity of online shopping has increased in recent years, and Better Business Bureau wants consumers to be smart and responsible before emptying the virtual shopping cart. Click “buy” with caution.
According to Forrester Research, online retail sales are expected to top $190 billion in 2011. This amount of traffic is sure to attract less-than-honest retailers. While the allure of shopping from home in pajamas is appealing, it is important to consider the implications of doing business with unknown online retailers.
BBB serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington offers six suggestions for safe shopping satisfaction:
Screen the seller. Research the business on bbb.org. Make sure it is a reputable retailer.
Scope the security. Look for the “s” in the address bar of the website. “Https” means that the connection is secure.
Schedule the shipping. Read shipping conditions to make sure gifts arrive in time to be under the tree. Check with Fedex, UPS and USPS to understand the appropriate holiday deadlines.
Swipe for settlement. Pay with a credit card. Be stingy with personal information if it is not relevant to the transaction.
Save the specifics. Always read the fine print to understand the retailer’s return and refund policies. Look for “restocking fees” or warranty information, if available, and print copies.
Study a sample. Don’t be taken by surprise. If the product is available locally, try to examine it physically before purchasing it online.
For more safe shopping help, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s Online Shopping and E-Payments website. For other holiday advice, check out their website.
Murkowski's December 2011 Newsletter to Alaskans
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Murkowski’s December 2011 Newsletter to Alaskans
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Begich Newsletter to Alaska for December 2011
Excerpt from Mark Begich’s Newsletter – click on image to go to Mark’s website.
Americans got good news Friday when the Department of Labor announced unemployment has dropped to 8.6 percent, the lowest since March 2009. I want to keep that trend going so I welcome the scheduled vote this week by the Senate to extend the payroll tax cut. I support keeping this cut because this is no time to put an additional financial burden on working families who are continuing to struggle to make ends meet.
While in Alaska for the Thanksgiving break, I was honored to attend the deployment ceremony for the 4/25 from Joint-Base Elmendorf Richardson. An estimated 3,500 service men and women began their deployment to Afghanistan, where they will serve for the next year. They will join the 5,000 members of the 1/25 from Fort Wainwright already serving in Afghanistan. In my comments to the troops, I promised to continue to work hard to make sure our service members have what they need to meet the challenges overseas and at home. Part of my commitment is to the families, too; we have to make sure they have the support and services they while their loved ones are deployed.
The Senate last week also passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012. Nearly $400 million in investments for facilities in Alaska will come to the state once the measure is finalized through conference and signed by the President (see details below). With so many of our military members serving overseas, the timing of this legislation couldn’t be more appropriate.
I hope your holidays are going well and I’ll see you home in Alaska soon.
Sincerely,
Senator Mark Begich