BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Experts with the Better Business Bureau are offering up a few tips and reminders ahead of the holiday shopping season.

Thanksgiving 2024 is on Thursday, November 28, and millions of shoppers will line up at stores for huge deals the Friday after Thanksgiving.

According to the BBB, shoppers should always have a plan before heading to a brick and mortar store or before purchasing items online. Even though Black Friday is multiple days away, shoppers should start looking around for deals right now.

“There are a lot of stores that have really good opportunities, so you might want to get on those local company’s websites and see what deals they have,” said Carmen Million, CEO and President of the Better Business Bureau of South Central Louisiana. “Do your homework. Set a plan. Make sure you understand their return/refund policies and make sure that you have a list and a budget. Those things are so important.”

A major concern that shoppers at brick and mortar stores should be aware of involves gift cards.

“Scammers will go in there and take those numbers off those cards. You give that gift. The person gets nothing. Always be cautious when making those purchases,” Million explained.

Millions suggests that shoppers make sure the gift cards they purchase are easily visible to a store’s cashiers. This will help insure that scammers haven’t attempted to mess with the gift cards.

Cyber shopping can post a unique set of risks. Because artificial intelligence is getting more sophisticated, scammers can easily trick a shopper into thinking a fake website is real.

“We always tell people to investigate before they invest. With AI, they make these pop up shops look really good. Some are valid. Some are not. Do your homework. Make sure you read the fine print. Make sure the site you’re on is protected,” Million said.

Experts with the BBB said people who shop online are encouraged to use PayPal or a credit card when paying for items. Using these forms of payment will make returning items easier.

For more holiday shopping tips and reminders from the BBB, click here.

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