Holiday Online Shopping: An FTC-Based Checklist Before You Click Buy
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How we wrote this: A summary of the Federal Trade Commission's Online Shopping consumer advice page (linked below), checked October 29, 2026. We don't review or recommend specific stores.
Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the weeks before the holidays are when most people buy from sites they've never used before. The FTC's online shopping advice turns into a short checklist you can run before every unfamiliar purchase.
1. Check the seller and the product
- Search the company or product name plus "complaint" or "scam." The FTC suggests this to see what other people have experienced.
- Read reviews critically. The FTC warns not to rely on star ratings alone, because some reviews and ratings are fake or misleading. Fake reviews can be positive or negative, and it's not always clear whether a reviewer got something for free.
- Know the total cost: shipping, handling, delivery, taxes and other fees.
- Read the fine print of the "deal." Will you have to buy something else to get the advertised price? Words like "refurbished," "vintage" or "close-out" can mean the item isn't in perfect condition. The FTC adds that expensive brand-name items at bargain prices could be counterfeit or stolen.
- Comparison sites differ. Some are run by manufacturers or rank only sellers that pay them.
2. Know the shipping rule
An FTC rule requires sellers to ship items as promised in their ads. If a seller doesn't promise a time, it has to ship within 30 days after it gets your name, address and payment. For gifts, order early and use the tracking the seller provides. (Watch for fake "delivery problem" texts while you wait; see package delivery text scams.)
3. Read the return and refund policy, especially on sale items
The FTC says the site must say whether you can return an item for a full refund. Before you buy, find out:
- who pays return shipping,
- how many days you have to return it, and
- whether there is a restocking fee.
Sale and clearance items often have different return rules, so double-check them. It's also worth asking whether you can get a credit if the price drops next week, and what receipts you'd need. Some sellers match competitors' prices or their own in-store prices; you may need to contact them to request it.
4. Pay by credit card when possible
The FTC says paying by credit card best protects you if there's a scam or something else goes wrong. If you're charged twice, billed for something you never got, or get the wrong or a defective item, you can dispute the charge. The FTC's timing: call right away, and send a letter that reaches the card company within 60 days of when it mailed the first bill showing the error.
About the padlock: https means the connection is encrypted. The FTC notes it doesn't mean the site is legitimate; scammers encrypt sites too.
5. Walk away from these payment demands
The FTC says never buy from an online seller that insists you pay only with:
- gift cards,
- wire transfers through companies like Western Union or MoneyGram,
- a payment app, or
- cryptocurrency.
Scammers prefer payment methods that are hard to reverse. (More on that in gift card scams.)
6. Keep records until the item arrives and the return window closes
Save:
- what you ordered, when, and what you paid,
- the seller's shipping promise and the date it made it,
- every email, text or chat with the seller, and
- the card or bank statement showing the charge.
7. Think about what the app knows
Shopping sites and apps may collect your purchase history and location and may share it, including with data brokers, according to the FTC. Check the privacy policy, and use your phone's settings to limit location access for shopping apps. A passkey or strong, unique password with two-step sign-in protects the accounts that store your cards.
If something goes wrong
The FTC's advice: try to work it out with the seller first. If that fails, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and dispute card charges as described above.