The last big weekend for holiday shopping is coming up and Consumer Protection has some advice.
You're getting desperate. You can't find that last minute Christmas gift. Glen Lloyd at Consumer Protection says look out for Fake Sales. That's when an item is marked "Sale Item" but in reality the price posted is the everyday retail price. Lloyd says comparison shop even at this late date.
If you try to buy jewelry off eBay, make sure you know who's selling it. For instance, Lloyd says most of the Tiffany jewelry sold on eBay is fake. If it doesn't come directly from Tiffany's chances are, he says, it's not Tiffany's.
And if you decide to go with gift cards, make sure the pin number hasn't been tampered with by would-be thieves before you leave the store. Scammers have found a way to bill items to the card once your gift recipient activates it.
When in doubt Lloyd says, "give cash".
