BBB Offers Tips for Mother’s and Father’s Day Shopping
This article was written by Shannon Boyle, Content Marketing Specialist for BBB Serving Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT.
Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 12th, and Father’s Day will be quickly approaching a month after on Sunday, June 16th. Last-minute shoppers will be looking for deals on gifts within the next few weeks, and Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT (BBB) has the tips you need for finding a perfect gift for mom and dad.
The National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts consumers will spend an estimated $25 billion on Mother’s Day gifts in 2019 – the highest consumer spending to date since NRF began their annual Mother’s Day survey in 2003. Additionally, the NRF predicts spending on Father’s Day will also break records, with an estimated $15.3 billion spent by consumers on gifts this year.
“When buying gifts for Mother’s or Father’s Day, be sure to check out the business before making a purchase,” said Paula Fleming, spokesperson for the local BBB. “Check with BBB for information on local Accredited Businesses near you before you end up with poor quality merchandise or no gift at all.”
BBB offers the following tips for last minute Mother’s or Father’s Day gifts:
Flowers. If you’re using a local florist, be sure to check for reviews and complaints on bbb.org. Ask your friends and family which businesses they have used and liked. If you can, visit the shop; you can see the flowers and choose exactly what you want. For more tips on choosing a florist, see what BBB has to offer.
Ask around for recommendations. Not sure of what to get? Ask friends for recommendations of places to shop for mom or dad, verify references, and be sure to check out the BBB Business Profile at bbb.org before handing over any money.
Gift certificates. Be sure to check the terms and conditions of any gift card or certificate before buying. If you’re giving a gift card to someone who will make online purchases, check to see that the gift card is redeemable online, and not just for in-store use.
Electronics. Whether you plan to buy mom or dad a new phone, tablet or other device, make sure you leave it in the original packaging. Many retailers require the original packaging in order to process returns or exchanges.
Check the shipping ETA. Some businesses take longer to ship than others depending on where they are shipping from in approximation to where you live, or if the item you are planning to purchase is currently in stock.
Before you purchase a gift for mom or dad online, make sure the arrival date is before the special day.
If the ETA says something like ‘5-7 business days’, plan on the package arriving the last day in order to avoid a late gift.
Additionally, if the business is advertising a special, such as a guarantee of arrival before Mother’s or Father’s Day, make sure you read the fine print.
The advertisement can still be up on the website, but be past the expiration date. Make sure you save the details and receipts in case your package shows up later than promised.
Always remember, with holidays come scams.
BBB is reminding consumers to do their due diligence when it comes to spending money. And with online purchasing scams identified by BBB’s Annual Risk Report as one of the riskiest types of fraud, you need to be careful while shopping for mom and dad.
To track and report scams in your area, visit BBB Scam Tracker.
For more information you can trust, visit us at bbb.org, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.