GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Memorial Day Weekend kicks off the summer retail “holiday” season when consumers see ads flooded across newspapers and television for amazing deals.
“Those are the kinds of words that lure people in.”
The Better Business Bureau says it is important to be able to discern between legitimate ads and those that may be confusing or misleading.
Susan Bach, Regional Director of the Better Business Bureau of Northeast Wisconsin says during Memorial Day many retailers claim to have limited time offers that are only available once per year, but that is not always the case.
“Is this truly the only time of year this retailer will run this sale or will you be able to get the same price in the future?
She says many of the items that have Memorial weekend sales tend to be big-ticket items.
“Hot items this time of year are cars and mattresses.”
Better Business Bureau has a few tips to help consumers sift through holiday sale flyers to see which retailers are truthful in their adverting.
Bach says first and foremost, read the fine print.
“If you see things like lowest price or best price, make sure that price is available to everyone and not just to those who have good credit.”
She says it is also good to see if the retailer offering you a discounted price on the latest model or are they trying to sell off the older version? This could be especially helpful for consumers looking to purchase tablets or other popular electronics.
Other things to look at is what the percentage is coming off of. A retailer may be advertising 50% off but it is important to know if they applying the discount to the regular price of the item or a marked up price that matches what the regular price normally is once the discount is applied
Finally, know the difference between a guarantee and a warranty. Guarantees and warranties cover different things for a different amount of time, especially when it comes to a lifetime warranty.
“Whose lifetime that does cover? Is it the lifetime of the product or the customer and is it transferable if you sell the item?”
Bach says the more questions you ask, the better the big-ticket shopping experience will be.
