With the holiday shopping season upon us, Attorney General Peter W. Heed encourages New Hampshire consumers to be smart and sensible shoppers. “As we all begin our holiday shopping, it is important to remind consumers to shop wisely,” Attorney General Peter Heed said. According to Heed, everyone spends money, but not everyone knows how to do it right. “Spending wisely takes skill, time and experience,” Heed said. He offers the following buying tips:

• Be an informed shopper. Research the items you are interested in purchasing and ask others what their experience has been with that product.
• Comparison shop. It is always a good idea to compare the price in at least three stores. Oftentimes this can be done by the telephone or the Internet. Also many stores are now price-matching and honoring another store’s price if it is lower than theirs.
• Make sure you know exactly what you are purchasing and that it is exactly what you want. Ask many questions, ask to see the item if it is in a package, and make sure it is the product that you want and are paying for.
• Familiarize yourself with the return policy of each store prior to making your purchase.
• If you are making purchases by telephone, by mail or on-line, make sure and track all of the purchases and keep records and receipts.
• If you purchase a gift certificate, make sure there is no expiration date on the gift certificate. New Hampshire law prohibits a merchant from including an expiration date on gift certificates issued with a value of $100 or less. “It is also worth noting,” Heed stated, “that as of January 1, 2004, it will be illegal for gift cards to charge any sort of administrative fees or dormancy fees.”

If consumers have any additional questions, they are encouraged to visit the Bureau’s website or call the Consumer Protection Bureau at 271-3641. Heed added, “We will continue to issue consumer shopping tips throughout this holiday season.”