PissedConsumer.com Exposes Christmas Shopping Complaints and Offers Tips to Shoppers
New York (PRWEB) November 18, 2014 -- U.S. consumer advocacy and customer complaints website, PissedConsumer.com, examined its archives to find some of the most common recent consumer complaints related to holiday shopping. A list of tips was compiled to help shoppers avoid these problems during the 2014 holiday buying season.
"The holiday season can be a hectic time not only for retailers, but also for shoppers," said Joanna Simpson of PissedConsumer.com. "Large gift lists, managing their budgets, and dealing with holiday traffic and parking are often enough of a hassle for customers. The last thing they want or need is to have problems with the retailers they offer their business to. Our hope is that we can alleviate at least a little bit of holiday stress this year by letting consumers know what kinds of issues to look out for and what they can do to avoid common holiday shopping problems."
Examples of common holiday shopping consumer complaints over the last year include:
- Missed delivery dates
- Delivered items not being as described, such as the wrong color or size
- Unacceptable direct-to-recipient deliveries, such as flowers and fruit baskets
- Last-minute cancelled travel arrangements
PissedConsumer.com offers the following tips to help consumers avoid some of these problems this year:
- Always request gift receipts when available. This way the gift recipient can exchange an item if the size or color isn't as expected.
- Buy a few generic gift items so you avoid a rush on last minute gifts, which can result in delayed deliveries. These gifts -- such as candles, picture frames, or even an extra batch of Christmas cookies -- can fill gaps for unplanned gifts such as for a child's teacher or a co-worker who unexpectedly gave a gift.
- Another way to avoid late deliveries is to order as early as possible. A good rule of thumb is to add an extra week onto a website's estimated delivery date. This helps to account for things like inclement weather, which can slow deliveries down this time of year.
- When possible, send gifts directly instead of letting companies deliver directly to the gift recipient. This offers the opportunity to check the gifts for problems or to re-package them for greater protection.
- If sending flowers and fruit baskets, consider skipping large websites. Instead research local florists in the recipient's local area to find a well-reviewed company. Contact them directly to place an order. They'll be able to confirm what items are readily available so there aren't any unexpected substitutions.
- Consumers can't always avoid cancelled flights or other travel arrangements, especially when they result from bad weather. But choosing airlines with several flights to the destination can open more options for finding a new flight. Leaving a couple of days earlier if possible can offer padding in a schedule if flights are cancelled at the last minute. And choosing hotels with favorable cancellation policies, such as being able to cancel within 24 hours of scheduled arrivals, can help consumers avoid being left on the hook for those expenses.
Reading consumer complaints will help you to learn more about safe and easy holiday shopping.
About PissedConsumer.com
PissedConsumer.com is a premier consumer advocacy group, featuring consumer reviews and complaints in a social networking environment. The company uses online tools to publicize reviews and complaints filed by consumers on the Internet. In addition, the website offers a set of free tools necessary to bring customer disputes to a fast and successful resolution, including a consumer complaint letter generator and collection of consumer tips and advice in the site’s consumer advocacy section.
For more information about PissedConsumer.com or holiday shopping consumer complaints please visit PissedConsumer.com or contact Joanna Simpson at 262-674-6466.
Contact:
Joanna Simpson, Media Relations
Opinion Corp. DBA PissedConsumer.com
1732 1st Ave #25581
New York, NY 10128
Phone: 262-674-6466
Email: reviews(at)pissedconsumer(dot)com
Web: http://www.PissedConsumer.com
Joanna Clark Simpson, Opinion Corporation, http://www.pissedconsumer.com/, +1 (262) 674-6466, [email protected]
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