Shopping safely

The FTC's four signs: the seller pretends to be someone you trust, says there is a problem or a prize, pressures you to act now, or insists you pay in a particular way.

Gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps and cryptocurrency — ways that are hard to reverse once the money has gone.

No. The FTC's rule is plain: never pay someone who insists you can only pay with cryptocurrency.

Yes, a classic one: the check bounces later, and the money you sent is gone.

If you are charged twice, never get the item, or are scammed, you can dispute the charge with your card company.

Tell your card company within 60 days of the first bill that shows the error.

Search the company's name with words like "complaint" or "scam", and look for a real address, phone number and clear policies.

Check it on the site itself: your orders, offers and messages are always on dealsdmv.com. If in doubt, contact us at support@dealsdmv.com before acting on it.

It is not us — it is a scam. Do not pay; forward the message to support@dealsdmv.com so we can warn others.

It tells a story to make you click: suspicious activity on your account, a problem with a payment, an invoice you do not recognise, or a free coupon. The FTC says to contact the company yourself instead.

Forward emails to reportphishing@apwg.org and texts to 7726 (SPAM), and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the FTC says.

Call the card issuer straight away, using the number on the back of the card or its app, and ask for your money back. Then report the scammer at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Contact the app or the gift card company at once, tell them a scammer tricked you, and ask them to reverse the payment and refund you, the FTC advises.

An FTC rule requires sellers to ship as they promised; if no time was promised, within 30 days.

Yes — the FTC says a site must state whether you can return an item for a full refund. Check who pays return shipping and any restocking fee before you buy.

A promise from the manufacturer or seller to stand behind a product. If one is offered, it must be available for you to read before you buy.

How long it lasts, which parts and repairs it covers, whether you must register the product, and whether claims go to the seller or the manufacturer.

The seller gives written notice that there is no warranty. Where state law allows it, implied warranties then do not apply.

It depends on the state; some let implied warranties last up to four years.

Generally not. The FTC says that, unless the parts or service are provided free or it has granted a waiver, making warranty coverage depend on them is prohibited by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

Not necessarily. The FTC has warned companies that terms voiding coverage when a warranty seal is altered or removed may be deceptive under the FTC Act.

Often not if the product is unlikely to need repairs, the FTC says, and it adds little where it overlaps the maker's own warranty. Check who backs it, what it covers and any fee per repair.

No. A warranty comes with the product; an extended warranty or service contract costs extra, is sold separately and may cover different problems. If something is not listed in it, assume it is not covered.

Search SaferProducts.gov, run by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, for the brand and model before you buy or use it.

File a report on SaferProducts.gov, which alerts the Consumer Product Safety Commission and other shoppers.

Yes. SaferProducts.gov lets the public file and read complaints about thousands of kinds of consumer products.

Not knowingly. If you find something you bought from us has been recalled, tell us and we will refund it.

Anything a child will use, anything that heats up, and anything with a battery — where a hidden defect can do the most harm — though every item is worth a quick search.

Returns and salvage can lose packaging, manuals and labels along the way, which is why inspecting and testing before use matters.

Yes. Post honest reviews, good or bad; we do not remove or hide a review because it is negative.

Unlawful, threatening, abusive or discriminatory content, someone's private information, spam, advertising, off-topic posts and fake reviews — whatever their rating.

No. Review only what you bought, and do not accept anything in return for a review.

If a member of staff reviews anything, they must say they work for us.

Only the display name you choose — the one detail a review shows to the public.

Yes. What you post stays yours; you allow us to show it on DealsDMV beside the item it is about.

A federal rule giving you until midnight of the third business day to cancel certain sales made at your home, workplace or dorm, or at a seller's temporary location such as a hotel room or fairground.

Not under the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule, which does not cover sales made entirely online, by mail or by phone. The store's own policy decides; on DealsDMV all sales are final unless an item is not as described.

A charge some retailers take from your refund when you return something that is not faulty, usually only if its packaging was opened.

No. When we approve a problem report we refund what you paid for that item, or give store credit if you prefer, with nothing taken off.

Buying something, using it for a short time — an outfit for one event, say — and returning it for a refund. It is a form of return fraud, and one way used goods end up among returns.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection says purchasing counterfeit goods is illegal, and advises buying authentic products from trusted sellers and reputable online sources.

Many are made with substandard materials or parts. Customs points to fake medicines missing their active ingredients, and fake car parts such as brake pads with catastrophic results.

A return merchandise authorization: the seller's go-ahead to send something back for a refund, replacement or repair, issued before you hand the product back.