Black Friday online shopping checklist: shipping, refunds, disputes and gift cards
Many Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are bought online, and a lot of what goes wrong happens after checkout: a package that never ships, a charge you do not recognize, a gift card that turns out to have fees. Federal rules cover more of this than many shoppers know. This checklist walks through what to do before you buy, while you wait for delivery, and if something goes wrong.
Before you buy
Compare the real price, not the “was” price
A big percentage off means little if the original price was inflated. Check what the item sold for over the past few weeks, compare the same model number across stores, and add shipping, tax and any restocking fee before deciding which deal is better. For laptops and TVs, our guide to getting a good deal on tech covers which specs are worth paying for.
Read the shipping promise
The FTC’s mail order rule says sellers have to ship your order within the time they or their ads say. If they do not give a time, they must ship within 30 days of when you placed the order. Before you buy a gift that has to arrive by a certain date, look for the stated shipping window and screenshot it.
Check the return policy
Return windows, who pays return shipping and whether there is a restocking fee are set by each store, and holiday policies often differ from the rest of the year. Check whether you get a refund to your card or only store credit, and how long a gift recipient has to return something.
Pay with a credit card if you can
Credit cards come with a federal billing dispute process, described below. The FTC notes that debit card protections are different, so a credit card usually gives you more room if a seller does not deliver.
Buy from the seller you think you are buying from
On big marketplaces, check who is actually selling and shipping the item. Look for the seller’s name, ratings and contact details. Be wary of deals that are far below every other store, especially on new-release electronics.
While you wait for delivery
If the order is late
Under the FTC rule, if a seller cannot ship on time, it must tell you and give you a choice: agree to the delay or cancel. If you cancel, or if the seller does not ship, it has to give you a full refund, not just a gift card or store credit.
Keep a paper trail
Save the order confirmation, the product page, the shipping promise, tracking emails and any chat or email with customer service. A folder in your inbox for holiday orders makes this easy, and you will need these if you dispute a charge.
Products you did not order
If you receive something you never ordered, the FTC says you do not have to pay for it or send it back. You are legally entitled to keep it as a free gift.
If something goes wrong: disputing a credit card charge
Try the seller first. If that does not work, the billing dispute process for credit cards covers charges for items you did not receive, wrong amounts and charges you did not make.
- Call your card company right away, then follow up in writing. The CFPB says to send a written billing error notice within 60 days after the charge appeared on your statement.
- Use the right address. Your credit card agreement explains where to send disputes. You can find it on the card company’s website or in the CFPB’s credit card agreement database.
- Keep copies of everything you send and a log of the dates you called.
- Watch for the acknowledgment. The card company has 30 days after receiving your notice to confirm it got your dispute, unless it has already resolved it in that time.
- Know the outcome. If you are right, the charge must be removed from your bill. If the card company decides the charge is valid, it must tell you why in writing, along with how much you owe and when it is due.
If you have already paid the charge, you can still dispute it, but the CFPB notes you probably will not get the money back until the card company decides in your favor. Problems with the quality of goods or services can go through a different dispute process, so ask your card company which one applies.
Gift cards: what federal rules protect
Gift cards are one of the most popular holiday buys, and federal rules set a floor for how they work.
- Five year minimum on funds. Under the CFPB’s gift card rule, the money on a store gift card or gift certificate cannot expire sooner than five years after the card was issued or last loaded.
- Limits on inactivity fees. A dormancy, inactivity or service fee can only be charged if the card has had no activity for one year, and no more than one such fee can be charged in a calendar month.
- Terms on the card. Fees and the expiration date of the funds must be disclosed, and the card must show a toll-free number for fee information.
Tips for buying them:
- Buy from the store or brand directly, or from a rack where the packaging looks intact.
- Give the receipt with the card, in case it needs replacing.
- Write down the card number and customer service number and keep them somewhere safe.
- Never pay a person or “official” caller with a gift card. Someone who insists on being paid with gift cards is a classic sign of a scam.
Reloadable prepaid cards sold as general spending cards may not follow the same gift card rules, so check the fees on the package.
Quick printable checklist
- Same model number compared across at least two stores.
- Total price includes shipping, tax and any restocking fee.
- Stated shipping time screenshotted for anything that must arrive by a date.
- Return window and refund method checked, including for gift recipients.
- Paid with a credit card where possible.
- Seller identity checked on marketplace listings.
- Order confirmations and tracking saved in one folder.
- Calendar reminder set to check statements, so any dispute goes in within 60 days.
- Gift card receipts kept and card details noted.
Common questions
Can a store give me a gift card instead of a refund if my order never ships?
Not if it falls under the FTC mail order rule. If the seller does not ship, it has to give you a full refund, not just store credit.
Do I have to dispute a charge before I pay my bill?
You can dispute a charge you have already paid. The deadline runs from when the charge appeared on your statement, not from when you paid it.
Where can I compare tech deals?
You can compare offers for laptops, 4K TVs and tablets from our tap pages.