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Shopping Safely from Home Better Business Bureaus and other consumer organizations are working together to educate consumers on how to safely shop from home. Shopping from home offers choice and convenience, but consumers should know the rules and use safety tools to protect themselves from fraudulent offers and unsafe products. Shopping from home options include online/e-commerce, telephone orders, mail orders, door-to-door sales - even yard sales and flea markets. To protect yourself when shopping from home, the Better Business Bureau offers the following tips: Know who you're dealing with. Find out where the seller is located. Do not deal with companies whose literature or web site only list a PO Box or no phone number. Check out the company's reputation. Contact your Better Business Bureau for a reliability report. Protect your privacy. Reputable businesses will not ask you to supply personal information, such as your Social Security number or personal bank account information, to conduct a transaction. Provide personal information only if you know who's collecting it, why, and how it will be used. Pay the safest way. Know the different options for payments and use the one that offers the best protection. If you pay by credit card, you're protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act. Know what you're buying. Get a complete description and all terms (including refund or return policy) of the transaction in writing. If you are buying a used item, check to make sure that it meets safety standards. Think it through. Don't act on impulse or let anyone pressure you into agreeing to a "good today only" deal. Know your rights. The Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule covers merchandise you order by mail, telephone, computer and fax machine, and requires companies to have a reasonable basis for claiming they can ship an order within a certain period of time. Know who to complain to. The Better Business Bureau, government agencies, industry organizations and other groups can help you if you have a problem.