Emmanuel Akosile | ConsumerConnect

As the festive season fast approaches, the Consumer Protection Federal Agency (Profeco) has highlighted how consumers can do purchases online safely, as provided at econsumer.gov.

Plan: Set a budget, take your time and decide what you really need.

The agency says this guideline will help you avoid impulse purchases.

Compare products and vendors: Research the product or brand.

Consider site’s reputation for quality and trustworthiness.

Do they offer reliable customer service?

Compare costs: Check comparison sites, and understand the seller’s policies for delivery, cancellation, replacements and refunds.

Shopping through social network sites may not provide offer standard protections.

Checkout: Decide how to pay.

Some countries or banks provide extra protections for credit card transactions.

Look for a secure connection – https – and always ask for receipts, bills or invoices.

Report: If you believe you’ve responded to a scam or deceptive offer, file a complaint with econsumer.gov and with your national consumer protection agency.

This helps consumer protection authorities combat consumer fraud, says Profeco.