Better Business Bureau provides tips to shop smart this holiday season

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Better Business Bureau provides tips to shop smart this holiday season

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For many, it could be hard to resist the image of a puppy under the tree this Christmas, but officials from the Better Business Bureau say would-be pet owners should beware of falling victim to an online pet scam. Such scams, they say, could cause a buyer to lose thousands of dollars and wind up with nothing to show for it.

The BBB reports that over the past two years online pet scams have more than doubled, thanks in part to an increased demand for pets during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021 pet scams made up 35% of reports to the BBB’s Scam Tracker.

More than a dozen northern Nevada residents have fallen prey to pet scammers based on reports in the BBB’s Scam Tracker, each with a similar story.

Sparks resident Lee McDowell-Orozco tried to purchase a puppy in August of this year and lost nearly $4,000 to scammers.

Better Business Bureau: ‘Tis the season to offer gift cards | Local

Logan Hickle | Better Business Bureau Great West + Pacific

Do you offer gift cards to your customers? If not, this may be the season to start.

Consumers are expected to spend an average of $1,000 on holiday gifts this year, and most of the people shopping aren’t hoping for traditional presents. The National Retail Federation (NRF) reports that 56% of consumers would prefer to receive gift cards in their stockings. They’re on more holiday wish lists than electronics, clothing, or jewelry.

For some companies, the timing couldn’t be better. Supply chain shortages have made it harder to acquire some items from large retailers this holiday season, so more shoppers are turning to smaller local businesses to pick up their presents.

As a small business owner, you could end up seeing a larger share of the customer market as a result. If that happens, you want to have as many