5 Tips for Successful Online Shopping for this Holiday Season! (Friday Foto Fun #152)

Shopping season is upon us!  Typically I put together a holiday gift guide for quilters, but this year I wanted to something different.  As we all prepare for some shopping for friends, family, and your fellow quilters, there are a few reminders and watch-outs to remember while online shopping this year.

1. Buy from a reputable website.  For the big-name sites that have a marketplace such as Etsy or Amazon, look at the seller's reviews before purchasing.
2. If you search for a specific item such as a pattern and it brings you to a website that you have never heard of, do your research before purchasing!  There are websites that scrape photos, descriptions, and even reviews from other sites to make product listings that look legit, but you will not get your product.  If the price of the product is WAY cheaper than normal, it's probably too good to be true.
3. Have you ever wanted to make a quilt for someone but ran out of time?  There are sites that sell "blankets" that are stolen photos of quilts that are then photoshopped on the same few images.  Those "blankets" are sold at rock bottom prices, this is a scam!  Again, do your homework for sites you do not recognize!  Check the About Me or social media pages for small businesses to see if they are a real company.  Scam websites typically do not link any social media pages.
4. Order early! The shipping services we use are completely and utterly overwhelmed and have been since the pandemic started.  Make sure you order early enough to get your goodies in time.
5. Sign-up for USPS Informed Delivery, UPS MyChoice, and FedEx Delivery Manager to track all of your packages.  These are free services and definitely help you see what is coming to you and when!

What other tips do you use for online shopping?

If you are looking for a gift guide, you can check out my lists from 2019 and 2017.

I'm super excited that I'm essentially on vacation until Monday after Thanksgiving!  I will be streaming tomorrow, but it'll be more of a casual sew day.  I may be streaming during the week as well as working on some projects.  However, there is still a TON of secret sewing left to finish this week that I, unfortunately, cannot share yet.  If you are looking for a friend to chat with while working on projects this week, I'll be on my Twitch channel! See you there!

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