Dear Editor,

The economy is on life support and short on oxygen, what are consumers facing for the holidays?

The novel coronavirus pandemic has created sub-pandemics in areas of logistics, service deliveries, payment systems, and ultimately consumer buying patterns. Lockdowns have altered these patterns. It’s not just about getting goods on to store shelves or to your front door.

When the world went into lockdown, factory production largely shut down as well. That means everything from toys and electronics to the components that are vital for everything from cars to phones are consequently in short supply. Increased uncertainty has followed from the variability of the lockdowns and curfews.

In the wake of the not-so-official-mandatory vaccination pressures consumers are left wondering whether they will be allowed to travel to facilitate holiday shopping. The consumer reaction has been to continue using online retailing as a convenient alternative.

This holiday season is expected to have the greatest stress upon shipping companies as a flurry of merchants went digital making it more convenient for consumers to shop from home. Unfortunately, as we draw closer to the season, a lot of delivery dates will become more uncertain due to high sales volumes and supply chain disruptions.

Consumer can also expect higher prices. It’s best to buy early, rather than closer to the season, when merchants will have to pay more for goods and have to pass on that cost to customers.

As well, expect increased scams/frauds. Scammers are creating bogus shopping websites to steal your identity information and money. Always check your browser settings to “Do Not Track”. Look for the secure padlock icon indicating that the website is secured. Consumers opting for home delivery from local online unregistered businesses must exercise greater caution as criminals use the opportunity to rob unsuspecting customers.

Consumers may want to make a budget and impose limits on yourselves as impulse buying is the fastest way to go off track financially. Refunds and exchanges of unwanted gifts will be very problematic this holiday season. A store’s warranty and return policies are just as important to know as the sales being promoted.

There are still disadvantages with e-commerce because customers aren’t able to engage with the product before making the decision to purchase. What does the fabric feel like? How does it fit? Or even whether the colour is as shown.

The holidays are a very festive time to connect with family. Making time for what matters most should always be the priority. Let us make this a safe and joyful holiday season.

Michael Diamond

President

Consumers Intervention of Jamaica

consumersinterventionjamaica@gmail.com