With the Spring Festival approaching, Chinese people are busy purchasing goods for the Lunar New Year or booking trips for the holiday. The China Consumers Association gave a few tips to encourage rational spending, so that people can have a happy and peaceful time during the holiday.

(Photo/sipaphoto.com)

Choose official supermarkets for New Year's shopping

Official shopping malls and supermarkets should be the first choice for consumers, and they should pay attention to the production and expiration dates of products.

Consumers should reasonably exercise the right of "returning and exchanging goods within seven days without reason" when purchasing goods on e-commerce platforms. They should not be tempted by low prices; and try to understand the reasons for the promotion as well as the promotion terms in detail.

After making the purchase, keep the order, chat records or screenshots and other relevant evidence.

Specify consumption details when booking New Year's Eve dinner

Consumers should choose catering enterprises with a health safety grade of B or above, and sign a written contract, specify consumption details, become familiar with the names of dishes and the actual content after making a visit to the restaurants.

The contract should indicate whether the advance payment is a "down payment” or "deposit". Consumers should keep the proof of purchase to guarantee their rights.

Check identification certificates carefully when buying jewelry

When buying jewelry, consumers should go to large stores and jade jewelry stores. In online shopping, formal e-commerce sites with a strong reputation are the best choice.

The identification certificate attached to the jewelry item is an important piece of information to help consumers accurately understand the quality of the product. Consumers should also ask for official receipts after making payment.

Keep travel contracts safe

Consumers should choose legal, qualified travel agencies. Before a trip, consumers should sign a contract with a travel agency and read the terms of the contract, become familiar with the travel schedule, transportation, accommodation, liability for breach of contract and so on, and properly store the travel contract, itinerary, tickets, invoices, and other relevant documents.

If consumers choose to purchase travel products through online platforms, they must confirm the obligations of the platforms and keep the orders, chat records or screenshots.

Sign an agreement for domestic services

The period before the Spring Festival is a busy season for domestic services. When consumers choose homemaking services, official homemaking services companies should be the top option. Sign official service agreements and specify the deadline, service content, service charge, and so on.

Pay attention to the health certificates and other documents of home service staff.

Do not randomly scan QR codes

During the Spring Festival, whether traveling, shopping or dining out, consumers should pay attention to protecting themselves and their personal property. Do not provide personal information during online transactions, do not scan QR codes randomly, and pay attention to protecting your personal privacy.

Be careful of prepaid consumption

In recent years, there have been a growing number of prepaid consumption disputes. When choosing prepaid consumption deals in places such as beauty salons and fitness centers, consumers should thoroughly investigate the reputation of enterprises and business conditions, research the comments of other consumers, and be vigilant of frequent problems in the industry.

Protect elderly from fraud

During the Spring Festival, when buying healthcare products for the elderly, consumers should keep in mind that "healthcare products cannot replace medical treatment". Attention should be paid to identifying the authenticity of health products to prevent exaggerated and false advertising.

Some business operators often take advantage of the New Year to organize free visits and travel for the elderly and provide them with small benefits, so as to induce them to buy fake and inferior healthcare products. Children should remind the elderly to be alert to possible swindles.