If you find you’re on a cruise to, say, the Caribbean, and you decide to buy something expensive—like, say, an emerald ring—then be sure to pay with a credit card, take photos of the item and the person who sold it to you, and get a receipt. It may sound like overkill, but if the “emeralds” in the ring fall out and it turns your finger black once you’re back on the boat and have left Antigua, chances are it’s not a cursed pirate ring but a fake, and you’ll be glad you have some documentation when you start trying to make things right.

Odds are, your cruise ship will help you repair or replace the item, but even then you should document the transfer of your ring to their staff with more photos and a written receipt, says Al Anolik, a travel attorney and author.

A couple in California had this problem with their ring, and then had the bad luck to never receive a repair or refund from the cruise ship once they got home. Luckily for them, a local ABC affiliate got involved and they managed to get a refund, but if your complaint doesn’t make the newsworthy-cut for your local news’ consumer segment, you’ll be glad you’ve got lots of visual proof to back up your claim.

“Consumer Rights When Shopping Overseas” [abc7news.com]

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