Like the fly-by-night carnival in Something Wicked This Way Comes, seasonal Halloween costume and decoration sites that pop up on dirty online street corners are irresistible to bargain hunters. Although you can find good deals at the retailers, the Better Business Bureau warns you to beware of poorly-constructed materials and shady return policies.

The BBB put out a press release that offers some things to check out before you buy:

*Verify the physical location of a business and its phone number.

*Track down the seller’s refund/return policy. If you can’t find one on the site, get someone to commit to potentially accepting a refund in advance.

*Confirm the final price, including shipping and handling prices, as well as the date you can expect to receive the item. “Federal law requires that goods and services be delivered within 30 days, unless a different delivery period is specifically stated by the merchant,” the BBB says.

*Safeguard your personal info and check for a “https://” at the beginning of a URL to make sure the site is secure.

If you’re haunted by an awful online Halloween purchase, let us know about it.

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