Surprise bills before Christmas! UFC-Que-Choisir warns against certain merchant sites as the holidays approach

While many French people are getting ready to buy their Christmas presents, the UFC Que Choisir association is pointing the finger at certain retailers who are likely to attack your budget.

The Christmas period is a godsend for many businesses. For several weeks, they can multiply promotions and special offers to offer their customers all sorts of products likely to be found under their trees. Large and small brands know that consumers will spend much more than usual during this period in order to spoil their loved ones, even if it means dip into their savings.

But the end-of-year holidays can also rhyme with multiple tricks designed to make you spend more. More than ever, it is important to remain vigilant about orders placed during this period and UFC-Que-Choisir will not tell you otherwise.

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The site recently warned of several bad habits and pitfalls to avoid when shopping for Christmas. Among the recommendations, we find in particular some fairly classic advice, such as preparing purchases in advance of the holidays and not at the last minute. It is also reminded to inform you well about the products ordered to avoid unpleasant surprises or disappointments at the foot of the tree, in particular with regard to possible delivery costs depending on your location.

But above all, UFC-Que-Choisir warns against merchant sites and traders based abroad. The latter can present two more or less significant risks. The first being a delay in the delivery of your Christmas purchase, and therefore, the possibility that it reaches you after the holidays. More importantly, depending on the seller's location, you may have additional VAT and customs fees to pay when ordering or when your purchase is delivered.

Customs fees can be quite surprising once announced since they are fees collected by the carrier of your package and these can quickly become quite high. It is therefore strongly recommended that you find out about the location of the seller and prefer one that has offices or warehouses in France or in the European Union in order to avoid unpleasant surprises.