LITTLE ROCK - When you hear the words, summer safety, you may think about
lifeguards and sunscreen. But as you move into your summer schedule, you need to
think about consumer safety, too, says Laura Connerly, family resource
management instructor.
She provides several tips to help you protect your money and personal
identity as you swing into summer and as you travel during summer vacation.
"Sometimes, you have a different schedule," Connerly says," or if you're in a
different environment, it may be a little more difficult to make sure that you
always keep up with your purse or your wallet."
Make sure you keep your purse or wallet with you and think about what you're
carrying in your wallet as you travel away from home, she says.
"It's important to not carry your Social Security card in your purse or
wallet. That needs to stay home or locked up in a safe place," Connerly says.
Make sure you only take the personal identification you need and the
particular credit or debit cards you intend to use while you are away from home.
Leave everything else in a secure location, she recommends.
Connerly advises people to always check their receipts.
"Anytime you make a purchase, be sure to check your receipt," she says. "If
you're at a restaurant, store or gas station, always check the receipt. It's
important to make sure charges are accurate. Mistakes can happen and it's much
easier to correct the mistakes when you're still at the store than after you get
back home."
If you find an overcharge, it can usually be refunded to you as cash,
depending on your method of payment. Or if you've used a credit card, the
overcharge can be refunded as a credit to your account.
"Finally, be really careful when you're using credit cards or debit cards on
summer vacation," Connerly says. It's a good idea to go ahead and sign the card
on the back so the sales clerk can check your signature to make sure that it's
accurate.
Connerly says you should be careful with your credit card receipts and keep
them in a safe location. "Don't just leave them lying around your hotel room,"
she says.
"Most places don't use the carbon copies anymore, but if you go to a place
that uses the carbon copy, make sure that you destroy them. Don't leave them
with the store manager. Be sure to write "VOID" on any incorrect receipts. Keep
them and make sure they've been destroyed."
Lastly, she says, when you return home, look over your credit card statement
and make sure the charges you had while you were away from home are correct. If
you find anything that looks suspicious, be sure to contact your credit card
company as soon as possible.
Remember, never lend a credit card to anyone, never sign a blank credit card
receipt and never leave any credit cards or receipts lying around your hotel
room.
For more information, contact your county extension agent or visit
