Consumers Urged to Practice Safety Measures During Holiday Shopping

Safety Measures During Holiday Shopping: Consequent on increased festivities marking the Christmas and New Year holidays, the Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) is urging persons to practice safety measures as they go out to shop.

Director of Communications at CAC, Latoya Halstead, told JIS News that citizens should be conscious of their surroundings and what is happening around them.

“I’m not saying you’re to be acting scared. But be aware. Look, because you don’t know who might be trailing you [or] who might be trying to take what you have worked for,” she said.

Ms. Halstead further encourages consumers to modify their routes, and to wind up windows and not display valuables on the seats of cars after they have completed their shopping.

“If you’re purchasing a lot of items, make sure that you’re not making many trips to and from the car, because that’s a red flag [for criminals],” she added.

The Director pointed out that there are several other safety measures which individuals should seek to adhere to, especially regarding food items.

“We encourage you to defrost meat in the refrigerator. Don’t just pour water on it and put it in the sink. Make sure you put it in the fridge overnight, or however long you think you might need to have the item to be at a temperature that you can actually season [it],” Ms. Halstead emphasised.

She also advised that food, which is prepared and put out to eat, be kept warm. This, she pointed out, should not go beyond an hour, as it may result in health issues.

Meanwhile, Ms. Halstead said that although persons might be busy preparing for the holidays, they should find the time to spend with loved ones.

“In all the buying [and] excitement, remember, at the end of the day you cannot buy love, you cannot buy time. So, we encourage you to spend time with your families [and] persons who don’t have families,” she said.

The CAC is an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, with responsibility for protecting consumers.

It executes its mandate through consumer education, the handling of complaints, and by conducting market surveillance.