You may have seen retail ads on TV promoting layaways options.Turns out, with a still struggling economy, stores are beginning to recognize that families don't have the money to buy expensive gifts to send to their families. Thus, the reason why layaway is making a comeback, according to Tucson Citizen.

How does it work?  When you purchase an item, the layaway option allows the consumers to pay for the item using installment plans. Once the item is fully paid off, you can take it home.  The Better Business Bureau recommends consumers follow some guidelines when purchasing gifts using layaway.   

Always ask how much time do you have to pay off your purchase, when the payments are due, how much you have to put down, if there are any storage or services fees, what happens when you miss a payment and if you do, are there penalties or does the item return to inventory? Consumers should also ask whether they can be refunded after deciding they do not want an item or what happens if it goes on sale after being put on layaway and if the retailer or third-party layaway has a good BBB rating.  

To look up a retailer's BBB rating, you can visit The Better Business Bureau's Reliability Reports page online.  Read the full article at Tucson Citizen, by clicking here.