A traveler's guide to New York City

The Better Business Bureau Serving Metro New York has a few tips on how to be a savvy traveler and make sure your visit to New York City is a happy experience.

New York City welcomes you! NYC is a fantastic travel destination. In the City That Never Sleeps there is no lack of terrific things to see and do. It is also a shopper's paradise, whether you are looking for classic elegance or the latest trends. While the vast majority of stores in the Big Apple are great places to shop, there are some “bad apples” too.

The Better Business Bureau Serving Metro New York has a few tips on how to be a savvy traveler and make sure your visit to New York City is a happy experience.

Key tips for visitors to New York City:

Book tours and buy tickets well in advance.
Check to be sure sellers are legitimate before you buy or share personal information.
Pay with a credit card to get buyer protection features.
Visit BBB.org to see reports on New York City businesses.

Touring New York City

Statue of Liberty tour rip-offs

Beware of shady tour sellers who may try to intercept tourists visiting the Battery Park area of Manhattan. Both the Staten Island Ferry and the legitimate tour provider that takes consumers to the Statue of Liberty leave from this area. Scammers or shady operators may wear official-looking apparel. They may misrepresent Statue tour tickets that they are selling, falsely claim that real tour tickets you already have are fake or expired (in order to sell their own tickets), and overcharge people who buy tour packages from them.

The Staten Island Ferry is free to all and provides a clear view of the Statue on the ferry ride. It does not travel to Liberty Island, where the Statue is located. It is accessible from the Ferry Terminal. For official information, visit its website.

Statue tours that go directly to Liberty Island are managed by only one authorized tour company. For details about visiting this National Monument, visit the related National Park Service website. Advance reservations are required and may book up quickly. Sign up before your trip begins and arrive for your tour well in advance of your tour’s start time to ensure you don’t miss your chance to visit Liberty Island.

Street and transit solicitors

It’s fairly common for strangers to approach people in New York City on a street or in transit locations to request money. Many of these approaches are scams. Be wary. In general, don’t stop if someone bumps into you deliberately, drops something to make you pause or tells you a sad story to get cash. Some scammers may try to “help” you by taking your luggage. You can avoid this by walking away.

Some legitimate solicitors for charities may also stop people on the street. Usually, authorized solicitors will wear identifying apparel or signage. However, on the street, it can be very hard to distinguish real charity solicitors from fake ones. To avoid charity donation scams, it’s best to visit a charity’s actual website and make your contribution online. If a street solicitor insists that there is no other way for you to donate and claims that you can’t receive written information on the charity, it’s a scam; legitimate charities do not operate that way. For help in identifying genuine charities and their websites, you can visit BBB’s Give.org, or look up a charity name with the IRS.

Ticket troubles

New York City is full of exciting entertainment opportunities. If you are planning to see a popular Broadway show, the best plan is to buy your tickets well in advance from the actual theater where the show is playing for your chosen date.

While some ticket reseller websites may be legitimate, it can sometimes be risky and more expensive to buy tickets that way – especially at the last minute, when it can be too late to correct problems such as wrong tickets or even fakes. If you choose to buy tickets from a reseller, be sure to check it out with BBB.org before you purchase.

Last-minute, genuine discounted tickets to Broadway shows for unsold seats can be bought at the nonprofit TKTS booths, located in Times Square and at Lincoln Center. These booths often have long lines of buyers, and tickets to your preferred show might not be available there on your chosen date. Sometimes, it may also be possible to go directly to the theater box office shortly before showtime to purchase last-minute tickets at a discount, but the rules vary. This generally works best for shows that do not regularly sell out or have been running for a long time.

The same general principles apply to tickets for museums, concerts, sporting events and other popular venues in New York City. To be on the safe side, buy your admission tickets for the time of your visit directly from the venue’s authentic website.

Be aware that scammers sometimes create fake websites that imitate those of real destinations, which can pop up in internet searches; so, check carefully to be sure you are looking at a venue’s legitimate website before buying. For more BBB tips on avoiding ticket scams, go here.

Apartment rental scams

New York City regulations governing apartment rentals for short periods have changed in recent years. Currently, the Short-Term Rental Registration law requires hosts in this category to register with the Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement (OSE) and prohibits booking service platforms from processing transactions for unregistered short-term rentals.

It’s not always simple to know which short-term rental opportunities are real, and the city’s rules could change again. To help travelers, New York City has released a dataset of all short-term rental registrations, their statuses, the address and associated listings. Check this online database in advance of booking, to understand whether short-term apartment rentals are validly registered with the New York City government.

Avoid illegal rentals and be very cautious about listings that might appear in media, especially listings that are free to post in channels such as social media or bulletin boards. New York City law also requires that OSE maintain a list of Prohibited Buildings; check this list before you book. It’s never a good idea to spend money with someone you suspect may be breaking the law to get money for an apartment share deal. In some cases, there may not be a real rental; you could be dealing with a scammer who does not have a right to rent to you, will take your cash up front, and leave you with no place to stay. For more BBB tips on avoiding vacation rental scams, go here.

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Costumed characters and performers

In Times Square and other parts of the city, such as the subway, tourists may encounter people wearing colorful costumes or performing dances or tricks. These individuals expect tips from anyone who takes photos of them. If you stop to enjoy seeing them or snap pictures, be prepared to tip: that’s how they make a living. What you tip is up to you but be aware that some of these performers can become insistent about seeking money. Don’t engage performers or take photos if you do not want to tip them. Walk away from anyone who becomes unpleasant about demanding money.

Issues with ATMs

While visiting NYC, you may wish to withdraw cash from an ATM. Be aware that ATMs inside stores or located on the street are vulnerable to tampering, such as the use of skimmers on terminals to steal payment data, which can expose your bank account and PIN to scammers.

The best idea is to do your ATM withdrawal inside a real bank location, making sure to cover the keyboard when you type in your password, so criminals can’t view or record your access code. Always check any ATM for signs of possible tampering, such as traces of glue or unusual card slot or keyboard features, before using your bank card or keying in personal information.

Look for an ATM at a bank that is well-tended and brightly lit. Avoid entering an ATM foyer late at night, if someone appears to be lurking in the ATM area, or if an individual is soliciting money from people using that facility.

Shopping in New York City

Pay by credit card

For extra protection when making a purchase, use a credit card instead of cash, debit card or digital wallet. If there is a problem with the merchandise and the store will not refund you, contact your credit card issuer immediately. You might be able to withhold or recover payment, as long as you have tried to resolve the problem with the store first. You can dispute improper charges with your card issuer; they will investigate and notify you of the outcome. It’s a good idea to file your credit card payment dispute in writing by certified mail with return receipt.

High pressure sales tactics

Avoid doing business at any kind of store with salespeople who price an item at one figure and then drop it to another within minutes. Do not be pressured into buying any item, even if the salesperson claims that an attractive offer is only valid for one day or one hour. High pressure is a warning signal indicating that there probably is a serious problem with a sales offer. If you encounter this situation, don’t hesitate to walk away.

Check the refund policy before you buy

New York State law does not generally require any retail merchant to have a specific refund, credit, or exchange policy, but all merchants are required to post their return policies where customers can easily see the details before buying. Always check a store’s refund policy before making a purchase. New York City specifically requires businesses to post their refund policy at each point of sale, register or entrance. Businesses must also give refunds on unused, undamaged goods within thirty days of purchase if they don’t post a refund policy.

To avoid problems if you need to obtain a refund, make sure you get a receipt listing the total price of the item, the tax paid, the date the item was purchased, and the correct address of the store. New York City businesses are required to give you a receipt for any purchase over $20, and upon request, for any purchase between $5 and $20, according to the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.

For more information on refund policies, see details about consumer refund rights in New York City.

Electronics stores

NYC is known for an excellent selection of electronics, photography and recording equipment, computers, phones and other products that many consumers prefer to check out in-person before buying. However, some electronics stores might try to misrepresent refurbished goods as new items or overcharge buyers, often for substandard merchandise.

Beware of boxes that look repackaged - they might contain used or defective products. To make sure an item is new and not refurbished, if possible with the store’s permission, open the package to inspect the goods before making the purchase. Keep the box and packing material if a refund might be necessary. Items that have been refurbished may not have the original manufacturer's warranty. Check the voltage requirements of the product if you will be using it outside of the U.S.

Electronics stores in New York City must be licensed by the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, and you should do business only with a licensed dealer. Posted licenses may have expired. It’s easy and safer to check the licensing status with the business name through NYC’s lookup page before you buy. You can also call 311 in NYC (or 212-639-9675 from outside New York City) to request a license check.