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Here's some good news if you've ever had to pay an unexpected gift card fee or if a gift card become inactive when you didn't use it by a certain date.

The Federal Reserve today proposed new rules for gift card users, and they're meant to protect consumers. Under the proposals, you can have at least five years to use a gift card before it expires.

Also, fees only would be charged if you didn't use your gift card within one year, had no more than one fee a month or if you were already given clear instructions and disclosures about card fees.

These provisions would take effect on Aug. 22, but they are subject to revision.

Also, you no longer have to worry about monthly gift card fees charged on American Express gift cards. American Express decided to do away with these $2 fees in September, which is one way that the company can appeal to holiday shoppers looking to purchase gift cards. Click here for the details.

Good morning, blog readers. I'm back at the Storefront and ready to let you know some news.

The National Retail Federation is warning consumers about buying certain household items on online auction sites because these products could be tainted or stolen.

This week, the NRF updated its Buyer Beware list of the most popular health and beauty products that may be stolen and resold by criminals. It also includes certain electroincs and food items on this list.

"Most stolen merchandise is not stored properly and could expose unsuspecting shoppers or their children to a host of risks from spoiled baby formula and pain medication to inaccurate results from diabetic test strips or pregnancy tests," said Joe LaRocca, NRF's senior asset protection advisor, in a news release.

Consumers should buy health and beauty products from reputable sources, such as retail stores or legitimate Web sites, says the NRF.

Below are some of the items on the NRF's Buyer Beware list. For the complete list, click here.

Abreva

Alli weight loss pills

Benadryl

Gillette Fusion razors and replacements

Cover Girl cosmetics

Matrix

Oil of Olay

Pureology

Cigarettes

Red Bull energy drinks

Blu-ray movies and players

Braun electric razors

High-end liquor

The incentives are rising for shoppers who refuse to use plastic bags.

Target and CVS have joined the small number of retailers nationwide that are offering slight savings on your bill if you use reusable sacks, rather than plastic bags, according to this story. Environmental groups claim that plastic bags are harmful for the environment.

Starting Nov. 1, Target will give you a 5-cent discount for every reusable bag that you use to pack your purchases at its stores across the country.

Also at CVS stores, you can earn Extra Buck savings when you scan a special green leaf tag and your CVS card. The green tags are supposed to be attached to a cloth bag or a similar sack. After four scans, CVS will give you a $1 Extra Buck coupon.

But you have to pay 99 cents to get this green leaf tag.

CVS is launching this program at 7,000 drug stores throughout the next three weeks.

What's your take on these programs? Will you take advantage of these small discounts for toting your own bags to the store?

Gift card shoppers, pay attention to some of the new ways that retailers will market and promote these handy plastic cards this holiday season. From Target to Best Buy, you'll find some pretty unique promotions tied to gift cards, according to this Wall Street Journal story.

These special offers are one way that retailers are trying to get consumers into stores for other purchases in the next few months.

The next four days are a good time to buy new dishwashers, clothes washing machines, refrigerators, ceiling fans and other kinds of appliances.

Starting Friday through Monday, purchases of certain Energy Star or WaterSense products are exempt of Virginia's 5 percent sales tax. But these items must be priced at $2,500 or less to get the tax savings.

Click here for the list of tax-exempt items.

And watch out for some retailers that may choose to absorb the sales tax on additional items this weekend.

Apparently, Halloween spending is headed down a spooky path this year.

Consumers will spend less on their Halloween costumes, decorations and parties, in general, this year, according to a survey conducted by BIGresearch, for the National Retail Federation.  People will spend on average $56.31, which is down from $66.54 last year.

The state of the U.S. economy is impacting Halloween spending plans for nearly one in three consumers.  Ways that people say they will cut back this Halloween include buying less candy, making costumes instead of buying them, using last year's decorations and costumes and even not going to as many haunted houses and fall festivals.

"Since retailers know that Americans will be looking to celebrate on a budget, there's no doubt we will see creative costume and decorating ideas in every price point imaginable," said Tracy Mullin, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation, in a news release.

I've already noticed discounts on some Halloween costumes at several Roanoke area stores.

Here are the National Retail Federation survey results, if you want to check them out.

What about your Halloween plans this year? Are you looking for ways to save money, making your own costumes, cutting backon candy costs or reusing decorations?

Has a retail sales person ever annoyed you? Then again, have you ever frustrated a sales person?

I found interesting some of the following tips about how to improve your experience with store sales people. These are tips from author Freeman Hall who wrote the book, "Retail Hell: How I sold my soul to the store. Confessions of a tortured sales associate."

Tell me what you think of some of this advice.

1) Use pushy sales people to your advantage. If you run from them, you may be missing out on great customer service. Let them to show you what's hot if you're trying to find a particular item. But don't let them talk you into buying something that you don't want.

2) Make friends with sales people. If you connect with a particular associate, they'll often give you the heads up on special sales and new merchandise arrivals.

3) Shop early in the day, not five minutes before the store closes. Walking in for an intense shopping session right before closing irriates store associates, and they'll be less likely to give good customer service.

4) Don't talk on your cell phone while a sales person is helping you. They'll likely move on to the next customer because you're not paying attention.

5) Know when and where it's appropriate to haggle for a better deal. This may work at a privately-owned shop but not likely at a chain or larger store.

6) Don't fall for a lying sales person. If a store associate says you look great in an outfit, but you don't like it or don't feel it's right for you, trust your own instincts. Not all sales associates lie to make the sale, but some do.

Happy Labor Day.

In honor of this national labor holiday, here's a way that you can help the unemployed enter the workforce by donating work-worthy attire. An annual suit drive at Men's Wearhouse stores is going on for the month of September, and locally, it will benefit the Salvation Army's Red Shield Lodge, where some men who are homeless live.

Men's Wearhouse stores nationwide are collecting used suits, pants, ties, dress shirts, shoes and belts to donate to various nonprofit organizations.

This retailer has a store on Valley View Boulevard in Roanoke, near Valley View Mall, and a tuxedo rental location inside the mall.

If you donate items, you'll receive a 10 percent discount at Men's Wearhouse. Also, for every suit that's donated, the retailer says it will add a new tie to complete the outfit.

For more information, click here.

Some retailers already are making plans to market energy efficient appliances to coincide with the federal government's upcoming dollars-for-dishwashers stimulus program.

This fall the federal government will offer rebates to consumers if they buy certain Energy Star home appliances. Each state can determine which appliances qualifty for a rebate.

Sears appears to be getting a head start on this program. The retailer plans to have a feature on its Web site for consumers to search which appliances qualify for the rebate at its stores in different states. Here's a story with those details.

Also,  unrelated to dollars-for-dishwashers, the state of Virginia has a sales tax holiday in October aimed at consumers who buy energy efficient appliances. It slashes the 5 percent sales tax on certain energy saving products, including Energy Star appliances.

The state hasn't yet defined the dates for this approaching holiday, according to the Virginia Department of Taxation.

Correction: There are three Big Lots stores in the Roanoke Valley.

Attention Big Lots shoppers, this discount retailer plans to roll out its first loyalty card program this fall.

According to this story, Big Lots will offer discounts when you make 10 purchases of at least $20 apiece using the card.

So, if you like to use discount cards where you shop, you may want to check out this one, called the Buzz Club card. There are two Roanoke Valley Big Lots stores.

Retailers believe that these kinds of discount cards attract loyal shoppers.

Do they work for you? Are you more likely to shop at a certain store, such as a grocery store, if you have a special discount card?