(MONEY Magazine) – When it comes to putting your faith in an online retailer, we know firsthand how easy it is to be burned. Two of the websites we recommended last month for holiday gifts, Pets.com and Garden.com, have already shut down. With more e-commerce closures likely after the holidays, it's worth considering your rights if a site you've done business with goes bust. "Sites don't tell people what to do if they have questions," notes Karen Scholl of Web consultant Resource Marketing. "They're leaving customers in the lurch."

The best way to get your money back for undelivered or unwanted goods is to shop with a credit card. By law, you have the right to dispute a charge and ask your issuer to mediate with the merchant. American Express will, in certain cases, refund up to $300 an item if a site isn't open to take returns.

If you didn't pay with a credit card, you'll likely have to wait (or fight) for relief. In bankruptcy cases you'll be contacted by the court and told how to file a claim, says Hal Novikoff, a New York City bankruptcy lawyer.

Finally, be aware that a closed site may sell your personal data--even if it promised not to. That was the case with Toysmart.com, which recently settled with the Federal Trade Commission (pending bankruptcy court approval) to sell its client data only to a "qualified buyer."

--LESLIE HAGGIN GEARY