Safe online shopping: 10 checks before you buy

Most online shopping goes smoothly. When it doesn't, it's usually because something looked a little off and we bought anyway because the deal was too good to miss. Here's a quick checklist worth running through before you hit buy, especially when something has just come back in stock and you're in a hurry.

Before you buy

1. Check who you're actually buying from. Look for a real business name, a UK or EU address and a way to contact them other than a web form. On marketplaces, check whether you're buying from the marketplace itself or a third-party seller.
2. Type the address yourself, or use a bookmark. Links in texts, emails and social media posts are the easiest way to land on a convincing copy of a real shop.
3. Be wary of prices that are far too good. A popular item at half price when everywhere else is sold out is the classic sign of a fake shop.
4. Read reviews from outside the shop. Reviews on the shop's own site can be invented. Search for the shop's name with words like "scam" or "review".
5. Don't treat the padlock as a seal of approval. The padlock means your connection is encrypted. It says nothing about whether the shop is honest. Fake shops have padlocks too.

When you pay

6. Pay by credit card where you can. In the UK, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act can make your card provider jointly responsible if something costing over £100 (and up to £30,000) doesn't arrive or isn't as described. Debit cards and PayPal have their own dispute processes too.
7. Never pay by bank transfer to a shop you don't know. Bank transfers are very hard to get back. A shop that only accepts bank transfer, or pushes you towards it with a discount, is a big red flag.
8. Don't save your card on sites you'll only use once. Less stored in fewer places means less to lose if a shop is ever breached.

After you buy

9. Keep your confirmation and screenshots. The order email, the product page and the price you paid are all useful if you need to dispute anything.
10. Know your rights. For most things bought online from a UK business, you can cancel within 14 days of receiving them, even if nothing is wrong. Some things, like personalised items, are exceptions.

If something goes wrong

Contact your bank or card provider as soon as possible. The sooner they know, the more they can do. You can forward scam texts to 7726 for free, and report suspicious emails to [email protected].

And if you're watching something with Shopwatchr, remember that our alerts take you to the product page you chose. If an alert ever seems to send you somewhere unexpected, stop and check before you pay.