Golden Rules for Buying Online

1. Only buy from retailers you already know and trust

If you’ve never used the site before, skip it. A familiar and known website beats a flashy new one every time. I buy most of my online stuff (mainly functional items) on Amazon as they have a great returns policy and are reliable with fast delivery (I use Prime). Stick to 2 or 3 online retailers you have used before and trust. Don't branch out and use an unknown retailer because you are likely to be stung.

2. Stick to Amazon — but only sold by Amazon

Amazon’s own stock, own fulfilment, own returns. That’s the safe zone. Use Amazon Prime and don't deviate. I am not trying to promote Amazon. Just trying to avoid pain-in-the-arse scammers of which there are millions nowadays.

There has been a surge in fake retailer websites. Please be aware of this as it is a major problem.

3. Never follow ads to a shop

• Not Google ads.
• Not Instagram ads.
• Not Facebook ads.
• If you want Amazon, type amazon.co.uk yourself. That is AI advice. I don't do that. But it might be wise for extra certainty.

4. Treat “too good to be true” as “fake”

A £120 jumper for £39 is not a bargain.
It’s bait. Resist the temptation.

5. Check the domain, not the design

Scam sites look perfect.
Domains don’t lie:

• Weird endings = avoid
• Odd spellings = avoid
• Recently registered = avoid

6. Don’t enter card details anywhere unfamiliar

If you’re hesitating, that’s your answer.
Close the tab.

7. Returns policy tells you everything

If it’s vague, missing, or copied from somewhere else, walk away.

8. When in doubt, don’t buy

There will always be another jumper, another sale, another shop.
Your money is worth more than their trick.

If you ignore this advice (!) here are some tips on checking for a fake website:

How to spot a clone site (even when it looks perfect)

Because the fakes are now extremely polished, the old advice (“look for the padlock”) is no longer enough. The more reliable red flags are:

• Too-good-to-be-true pricing (even if only slightly cheaper than normal)

• Odd domain endings (.shop, .top, .store, .xyz) or subtle misspellings

• No physical address or a generic Gmail contact

• No returns policy, or one copied verbatim from another retailer

• Stock photos or product images that appear on multiple unrelated sites

• Checkout pages that feel “off” or ask for unusual information

• No social media presence, or brand accounts created very recently

The explosion in this problem is being fuelled by AI which can create a fake/duplicate website of a well-known retailer to order.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.