How to check an online store before you buy.
No single sign can prove that a seller is honest. Use a few checks together, and leave if important details do not add up.
Use this before buying from a store you do not know.
Take these steps.
Work from top to bottom. You can stop as soon as the seller or request no longer makes sense.
Look up the seller somewhere else
Search the seller's name with words such as “complaint” or “scam.” Read more than one source. Star ratings alone can be fake or misleading.
Compare the item and the full price
Check the same item at other stores. A very low price deserves a closer look. Include delivery fees, taxes, and other charges when you compare.
Read the store's contact and return details
Find a working way to contact the seller. Read when the item should ship, how long returns are allowed, who pays return shipping, and whether fees apply.
Choose how to pay and save proof
A credit card can offer useful dispute rights when something goes wrong. Keep the receipt, order page, return rules, messages, and payment record.
Pause when you see this.
- The store name or web address is spelled like a familiar brand, but not exactly.
- The price is far below the price at other stores.
- The only reviews are on the seller's own website.
- Contact, delivery, return, or refund details are missing or hard to understand.
- The seller insists on a gift card, wire transfer, payment app, or cryptocurrency.
Keep this in mind.
A web address that starts with https protects information while it travels. It does not prove that the seller is honest.
Read the official advice.
This guide paraphrases public advice from the sources below. We checked them on July 31, 2026.