Checklist for safe shopping

The website address starts with ‘https’. The ‘s’ stands for secure.

The padlock symbol appears in the browser to the left of the web address.

The security certificate that appears when you click on the padlock is registered to the correct address.

The website has a shipping and returns policy that is clearly explained, indicating how and where to return a faulty item.

The website has terms and conditions, and a privacy policy that tells you exactly what it plans to do with any data you share and any extra contractual rights you may have.

The site is written in good English without spelling or grammar mistakes, or phrases that don’t sound quite right.

The retailer has a good reputation as either a high street shop or an established online store.

Review sites such as Trustpilot [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] or Sitejabber do not raise any red flags about the website.

Reviews indicate that other users did not experience any serious problems with the retailer.

The company’s full contact details are displayed on its website.

The site has a ‘Contact us’ page.