How it works
Card details are for a grown-up to type. When you find something you like, show a grown-up, who does the buying.
A good shop has a fair price, a clear address and clear returns. A shop your family knows is a good start, but a grown-up still checks.
A trick shop may show a price far too low, reviews that all match, no way to reach the shop, or odd ways to pay like gift cards.
One sign alone does not prove a shop is fake, and a fake shop can even copy real details. So a grown-up decides.
Worked examples
Hana's first shop
- The sneakers cost less than a sandwich, though the same ones cost far more in another shop.
- Every review has five stars, almost the same words and the same day.
- There is no address, email or way to send shoes back, and the page takes gift cards only. Dad says, "This shop is not for us."
Eli and the bank card
- Eli, who is seven, reaches for the bank card in Dad's wallet, saying he knows the numbers.
- Hana says, "Eli, stop. Cards are for grown-ups. You can help by leaving it."
- Eli puts it back, and Dad says card details are for a grown-up to type.
A taste of the worksheets
These are some of the questions on the sets. The printable sheets have more and an answer key.
- Which review looks more real? The sole was stiff at first. It came in four days. / Great, great, great! Five stars!
- True or false? Taking a photo of the bank card is a safe way to help.
- Eli says: "The shop has five stars, so it is surely good." What is the mistake? Five stars is not enough stars / A teacher checks every review / Stars can be changed or copied, so a grown-up checks the shop
- True or false? A fake shop can copy real details, so a grown-up still decides.
- Which one is not a worry about a shop? 🏠 a clear address and a way to return things / 🏷️ a price far too low / 📦 no way to send things back
Words to know
- review
- What a shopper writes about something they bought.
- returns
- A way to send things back.
- bargain
- A price that is lower than usual.
Watch out for
- Do not type a card number yourself, borrow the bank card to try it, or take a photo of it.
- Do not buy fast because the price is low.
- Do not trust a shop only because it has stars, because anyone can write a review, even a shop for itself.
- Nobody is in trouble for asking, and you are never in trouble for telling.
Try it
Who types the card details when you shop online?
A grown-up. Card details are for a grown-up to type.
A shop sells sneakers far cheaper than any other. What does that tell you?
Be careful, it may be a trick. A price far too low is a sign to be careful.
Which review looks more real: one with small details or one that only says best ever?
The one with small details. Real reviews tend to differ.
Does one worrying sign prove a shop is fake?
No, so a grown-up checks it all. A grown-up looks at every sign.
For grown-ups
Ask a grown-up to show you how your family checks a shop before buying. Look for the four signs together.
Show your child how your family checks a shop before buying: the price, the reviews, the address and how to pay. Let them look for the four signs with you.