Check a store before you buy
Spend two minutes on a strange store and know whether to hand it a card number.
Before you give a strange store a card number, look for a street address, a telephone number and a returns page.
A store that plans to vanish leaves all three off.
Key points
- A real store gives a street address, a telephone number and a returns page
- Search the name before the card comes out
What to remember
- The check that works happens away from the store’s own pages.
- Look the name up where the store cannot edit it.
Try this
Pick a store you buy from often and find its address and phone number. Notice how quickly they appear.
Practice: Check a store before you buy. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.