Independent consumer guide — not affiliated with ShopSafely, Yelp or the domain's previous owner.

Safe Checkoutan independent buyer's checklist

Independent consumer guide

Shop safely: a buyer's checklist for stores and screens

Plain-language checklists built from Federal Trade Commission, CFPB, CISA and state attorney general guidance — for the moments when a deal looks too good, a parcel never arrives, or a store says "no refunds".

Most shopping problems fall into a handful of patterns: a store that does not really exist, a delivery that never comes, a return that is refused, or a "discount" measured against a price nobody ever paid. US consumer agencies have published clear advice on each of these, but it is spread across many pages. This site collects that guidance into short, practical checklists and links every point back to the agency page it comes from, so you can read the original yourself.

Start here

Spot a fake online storeWarning signs of copycat shops and social-media deal scams, and the payment methods only scammers insist on. Returns and refundsWhat a store must tell you, when federal rules require a refund, and how to dispute a card charge. How "was" prices workWhat the FTC's Guides Against Deceptive Pricing say about former prices, list prices and "buy one, get one". Black Friday & Cyber Monday checklistDevice, payment, delivery-text and receipt checks for the busiest shopping weeks of the year. What was ShopSafely?A short, sourced note on the 2020 retailer-grading website that used this domain.

The five habits that prevent most problems

  • Look the seller up before you pay. The FTC suggests searching the seller's name or web address together with words like "review", "complaint" or "scam".
  • Pay by credit card when you can. The FTC calls it the payment method with the best protection, because federal law lets you dispute billing errors such as items you never received.
  • Refuse unusual payment demands. In the FTC's words, "only scammers" tell you to pay with gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps or cryptocurrency.
  • Read the terms before checkout. Total price with shipping and taxes, the return window, who pays return shipping and whether there is a restocking fee.
  • Keep the paper trail. Receipt, order confirmation number, the shipping promise, the return policy and every message with the seller.

Why these rules exist

Several federal rules sit behind this advice. The FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule requires sellers to ship within the time they state — or within 30 days if they state none — and to offer a refund when they cannot. The Fair Credit Billing Act gives credit-card holders a written dispute process for billing errors. The FTC's Guides Against Deceptive Pricing (16 CFR Part 233) explain when a "former price" in an advertisement is genuine. State attorneys general add rules of their own, especially about how return policies must be disclosed. Each guide on this site explains the relevant rule in plain words and links to it.

If something has already gone wrong: contact the seller first, then the company you paid through, then report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general. The FTC's online-shopping page describes this same order of steps.

About this site

Safe Checkout is a new, independent project launched in October 2026. It is not the retailer-grading website that used this address in 2020 and has no connection to the people or companies behind it. There are no ads, no affiliate links and nothing to buy here. Read more about the site.

Sources

  1. FTC Consumer Advice — Online Shopping
  2. FTC Consumer Alert — Don't let scammers get in the way of your holiday shopping (Nov. 2024)
  3. FTC — Business Guide to the Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule
  4. FTC — Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges
  5. eCFR — 16 CFR Part 233, Guides Against Deceptive Pricing

Pages checked October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice; rules differ by state and change over time.