Shop smarter with AI, without being sold to
Use AI to work out what you need, compare options and sift reviews. Then check prices yourself, spot the adverts and know your rights.
Video transcript
AI can help you work out what to buy, compare options and sift reviews. Here’s how to use it well, without being sold to.
Start with what you need, not what to buy. Say who it’s for, how you’ll use it and your budget, then ask which features really matter.
Paste in reviews from more than one site and ask for the patterns. Fake reviews are banned in the UK, but some slip through, so ask it to flag anything suspicious.
AI can be out of date, or simply wrong, about prices and stock. So before you buy, check the retailer’s own website.
Notice who’s getting paid, too. AI shopping features can show sponsored results, and some tools earn a commission when you buy. Look for the labels, and compare a couple of shops yourself.
Know your rights. For most things you buy online, you have fourteen days to change your mind, from the day after it arrives. Faulty goods can usually go back for a full refund within thirty days, and Citizens Advice can help.
Watch out for fake shops. Huge discounts, a request for a bank transfer and no real address are warning signs. Pay by card on a proper checkout page, and never type card details into a chat.
Read the full guide below for prompts you can copy, and three quick checks for before you pay.
In 30 seconds
- Describe what you need, not what to buy, and let AI compare options and sum up reviews.
- Check prices and stock on the retailer’s own site, and watch for sponsored results and Jargon busterAffiliate link: A link that earns the website or app a commission if you buy something after clicking it..
- Most online buys come with 14 days to cancel. Never type card details into a chat.
You need a new vacuum cleaner. Twenty minutes later you have twelve tabs open, three “best of” lists that disagree, and a suspicion that half the five-star reviews were written by the seller. An Jargon busterAI assistant: A chat app such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini that answers questions and does tasks you describe in plain language. can cut through a lot of this, as long as you treat it as a researcher, not the final word.
Start with what you need
Describe the problem, not the product. Say who it’s for, how you’ll use it, your budget and what annoyed you about the last one. Then ask which features matter for you, which are just marketing, and for a few options at different prices.
I need a [vacuum cleaner] for [a small flat with a cat and no carpets]. My budget is up to £[amount]. What annoyed me about my last one: [it was heavy and the battery died halfway round]. Explain which features matter for me and which are marketing. Then suggest three or four options at different prices, with the trade-offs, and tell me what to check before I buy.
Sift the reviews
Reviews help, but not all of them are genuine. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 banned fake reviews in the UK, along with paid-for reviews that aren’t clearly marked. Some still slip through, so look for patterns rather than trusting the star rating.
You: Here are 40 reviews of this vacuum from two sites. What do people like, what goes wrong, and do any look suspicious?
AI: People like how light it is and the pet tool. The most common complaint is the battery fading after about a year. Six five-star reviews were posted on the same day with very similar wording, so I’d give those less weight.
Before you buy
Found the one? Ask what you’d regret not knowing, such as what it costs to run, whether you can get spare parts and how long the guarantee lasts.
I’m about to buy [a cordless vacuum] for about £[price]. What should I ask or check before I pay? Cover running costs, spare parts and repairs, the guarantee, delivery, and the returns policy. Then list the three questions most buyers forget, and tell me which answers would be a reason to walk away.
Three checks before you pay
- Check the retailer’s own siteAI can be out of date on prices and stock, or simply make them up, a mistake called a Jargon busterHallucination: When AI states something false as if it were true, because it predicts plausible words rather than checking facts.. The shop’s own page is the one that counts.
- Know who you’re buying fromLook for a full street address, and for reviews on other sites, not just the shop’s own.
- Pay the safer wayPay by card on a proper checkout page. A credit card gives you extra protection on things costing more than £100, up to £30,000.
Your rights, in brief
Changed your mind?
- Cancel within 14 daysFor most things bought online, you have 14 days to cancel, starting the day after delivery. You don’t need a reason.
- Send it backYou then have another 14 days to return it, and the seller must refund you within 14 days of getting it back, or proof you’ve posted it.
- Check the exceptionsSome things don’t count, such as personalised items, food and anything with a hygiene seal you’ve opened.
If something’s faulty, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 says goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. You can usually reject a faulty item for a full refund within 30 days. Citizens Advice can explain your options, and AI can help you write a firm complaint.
Spot a fake shop
AI helps scammers build convincing fake shops and adverts, so a slick website proves nothing. The warning signs haven’t changed, though.
- Too good to be trueBig brands at huge discounts, often with a countdown to hurry you, are a classic lure.
- Bank transfer onlyA shop that asks you to pay by bank transfer instead of by card is a red flag. Walk away.
- Check the web addressWatch for web addresses that imitate a well-known brand. A padlock in the address bar doesn’t prove a shop is real.
- Keep card details outNever type your card number into a chat. If you buy, use a proper checkout page from a company you trust.
Caught out? Call your bank straight away, then report it to Report Fraud, or to Police Scotland on 101 if you live in Scotland. For more on staying safe, read is AI safe to use?
Check yourself
3 quick questions nothing is savedSpotted a mistake? Tell us and an editor will check it.
