Are you a sharp shopper or a shoddy shopper?
Answer the questions based on what you would most likely do in each situation.
Hint: If you come across any unfamiliar words, copy and paste them to your web browser search and see what they mean.
You are helping your family decide which car to buy. Visiting the website of a particular car manufacturer is a good place to get:
a) information about the different models made by that manufacturer such as price, colours and engine size.
You are a sharp shopper! You think carefully about what information you’re trying to find out before going to the best source.
b) different opinions about how good their cars are to drive.
Oh dear. You need to think a bit more carefully about where to look for information – the manufacturer isn’t likely to give you unbiased opinions about how good their cars are!
c) comparisons with other makes of cars.
You’re on your way to becoming a sharp shopper! You need to think more carefully about where you go for independent information about the things you want to buy.
You have decided what new computer you would like to buy and want to get the best deal. You type the name of the computer into a search engine and get over a thousand results! A good way to deal with this is to:
a) search again with a different search engine.
Oh dear. Using a different search engine isn’t likely to give you a completely different set of results. Think carefully about what you want to find out then use that combination of words which best describes your question. This should help narrow your search or better still, go to some price comparison sites instead.
b) search the websites of some well known computer shops.
You’re on your way to becoming a sharp shopper. Using well know shops is a good starting point but you could extend your search by using price comparison sites which should give you a bigger choice.
c) use a search in a price comparison web site instead.
You are a sharp shopper! You think carefully before buying, compare products and prices and you make sure your purchase is safe.
Before paying to download music files it would be a good idea to:
a) check that you can't rip the track from a friend's CD.
Oh dear! Doing this may not be legal and is not the right way to go about getting your music. You’d be much better off being safe and legal by shopping around online and getting the best bargain from a legitimate store.
b) check a site that compares prices of different music download sites.
You are a sharp shopper! You compare products and prices and you make sure your purchase is safe. But don’t forget, if a deal is too good to be true, it probably isn’t!
c) see if you can get the files for free from your friends on a USB memory stick.
Oh dear! Doing this may not be legal and is not the right way to go about getting your music. You’d be much better off being safe and legal by shopping around online and getting the best bargain from a legitimate store.
You are helping someone in your family buy an mp3 player. They are going to use their credit card. Which of these tells you that it is safe to put in credit card details without the risk of someone stealing them?
a) The Visa and Mastercard symbols.
Oh dear. You need to think more carefully about online shopping. Anyone can add credit card pictures to a site to make it appear safe but the best way of telling whether a site is safe and secure is if there’s a little padlock symbol in the bottom right of a browser window.
b) The padlock symbol in the bottom right of the browser window.
You are a sharp shopper! You know what to look for to make sure your purchase is safe.
c) The shopping basket symbol at the top of the page.
Oh dear. You need to think more carefully about online shopping. One of the best ways of telling that the website and therefore your purchase is safe and secure is if there’s a little padlock symbol in the bottom right of a browser window.
You are looking for a new mobile phone. You have an idea about what sort of features you would like but you are not sure which to buy. The first thing you do to help you decide would be:
a) ask a friend what they would choose.
Oh dear. Asking a friend isn’t really good independent advice. Using price comparison sites on the Internet is a way which gives you loads of useful information. You can then decide which product is best for you so you can make your own mind up.
b) search for mobile phone sites and see which ones they recommend.
You’re on your way to becoming a sharp shopper. You need to think more carefully about where you get information about the things you want to buy because some phone sites are linked to the phone companies and so you may not be getting the best independent opinion!
c) use a mobile phone comparison site to compare different phones.
You are a sharp shopper! You think carefully before buying, compare products and prices and you make sure your purchase is safe.
You want to buy a particular pair of Nike trainers online. You visit several online shops which are all selling them for the same price. Which are these is not a good reason to choose where to shop?
a) Reasonable postage and packaging charges, fast delivery and free returns.
You are on your way to becoming a sharp shopper but you still need to think more carefully about where you go to shop. Reasonable postage, packaging, delivery and returns are good signs but best way to make sure you’re purchase is safe and secure is if there’s a little padlock symbol in the bottom right corner of your browser window!
b) A secure site with a good reputation for a safe and reliable shopping experience.
You are a sharp shopper! You think carefully before buying, compare products and prices and you know what to look for to make sure your purchase is as safe as possible.
c) A professional looking website with pictures of a famous footballer wearing the trainers.
Oh dear. Just because a site uses a picture of a famous person doesn’t mean that is a safe and secure place to spend your money! Before doing anything look for the little padlock in the bottom right corner of your browser window to make sure that your purchase is secure. If it’s not there then go elsewhere!