Every review in the Website Reviews by SJ series runs the same checklist, so you always know what a verdict means. This page is that checklist — public, so you can hold us to it, and use it yourself.
What SJ checks
1. Identity & ownership
- Does the site say who runs it — a real, checkable name or company?
- Contact options: a working email/address, or just a contact form into the void?
- Domain age vs claims: a “trusted since 2015” store on a domain registered last month is an instant flag
2. Technical safety
- HTTPS everywhere, especially on login and payment pages
- Redirect behaviour — clean navigation vs bouncing through ad chains
- Download buttons: does “Download” deliver the file, or an installer wrapped in extras?
- Login walls: does it demand accounts/passwords it has no business asking for? (the password rule applies to websites too)
3. Money & pressure signals
- Prices too good to be true, fake countdown timers, “3 items left” on everything
- Refund/return policy: present, findable, and readable — or missing entirely
- Payment methods: cards with buyer protection vs crypto/gift-cards-only (a classic scam tell)
4. Content honesty
- Real photos vs stock/AI imagery posing as the real thing (how we spot those)
- Reviews that all sound alike, posted in the same week
- Claims that can’t be checked anywhere off-site
The three verdicts
Trusted — passes the checklist; normal caution applies.
Caution — real concerns found; usable only with eyes open, and we say exactly which flags tripped.
Avoid — patterns consistent with scams or unsafe behaviour; we explain each one.
A verdict describes what we found on the day of review. Sites change — when a reviewed site changes materially, the review gets updated with a new date.
Want a site reviewed?
Send it through the contact page — reader requests decide most of what SJ reviews next. And if you want to run the quick version yourself, start with the 10 checks anyone can do in 5 minutes.
