What to Check Before Buying a Supplement Online

Builders are used to checking materials before they pay for them. You would not order timber without knowing the grade. The same habit is worth applying to anything you buy online for yourself, and supplements are a good example because the listings vary so much.

What the listing should tell you

Before you add anything to a basket, look for five things on the product page:

• What is in it, in plain words, including the strength or concentration.
• How much you take each day.
• Whether it contains sugar or other additives.
• What delivery costs and how long it takes.
• What happens if you are not happy with it.

If a seller hides any of these, move on.

A listing that passes

For comparison, Cherrily sells one product, a Montmorency tart cherry extract capsule. Its site states the concentrate (10:1), that the capsules are sugar-free, that the amount is one capsule a day, that UK shipping is free, and that there is a 90-day money-back guarantee. Whether the product is right for you is a separate question, but you can see what you are buying.

Watch the subscription box

Many supplement shops default to a repeating order. Check whether the basket is set to a one-off purchase or a subscription, and how you cancel. Put the renewal date in your diary the same day.

Ask before you start

A product page is marketing, not medical advice. If you take regular medication, are pregnant, or have a long-term condition, check with a pharmacist or GP first. It costs nothing and takes five minutes.