None of us like to admit when we’ve been ‘taken’ – but sometimes, if you can educate through your mistakes, it’s worth telling the story.
I was taken by ChatGPT last week. I am a little ashamed to admit it, seeing as I make it my mission to educate people on the risks of AI and what to look for.
So how was I bested by ChatGPT? In the most innocuous of ways, really. After a long night of traveling through LONG airport walks with a non-wheeled laptop bag – I decided enough was enough and I wanted a GOOD wheeled laptop bag for future travel. As someone who uses ChatGPT daily to research – I turned to Chat to find me the best wheeled bag (and it HAD to be stylish).
I got a good list of bags with pros and cons, and then started to peruse the bags that were suggested to me. After 5ish pages of bags –to my utter delight – I found the PERFECT bag. It was small, light, had 360 spinner wheels, fit my laptop, fit underseat on flights so no overheads (I’m short) and it was in my company’s colors. I asked Chat to give me all the details on it. Where it was sold, the guarantee (lifetime), brand reputation and highlights. It ticked all of the boxes. What was not to love?
The price.
The bag was priced quite high – but I was kind of in love with it. Here is where the ChatGPT hallucination came in and where it got me. I could say I was tired, I could say that the site looked legit, I could say a lot of things – but what got me was my NEEDING a good deal. I loathe to pay full price for anything. This was my Achilles Heel.
Here is what ChatGPT said to me – and I fell for it.
I got a little excited. HALF-OFF – it’s like a siren song. So I clicked the link.
Above you will see the fake site first and then the legit site. Late at night, on my phone – they look almost identical. Even in the hard, cold light of day on my computer screen – the dupe site is pretty bang on (but, I of course, see the subtle differences now – including the URL).
But I saw a deal – a good one – on a bag I wanted and ChatGPT had found me a great deal! So I ordered it and paid with Paypal.
And then I got the invoice in my inbox. It was from a Gmail account. Oh no. Then came the Paypal email – double – oh no. It was in Chinese.
I had been had.
I quickly opened a case with Paypal about the counterfeit site as well as sent them all of the supporting documents and that I was contesting the purchase.
Thankfully, I got my money back – and I got a story to share. My ‘what not to do’ when it comes to ChatGPT.
I am very aware of and often call out ChatGPT on hallucinations and fake citations that lead to nowhere – so I knew the risk.
And to take it a step further – I asked ChatGPT the following question:
You suggested this website and it is fake - tell me why it is fake - https://briggsriley.shop/products/zdx-underseat-cabin-spinner?utm_source=chatgpt.com
ChatGPT said:
Great catch — this is a smart move, and I did a little digging: there are strong reasons to question the legitimacy of the site you pointed out (https://briggsriley.shop/…) and to proceed very cautiously. Here’s a breakdown of why it raises red flags — you can use this as a checklist when you’re evaluating other sites too.
🔍 What I found that’s concerning
- Domain mismatch & “.shop” vs official domain
The official website for Briggs & Riley is briggs-riley.com (with the hyphen) according to the brand’s About and catalog pages. Briggs and Riley+2Briggs and Riley+2 The site you flagged uses briggsriley.shop (no hyphen) which is a different domain altogether—this could be legitimate if it were an official sub-domain or approved reseller, but there is no obvious indication on the front of the site that it’s authorized by the brand. - Price discrepancy & too-good-to-be-true price
On the “.shop” site, the price for the ZDX Underseat Cabin Spinner is listed at $259.50 (extremely low compared to normal retail for Briggs & Riley). That kind of deep discount can be a warning sign. For example, on the official site, we see much higher price points (in the hundreds of dollars) for their bags. Briggs and Riley+1
When the discount is unusually steep, especially for a premium brand with a lifetime guarantee, it’s worth pausing. - New/unclear domain age and legitimacy aggregates
I checked related domains (such as “briggsrileystore.com”) and found warnings: one scam-detector flagged domain age as very recent (created/registered just months ago) and assigned a very low trust score. Scam Detector+1 A newly created domain doesn’t automatically mean fraud, but when combined with other red flags it heightens risk. - Brand official site doesn’t reference this “.shop” domain
On their official site there is no mention that “briggsriley.shop” is an authorized outlet, nor is there a warning about it being unauthorized. That absence doesn’t prove it’s fake, but it means the site doesn’t have obvious endorsement from the brand (which legitimate discount or outlet sites often do).
Also, the brand’s store-locator page and catalog seem anchored on the “.com” domain. Briggs and Riley+1
✅ What I recommend doing to validate a site before purchasing
- Check the “About / Contact” page: Look for a physical address, phone number, and ensure domain matches the brand’s known domain.
- Compare prices: If a deal is spectacularly lower than everywhere else, ask why and look for other outlets selling the same model for similar price.
- Check domain details / age: Use WHOIS tools to see when the domain was registered. Older established domains are more trustworthy (though not fool-proof).
- Look for brand authorization: On the brand’s official site check for “Authorized retailers” or “Outlet / Clearance” pages to see if they list the site.
- Read reviews for the site (not just the brand): Search “[site name] reviews” or see if payment methods are secure (credit cards or trusted processors).
- Payment and refund policies: Are returns, warranty registration, and lifetime guarantee conditions clearly stated? A site might list guarantee but if they’re not authorized, the guarantee may not apply.
🎯 My conclusion in this case
Given the mismatch in domain, the unusually low price for a premium product, and the lack of visible brand endorsement, I cannot safely recommend purchasing from briggsriley.shop without further validation. It may be legitimate (some brands have “.shop” outlets), but the signs lean toward “high risk”.
If I were you, I’d either:
- Navigate instead to the official briggs-riley.com site (or a recognized authorized dealer) and buy from there to ensure the lifetime guarantee and authenticity of the bag.
- Or contact Briggs & Riley directly (via the “Customer Service” info on their official site) and ask: “Is briggsriley.shop an authorized outlet?”
- If you do choose the “.shop” site: use a credit card (so you have charge-back rights), keep documentation, and expect you might run into problems with warranty or returns.
TLDR – Do your research first and don’t trust ChatGPT.
