How to Use AI for Back-to-School Shopping (and Avoid Getting Scammed)
If you’re bracing for another expensive back-to-school season, you’re not alone. Families in the U.S. expect to spend an average of almost $1,000 this year on school supplies. Nearly half (47%) of families expect to pay even more than last year, up from about a third (35%) a year ago, according to a 2026 back-to-school survey. To help manage expenses on a budget, more shoppers than ever are turning to AI tools. Nearly two-thirds (62%) plan to start shopping before August, and more than half (56%) are using or plan to use AI tools to help, according to a Coresight Research study reported by Adweek.
Below is a prompt from the team at SmartCustomer, that transforms any AI chat tool into a personalized shopping assistant that recommends products based on your budget and your child’s grade, plus scam patterns to watch out for while you shop.
Use This Prompt for Your Back-to-School Shopping
Copy the prompt from the doc linked below and paste into Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini with web search turned on, fill in the brackets, and let it quickly look up back-to-school information for you. Your response will include multiple sections of information.
For example, if you use ChatGPT, the AI tool will provide a recommended budget breakdown with targeted expenditures by category. In addition, it will provide a checklist broken into categories and items. Each item will have an estimated price and some items will include a link. ChatGPT also provides some additional shopping guidance and cautionary statements, such as how to gauge the authenticity of consumer reviews, major retailers’ review policies, current deals and events, and money-saving tips.
The prompt instructs the AI tool to be transparent about its limits. For example, it tells the AI tool that if it doesn't have live web access, to note that instead of inventing prices and links. It also asks the AI to check advertised discounts and sellers for warning signs, such as inflated "original" prices or third-party sellers standing in for the retailer, and to flag its confidence level rather than declaring a deal or review genuine or fake outright. It directs the tool to favor major retailers and official brand stores over unverified third-party listings. Remember that even with web access turned on, models can make mistakes.
Pro tip: If you leave the shopping list blank, AI will suggest what’s needed based upon your child’s grade, or you can paste in your child’s school supply list to shop against it directly.
Tips to Avoid Back-to-School Shopping Scams
When researching numerous listings and deals, whether with an AI assistant or on your own, the chances are you will encounter a scam. SmartCustomer broke down this year’s scam reports from the FTC and Better Business Bureau and flagged patterns from SmartCustomer reviews. The following is a list of practical tips for spotting trouble before you pay.
1. Verify Who You're Actually Buying From
Scammers recreate familiar retailers’ names and website layouts convincingly enough to trick consumers who don’t take a closer look. On marketplaces, an unrelated third-party seller can list on a trusted store’s name just as easily. Always check the exact web address and search “[store name] scam” before buying from an unfamiliar seller. On a marketplace listing, look for the “sold by” line instead of trusting the platform’s name alone. Then do some quick research to verify that the platform is an authorized seller of the brand, and check reviews to see if anyone shares experiences of receiving fake products.
2. Check Reviews from a Trusted Third-Party Source
Scammers pad new or empty storefronts with fake customer reviews. Reviews posted directly on a seller’s own site are the easiest ones to fake. Consumer review platforms such as SmartCustomer, where reviews undergo a rigorous process to help verify authenticity, provide a more objective space that allows for both positive and negative feedback. And always prioritize specific review details over generic ratings because generic, five-star praise is easy to fake.
3. Be Wary of Steep, Sudden Discounts
Scammers set prices far below the normal market value to make an offer seem too good to resist. Be wary if the price seems too low. Always compare the price against what that retailer typically charges and think twice if the price is well below every other seller’s.
4. Don't Click "Missed Delivery" Links in Texts or Emails
Scammers sometimes send fake delivery notifications claiming a package couldn’t be delivered. If the recipient clicks the link in the notification, they may be taken to a fake website that requests payment information or installs malware on their device. To check the status of an order, always go directly to the retailer’s own site or app instead of tapping a link in an unexpected message.
5. Check the Return Policy Before You Buy
Return policies for clearance and sale items are often buried and far stricter than regularly priced items. Dishonest sellers use that fine print to deny refunds. Before any purchase, look up the return policy.
Understand the Assignment
Each of the strategies above takes no more than a few seconds and can ultimately save a shopper a great deal of time and frustration. If a purchase seems fraudulent, first contact the card issuer to dispute the charge. Second, report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov and share your experience on review sites like SmartCustomer. Reporting helps flag repeat offenders and prevents others from being scammed.