Is this store for real?

A reader wants to know how to tell if a shopping site is legitimate:

“My daughter found a website where they have a product she wishes to buy. Problem is that she never heard of this store. I tried searching the web but could find no information. Their website does have the “s” after the http which is good . Do you know of the “catlovers-store.com? or how do I check them out?\ https://www.catlovers-store.com/4notemusic?name=lifestyle-women-crewneck-front-7&retailProductCode=AC8CC0AB72B4B3-97FC2ED4B9EA-GS0-TC5-GRY\”

I can’t tell you for sure if a site is legitimate, but I can offer some tools to figure out for yourself. You’re on the right track with the s after https.  You’ll want the page where you check out and offer you information to be secure. I couldn’t locate any BBB info or online reviews for the site. One way to protect yourself would be to pay with PayPal. You wouldn’t need to give them any access to your credit card info and PayPal will reverse charges if you don’t receive the merchandise.

The site does look fairly professional, so that’s a good thing.  One thing you can do is look for similar merchandise on sites that you know are the real thing.  I searched the popular T-shirt site Cafe Press for cats and musical notes and found several options.

I also found the same shirt for $5 less on Amazon.com at this link: https://amzn.to/2OtN1YP

No reviews on this particular shirt, so I can’t vouch for the quality. Another option would be to ask a local t-shirt shop if they can replicate the design. That pretty much looks like simple clip art and you might be able to get it done close to home and actually get a look at the shirt material first.