Fake shopping sites may give the dopamine hit of buying online, for a time, experts say

Websites are increasingly appearing online where you can browse items and add them to your cart, but never actually complete the purchase. This may work to give you the dopamine hit of online shopping, if not as strongly as actually buying something, but likely only for a time, experts told AD.

Simulated online stores are popping up like mushrooms. Examples include FoodNeverComes, DopamineCart, FakeEats, DopaHaul, and FakeHaul. You add a meal, clothing, or other items to the cart and “buy” them, but the money never disappears from your bank account, and the items are never delivered.

The idea is that you still get the pleasant feeling that shopping typically provides, but without the consequences. And that might well work, Judith Roumen, a behavioral scientist at the Knowledge Center for Sustainable Living, told AD. “I see it as a nicotine patch, but for online shopping. Look, it is not quite as simple as saying it provides the same reward - that same shot of dopamine - as actually buying that beautiful dress, but it does offer a pleasant experience.”

She compared it to daydreaming about vacations abroad or looking through expensive homes on Funda. The significant financial barrier of vacations or homes prevents people from impulse buying, but that is much harder for smaller products. So Roumen is cautiously optimistic about these fake online shopping sites.

After you’ve filled your cart on an actual online shop, it is often very difficult not to go through with the purchase, consumer psychologist Patrick Wessels added. “Imagine your fridge is stocked with unhealthy snacks. You might tell yourself, ‘I have discipline; I won’t snack.’ But the moment you actually feel hungry, you give in. It’s the same with online shopping: you’re lying on the couch, scrolling out of boredom, you see something, and suddenly you want it.”

According to Wessels, it is not a matter of self-control, but the unconscious brain taking over. That unconscious brain is incredibly powerful, he added. “Just look at the campaign against texting while driving; it’s nowhere near as successful as the campaign against drunk driving. We genuinely resolve not to check our phones every time they beep or vibrate - whether at home or behind the wheel - but the urge is truly irresistible.”

These fake shopping sites can give your brain the time it needs to “cool down,” Wessels continued. “If the fridge is empty and you actually have to go to the supermarket, the craving often passes quickly. The same principle can apply to these fake online shops.” But he added that they likely won’t work very long. "After three times, you’ll likely see through the trick."

He suggests keeping your shopping money in a separate account, from which you have to transfer funds before you can make a purchase. “Ideally, one where transfers take a full day. That creates a built-in cooling-off period, making it much easier to decide whether you actually need something.”