buyer beware

1 7.2

A warning that people who buy something should check it carefully because they are responsible for problems

idiom

: el comprador que se cuide

Before finalizing the deal, he understood that buyer beware meant checking everything thoroughly.
Let the buyer beware

I will say if you have boobs, buyer beware because there's just not that much.

Examples

And I would, I mean, I would just say this, never has the term buyer beware been more appropriate or necessary.
Broadly speaking, that kind of buyer beware model is risky and it's risky as more and more personal information gets captured.
Let the buyer beware.

Fiction book (2002)
I mean this, there's this mania around it, but it's a very strong buyer beware caution, right, because of everything you're saying.
When purchasing used electronics online, it's important to remember: buyer beware.
The real estate agent reminded us that buyer beware applies to any property transaction.

Synonyms

to be careful

vsbuyer beware

979 1.0

Take care to avoid danger or getting hurt

focuses specifically on purchases and assigns checking responsibility to the person who buys

caveat emptor

vsbuyer beware

Formal

3 9.7

A rule that the buyer alone must check goods before buying

is the common warning telling someone to be cautious when buying goods

Surface Forms

buyer beware main

Morphology

buyer + beware

The phrase is a transparent imperative warning: combining 'buyer' (someone who purchases) with 'beware' (be cautious) yields the clear meaning 'buyers should be cautious about purchases.' The compositional logic is straightforward and cross-linguistically common (cf. caveat emptor), so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the intended cautionary meaning.

Etymology

The saying buyer beware comes from old markets where the buyer had to check goods because sellers might hide problems and the word beware means 'be careful'. So buyer beware now warns people to 'be careful' when they buy something.