An AI answer can repeat a rule accurately and still apply it to the wrong situation. Before accepting an answer about eligibility, refunds or deadlines, check which date activates the rule—and whether an exception overrides it.
Try this fictional exercise
Everything in this exercise is invented for teaching. All dates are in 2026. Use only the evidence below; no searching or live AI is needed.
A fictional adult pottery studio publishes this complete refund policy:
• Standard bookings made before 1 September require cancellation at least 14 calendar days before the workshop for a refund.
• Bookings made on or after 1 September require cancellation at least seven calendar days before the workshop for a refund.
• Exception: discounted “last-minute” bookings made on or after 1 September are non-refundable, regardless of notice.
Two customers cancel:
• Maya: standard booking made 28 August; workshop 20 September; cancellation 10 September.
• Leon: discounted “last-minute” booking made 2 September; workshop 20 September; cancellation 10 September.
An AI-style answer says: “Both customers qualify for refunds. Their workshops are after 1 September, and they cancelled ten days beforehand.”
Is that answer supported? Identify the controlling date, apply the relevant rule and write a corrected answer.
Worked answer
Neither customer qualifies under the supplied policy.
Both gave ten calendar days’ notice: 20 September minus 10 September equals ten days.
Maya booked before 1 September, so the 14-day requirement applies. Ten days is insufficient. The workshop date does not activate the newer rule.
Leon booked after the change and meets the general seven-day threshold. However, the explicit last-minute exception makes his booking non-refundable, regardless of notice.
A corrected answer is: “Under the supplied policy, Maya does not meet the 14-day notice requirement, and Leon’s booking is excluded by the last-minute exception.”
A practical checklist
1. Write down the exact claim being checked.
2. Separate booking, purchase, event, cancellation and policy dates.
3. Identify which date determines the applicable rule.
4. Calculate the interval rather than estimating it.
5. Look for exclusions, exceptions and transitional arrangements.
6. Keep your conclusion within the evidence. If a relevant term is missing, say what you still need.
Want more structured practice? AI Claim Detective: Five Practical Verification Labs — First Edition is a £5 one-time digital purchase: an eight-page English PDF for adult beginners, with five fictional labs, worked answers and reusable checklists. A public sample is available. No live AI is required. It is introductory practice, not certification or a guarantee of detecting errors.