Where and how to meet
Many police departments mark safe exchange zones in their lots or lobbies, and a legitimate buyer has no reason to object to one. A bank lobby is the better choice for anything over a few hundred dollars, because the cash can be counted and deposited on the spot. Meet in daylight, bring a second person if you can, and tell someone where you are going. For furniture collected from your home, move it to the garage or porch first and do not be alone. Photograph items without your house number, your license plate or mail in the frame.
The scams a seller meets
- The buyer sends a check for more than the price and asks you to refund the difference. The bank makes the funds available in a day or two, the check bounces a week or two later, and you owe the full amount.
- The buyer wants to verify you are real and asks you to read back a six-digit code texted to your phone. That code lets them open a phone number or account in your name, so never share it.
- The buyer sends an email that looks like a payment confirmation and asks you to ship. Log in to the payment account yourself, since the email proves nothing.
- The buyer offers extra to ship to a cousin, a port or an address different from the one on the payment.
Take cash in person for small amounts, and for larger ones watch the payment arrive in your own app before you hand anything over.
The checks a buyer makes
Test the item where you stand. Plug it in, turn it on, and for a phone confirm that it is signed out of the previous owner's account and that its serial number is not reported lost or stolen, which the wireless industry's free online lookup will tell you. For a vehicle, the name on the title has to match the seller's identification, and the identification number on the dashboard has to match the title. A price far below the going rate, a seller who cannot meet, and a request for a deposit to hold the item are the three marks of a listing that does not exist.
Shipping
Use the platform's own checkout and shipping label, which is what triggers its purchase protection. Photograph the item, the packing and the receipt with its tracking number.
Tip Look at the other person's profile before you reply. An account created this month with no history accounts for most of the trouble.
