Bargains!
We advise caution if you see any deals advertised that seem too good to be true – they probably are! Look out for strange business names and/or lack of contact details.
Share carefully
- Use your best judgement when communicating with the other person.
- Don’t share personal information such as your home address.
Plan accordingly if meeting
- Create a meeting plan and share it with a trusted friend or family member, ideally take someone along with you.
- Once you and the buyer or seller have agreed on a meetup location, do not change this location.
- Bring your mobile phone with you, and make sure that the battery is charged.
- Save the phone number for local authorities in the speed dial of your mobile phone.
- Use a live location sharing app or function on your mobile phone to share your location with a family member or friend during your scheduled meetup.
Note: You can also use a delivery option or a pick-up or drop-off service that works for you.
- Avoid carrying excessively large amounts of cash with you.
Payments
Do not send or hand over items without receiving payment.
Use online payment methods.
Protect your privacy
- Don’t share your financial information (e.g. PayPal login and password, bank account info) or unnecessary personal information with buyers or sellers.
- Don’t respond to messages or emails that ask you to provide verification codes or account information, such as your email address and password.
- If you’re selling electronics, make sure that you’ve cleared any personal information from the device.
- Verify the item before paying or sending a deposit
- If you’re buying an item, we recommend that you inspect any items you buy to make sure that they’re genuine. For high-value items (e.g. watches, luxury bags), you can request a certificate of authenticity or proof of purchase.
- Do not send deposits for flats to rent without having seen the flat in person first.
Don’t buy or sell recalled items
- In many places, it’s illegal to sell recalled items. If you’re unsure whether the item you’re buying or selling has been recalled, look on the website of the item’s manufacturer for this information.
Look out for counterfeit items
- It’s illegal to sell counterfeit items in most countries and counterfeits aren’t allowed on MyTrader. We recommend that you review any items that you buy to make sure they’re genuine.
Be cautious when buying or selling cars
- Double-check deals that seem too good to be true. Scammers may try to use under-priced items to lure buyers into a scam. Before purchasing a car, you can check industry tools or other trusted sites to have an idea of what you would expect to pay for a similar car.
- You can also try getting a vehicle history report and arranging a car inspection before buying.
- If you’re a seller, be careful about bouncing cheques from buyers or paying for fake transport or insurance costs for your vehicle.