This guide offers general safety advice. Every marketplace has its own rules and seller protections, so read your platform's help pages and follow its guidance first.
Keep everything on the platform
The single most useful habit is to keep communication and payment inside the marketplace you are selling on. Platforms can only help with disputes they can see. Be wary when a buyer asks to move the conversation to text, email or another app, or to pay outside the platform's checkout. That request alone is a common warning sign.
Common warning signs
- Overpayment: a buyer sends more than the price and asks you to refund the difference. The original payment may later be reversed.
- Verification codes: someone asks you to share a code sent to your phone or email "to prove you are real". Never share these codes; they can be used to take over your accounts.
- Fake payment emails: an email says you have been paid, but the payment does not appear in your account. Always check by logging in directly, not through links in a message.
- Links to "claim" money: messages asking you to click a link or enter card details to receive a payment.
- Pressure and urgency: a buyer who rushes you, offers more than asking without seeing the item, or pushes you to skip normal steps.
- Shipping changes: requests to send to a different address than the one on the order, or to use the buyer's own shipping label or courier.
- Stories that do not add up: a buyer abroad sending a relative to pick up, or a third party paying on someone's behalf.
Safe payment habits
- Accept payment only through the marketplace or methods it supports.
- Confirm payment by logging into your account directly before you ship or hand over an item.
- For local sales, follow the platform's recommended payment options, and check that any payment has fully arrived before the buyer leaves.
- Do not accept checks or payment methods you cannot verify.
- Never refund money for an "overpayment" that has not cleared.
Protect your shipped sales
- Ship only to the address on the order.
- Use tracking on every package and keep receipts until the sale is complete.
- Photograph valuable items, including serial numbers, before you pack them.
- Describe condition accurately and show flaws in photos. Clear records help if a buyer later disputes the item's condition.
- For high-value items, consider signature confirmation and insurance where available.
Meet local buyers safely
- Meet in a busy public place during daylight. Some police stations offer safe exchange spots.
- Bring someone with you, or tell someone where you are going and when.
- For large items that must be collected from home, have another person present and move the item to a garage or entryway if you can.
- Do not share more personal information than needed.
- Trust your instincts. You can cancel any meetup that feels wrong.
For more on local selling, see pricing on Facebook Marketplace.
Protect your accounts
- Use a strong, unique password for each marketplace and your email.
- Turn on two-step verification where offered.
- Never log in through links in messages; open the app or type the address yourself.
- Check your account settings for changes you did not make, such as a new payout account.
If something goes wrong
Stop communicating with the suspicious buyer, do not send the item, and report the account through the marketplace's reporting tools. Contact your bank or payment provider if you shared financial details. Keep screenshots of messages and listings in case you need them.
Returns and condition disputes
Occasionally a buyer claims an item arrived damaged or different from the listing. Most of these are genuine misunderstandings, which is why clear photos and honest descriptions matter so much. Before shipping valuable items, note or photograph serial numbers and identifying marks so you can confirm that a returned item is the one you sent. Respond through the marketplace's resolution process rather than privately, and follow its steps.
Where WorthAI fits
An accurate, honest listing is one of your best protections against disputes. WorthAI can help you identify an item correctly and draft an editable eBay listing from your photos, which you review before publishing, so your description and photos match what the buyer receives.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common scam when selling online?
Many scams share one pattern: getting you to communicate or accept payment outside the marketplace, where its protections no longer apply. Fake payment emails and overpayment requests are frequent examples.
Should I share a verification code with a buyer?
No. Never share a code sent to your phone or email. Legitimate buyers do not need it, and it can be used to access your accounts.
How do I know a payment is real?
Log in to your marketplace or payment account directly, not through a link in a message, and confirm the funds are there before you ship or hand over the item.