How to avoid scams when selling used items online

You've just listed your old tablet and ten minutes later an enthusiastic message pops up. "I'll take it right now at full price, I'll pay you through a link." People who have been selling second hand for a while spot this straight away, while first-timers sometimes fall for it. To avoid scams when selling used items online you don't need to suspect everyone. Almost every trick follows the same pattern, and once you've seen it a couple of times it stops being scary.

Let's stick with that tablet. It's three years old, in good shape, still in its original case, and you list it for 180 €, which is about what similar models go for. Within an afternoon three people get in touch. Two ask the usual things about the battery, the scratches and the charger. The third asks nothing at all and wants to close the deal immediately. The third one is usually the one to watch.

The most common scams aimed at sellers

The oldest one is the fake receipt. The buyer says they've sent a bank transfer, shares a screenshot of the confirmation and asks you to ship the same day, because the transfer "takes a while to show up". You ship, and the money never lands. A screenshot can be edited in a minute and proves nothing.

Then there's the link to "receive" your payment. You get a message, sometimes an email that looks official, pointing to a page that asks for your card details so the money can be "credited" to you. Nobody needs your card's security code, your PIN or the codes you get by text message in order to send you money. If a page asks for them, close it.

A more elaborate version is the buyer who overpays. They send, or claim to have sent, more than the agreed price and politely ask you to return the difference. By the time you realise the first payment never existed, you've already sent back the difference with real money.

Some people ask to move the conversation elsewhere. "Text me on my number, I don't get notifications here." It isn't always a scam, but once you leave the platform you lose the record of what was agreed, and the other person now has your phone number. Finally, after delivery, you might meet someone who swears the parcel was empty or the item broken. It happens less often, but it pays to be ready for it, and we'll get to that below.

Why paying in the app changes everything

All the scams above have one thing in common. The money travels along a route you can't check, whether it's a screenshot, a link or a promised transfer. On Lendmates the buyer pays in the app and you get the money once the purchase goes through. You don't have to check receipts, you don't have to trust a picture and you never have to give anyone your bank details or card number.

It works the same way on the other side. The buyer knows they're not paying into thin air, which makes the whole exchange calmer for both of you. If someone suggests a direct bank transfer to speed things up, or cash on delivery for a parcel, you can simply reply that on Lendmates payments go through the app. Genuine buyers rarely object. If you'd like the same topic from the buyer's point of view, have a look at the guide on how to buy second hand online safely.

Everyone who messages you has a verified profile

When you sign up to Lendmates you're asked to verify your identity, and the same goes for every buyer. So the person on the other side of the chat is a real person, not a profile created five minutes ago with a photo pulled from who knows where. It doesn't replace common sense, but it keeps a lot of chancers away, because trying it on under your own name is far less appealing.

For you as a seller, it means you can answer messages with more peace of mind and spend your time on the questions that matter (how's the battery, are there lines on the screen, is the cable in the box) instead of wondering who's hiding behind a made-up name.

Keep the conversation in the in-app chat

Questions, extra photos, a bit of haggling over the price, shipping times. On Lendmates it all happens in the chat inside the app, and nobody needs to swap phone numbers. The chat is useful afterwards too, because if there's a misunderstanding the whole conversation is right there, with dates and the photos you sent each other.

When someone asks to carry on elsewhere, just say politely that you'd rather stay in the app. If they're really interested, they'll carry on there without any fuss.

Before you ship, photograph the item and the parcel

Against someone who claims the parcel arrived empty or the item damaged, your best defence is having everything on record. Before you seal the box, take a few photos of the item, then of the open parcel with everything inside, and finally of the closed parcel. For electronics, a twenty-second video of you switching the device on and showing the screen is enough. It's five extra minutes at the kitchen table, and if you ever need them they're worth a lot.

Then you pack it carefully and hand it to the courier. When you sell on Lendmates you can ship anywhere in Italy, so the tablet can go to someone in Trieste just as easily as to someone in Palermo, without meeting anyone on your doorstep. For packing tips, see the article on how to ship an item you sold.

Reviews tell you who you're dealing with

After every exchange, the seller and the buyer leave each other a review. Before accepting an offer, take a look at the profile of whoever is messaging you. A new profile isn't a bad sign, everyone starts from zero, but if there are already reviews you get an idea straight away. Sale after sale your own reviews grow too, and they become the reason someone buys from you and not from the listing next to yours.

The warning signs to spot straight away

If you only remember a few things, make it these:

• the buyer is in a big hurry and asks nothing about the item
• you get a link to "receive" a payment, or someone asks for your card details
• someone wants to pay you outside the app or sends you a screenshot of a transfer
• you're asked to continue the conversation on your phone number

Selling the things you no longer use is still one of the simplest small pleasures around. You take a few photos, the listing almost fills itself in, you check it and publish, and if you'd like to go through the steps calmly there's the guide on how to sell used items online. As long as you stay inside Lendmates, the rest is designed so you can sell with peace of mind.

Frequently asked questions

How can I tell if a buyer is trying to scam me?

They're usually in a hurry, ask nothing about the item and want to pay in some other way, with a bank transfer, a link or a courier they arrange themselves. On Lendmates buyers have a verified identity and pay in the app, so if someone keeps pushing to move elsewhere it's better to walk away.

Can I trust a screenshot of a bank transfer?

No. A screenshot doesn't prove the money has reached your account, and if you ship before checking you can end up with no item and no money. On Lendmates this doesn't come up, because the buyer pays in the app and the seller gets the money once the purchase goes through.

What if the buyer says the parcel arrived empty or broken?

Reply calmly in the in-app chat and attach the photos and video you took before sealing the box. Having the whole conversation in writing and the item documented puts you in a much stronger position.

Do I have to give my phone number to the buyer?

No. On Lendmates you sort everything out in the in-app chat and your number stays private, even after the sale.

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