1. “I gotta to have it now!”
· We live in the age of instant
gratification. In our haste to ‘have it now’, it’s easy to forget
to verify things. Before jumping into the car and speeding off to acquire your new loot, ask
a couple of questions about the item and seller
to get to know them a little bit.
· Advice:
If you find an item you like, ask a few questions about it. Use a fully integrated marketplace where you
can ask questions without having to expose your personal email or go to some
other site.
2. “Paying in cash is easier.”
· Cash is nice but always think twice. Cash can really be a bit of a hassle. First, you have to go
to the bank. Then, you have walk around with
a wad of money to meet some stranger. Finally,
there is that whole ‘exact change’ concept.
There are so many pre-steps and worries with
cash. If something goes wrong, you have no
recourse. Plus, you do not get airline miles if
you use cash. How is this easier?
· Advice: Use
a marketplace with cashless
payments preferable tied to a point-
based credit card.
payments preferable tied to a point-
based credit card.
3. “I’ll use Venmo or PayPal. Everybody’s doing it.”
· So you think paying with third party apps is
cool. But what if the seller doesn’t
have that app. You could be forced to run to the nearest ATM at the last
minute. Hassle!
have that app. You could be forced to run to the nearest ATM at the last
minute. Hassle!
· Advice:
Use a seamless marketplace with cashless payments baked right in.
4.
“The pictures don’t do it justice.”
· We’ve all heard it before. You gotta see it in person to appreciate
it. Caveat emptor (that’s Latin for
‘let the buyer beware’). Listings
without pictures can be a scam.
· Advice:
Use a visual marketplace to always see what you’re getting first. The best marketplaces allow for multiple
photos.
5.
“Let’s keep this private.”
· Meeting in secluded areas is risky no matter what the circumstances. While we all don’t
like other people in our business, meeting in a private place is a BIG red flag.
· Advice:
For your own personal safety,
always meet in a public place such as a
coffee shop.
always meet in a public place such as a
coffee shop.
6.
“I’ll share my info to speed up things.”
· Sharing is not caring when it comes to buying
from strangers. You can open yourself up
to stalkers and other bad people if you’re not careful.
· Advice:
Never share your personal information.
Use a seamless shopping experience that lets you browse, communicate,
and pay all within the security of one platform.
7.
“I’m using an anonymous address so my identity
is safe.”
· While the Craigslist-provided anonymous address
is great for receiving e-mails, it doesn't conceal your identity when you
choose to respond to someone.
· Advice:
Use an end-to-end solution that protects your email and contact info at
all times.
8.
“They’re in the Free and For Sale group so they
must be trustworthy.”
· We tend to think that someone’s presence in a
social media group makes them "ok". Just
because they go to the same school doesn’t mean anything when it comes to your
personal safety.
· Advice: Use a marketplace where you can
seamlessly interact with sellers to vet them first.
9.
“I know where they live so they won’t rob me.”
· Let’s face it, it can be a little bit scary meeting a stranger off the internet for the
purpose of buying something especially if it’s
valuable. You have never met this person
before. You’ll probably never see them again.
How do you get comfortable before going to
make the deal?
· Advice:
Besides using a cashless payment
system, use a solution that allows you to
vet sellers first. Then bring a cell phone
and friend with you to close the deal.
system, use a solution that allows you to
vet sellers first. Then bring a cell phone
and friend with you to close the deal.
That’s it for now.
Hope this helps you transact safely next time you purchase locally. In our next post, we’ll provide tips for
local businesses to drive more revenue.
#safelocalselling #nohasslesnosketch #cashlesspayments #seamlessshopping
About the Author
Good points!
ReplyDelete