SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – Many may be looking to declutter after the holidays. If you’re looking to sell items online, you want to be safe. That’s why the Better Business Bureau has tips to do just that.
According to Pamela Hernandez, regional director for the BBB Springfield, you should first research and fully understand your selling platform.
“Every platform is a little bit different, and that’s why it’s important to do your research. You can go to BBB.org to research. For example, ThreadUp is a BBB-accredited business that sells used clothes, and you can see the experience that other consumers have had and if they have a history of complaints. So you kind of know what to expect and what’s going on. As a user, whether you’re buying or selling, read the terms on the platforms website, app, somewhere. You’re going to find disclosures about fees, how long does it take you to get paid, what is the process if there’s a dispute, you need to look at each and every item to help you make a decision. Is this the place where I want to sell my stuff online?” said Hernandez.
You also want to make accurate listings. Be upfront and honest about what you’re selling.
“Take time to take great photos so that they’re clear. Write a good description and be honest about any flaws. If you ever want to sell again on the platform, you don’t want to get a bad reputation for putting merchandise out that isn’t what you said it was,” said Hernandez.
Selling on a platform like eBay or Poshmark is safer because they have processes to manage payments and disputes. However, if you’re considering Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, know how to handle these sites.
“You certainly want to be safe if you’re doing more of a kind of a peer-to-peer thing on, say, Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. You want to make sure that you’re not getting involved in some sort of scam. Consumers do tell us about scams that happen on these marketplaces. For example, someone overpaying for an item like a larger ticket item. They say they accidentally sent you too much money, you being the good person that you are, you want to get them that money back, when in reality, scammers are taking advantage of a loophole that a lot of platforms have, even credit cards, sometimes with a delay in processing that pay. So it may look like you have a payment pending for the amount that the person says is out there when, in reality, they’ve actually sent you nothing,” said Hernandez.
If you buy online, you want to be safe. Use a credit card, and if possible, keep the sale within the platform it’s listed on.
“You also want to make sure you try to stay in the platform itself. Buyers and sellers have more protections if they keep that transaction within, say, an eBay versus taking it offline through text messaging or some other messaging app. Be careful if someone sends you or says they’re going to send you a 6-digit code to verify that you are a real person. Consumers tell us about being sent these codes, and in reality, it’s a form of multi-factor authentication, and they’re trying to get your code to change a password or set up a Google Voice account in your name that they can use in other scams. No one needs a six-digit code or any personal information about you if you buy something from them online,” said Hernandez.
Suppose you can ship the item using that action plan. If not, and you must meet in person, do it somewhere safe, like in front of a police station.
To report a correction or typo, please email [email protected]. Please include the article info in the subject line of the email.
Copyright 2025 KY3. All rights reserved.
This post was originally published on here
