Trust and safety
Every check we run, and the ones we do not.
A marketplace is only worth using if you know exactly what it does for you. Here is the whole list.
Before a seller can list
Four gates, in order. Each one is cheap for an honest seller and expensive for a scammer, which is the entire point.
- Confirmed email. Accounts stay inactive until the link is clicked.
- Confirmed phone. A six digit code by text. Internet numbers such as Google Voice and TextNow are rejected, because a free disposable number is what makes throwaway seller accounts cheap.
- Proof of ownership photograph. The item beside a handwritten note showing the seller name and the date.
- Serial number. Required on cameras and lenses, checked against our watchlist, and recorded permanently.
What the badges mean
Verified means the seller passed a government ID check run by a third party provider. It is a one time gate and it says the account belongs to a real, named person. We never see the document. We receive a pass or fail and a reference token.
Trusted Seller is earned after that: a verified seller with completed sales and positive buyer feedback over time. One is an entry requirement, the other is a track record.
No badge means the account has not been through the ID check. Their listings are reviewed by a moderator before publishing.
Serial numbers
Recording serials does more anti fraud work than anything else we do. It proves the seller physically holds the item, because you cannot read a serial off a review site photograph. It lets you check the item against stolen registries before you pay. And it settles disputes, because the item that arrives can be matched against the one advertised.
Publicly we show only the first and last characters. The buyer receives the full serial on purchase. If you have had gear stolen, send us the serial and we will add it to the watchlist, which blocks it from being listed here at all.
What we do not do
We do not physically inspect items, test them, or guarantee condition, authenticity or legal title. We are not a party to your transaction. Our checks reduce risk substantially. They do not remove it, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something.
Report something
If a listing looks wrong, tell us at [email protected] with the listing address. Every report is read. You do not need an account.