Choose a suitable setting
Use a public, well-lit place appropriate for the item. Check whether a local police department or other official body offers a designated exchange location and confirm its actual arrangements. Do not assume any public place provides supervision or guarantees safety.
Keep personal boundaries
Avoid sharing your home address for portable goods. Tell a trusted person your plan and consider bringing someone where appropriate. Keep children and private documents out of the transaction. For bulky items that require collection, plan access carefully and do not allow unnecessary entry into private spaces.
Verify payment in your own account
A screenshot, email or text is not proof that funds arrived. Use your own trusted payment app or banking channel and understand reversal or fraud risks. Do not pay a fee to upgrade an account to receive money, send back an overpayment or disclose verification codes.
Leave when something changes
Pressure, a changed location, unusual money requests or threatening behavior are reasons to stop. Keep evidence of suspicious communication without escalating the encounter. If there is immediate danger, use local emergency services. Follow platform safety guidance and report suspicious accounts through official channels.
Is a payment notification enough to hand over the item?
No. Confirm the transaction in your own trusted account and understand the payment method's fraud or reversal risks. Do not follow a buyer's link to upgrade an account or pay a release fee. When uncertain, pause the sale rather than rushing a handover.