Love a second-hand bargain? Beware of the marketplace scams!
Buying pre-loved items has become a popular trend in recent years, with a fifth of people buying more clothes second-hand now than they did two years ago.
Unfortunately, scammers have taken advantage of the second-hand boom by targeting shoppers browsing resale websites such as Depop, Vinted and Facebook Marketplace. Following the rise in scams, Alexis Conran joins us to share the red flags you need to look out for.
Alexis' tips for buying on marketplace websites:
Look out for extremely low-priced products: Items sold for unbelievably low prices are a definite warning sign. Do your research and look around other websites to check the average price of the product you'd like to buy. Remember if the price seems way too good to be true, it most likely is!
Ask for current photos of the product: Whatever the pre-loved item you're trying to purchase, demand that the seller sends you a recent photo of it. Ask them to set the product next to a piece of paper with your name written on it. If they are unwilling to do so, chances are they don't have the product at all, so don't proceed with the transaction.
Always check the sellers profile: Before buying an item always check the profile of the seller. Ideally the seller should have reviews on their profile but also look out for too many positive reviews which sound the same as this could be a scam in itself.
Never pay a deposit to confirm a sale: Sometimes the seller asks you to pay a deposit to confirm the sale. Never pay via a link sent to you by the scammer. Scammers can steal your bank details, then your money via fake websites.