| Paying Safely |
Once you’ve met, inspected the item and come to an agreement, it’s time to finalize the deal. There are many options to transfer money, both online and in person. Let’s take a look at the benefits of each.
Requesting or offering deposits for items on the site is not recommended. However, some sellers do request one. Never pay a deposit on a vehicle you haven’t seen in person. If you have seen it and you’re not completely comfortable leaving a deposit, it may be best to move on to another deal.
Cash is often the safest option for sellers because it’s the hardest to fake. However, it’s not impossible. If you’re accepting cash for a large purchase, make sure you know how to recognize counterfeit currency. Carrying cash as a buyer can have its own risks and can be less convenient. Consider the situation and decide what’s best for you.
Cheques are easier to fake than cash, and there’s no guarantee that they won’t bounce. The safest option is to ask for a certified cheque and go to the bank with them to cash it before you give them the item.
Bank Drafts
For larger transactions, consider verifying the bank draft in person by arranging a joint visit to the buyer’s bank. Both parties can meet at the bank branch to confirm that the funds are withdrawn from the buyer’s account by witnessing the purchase of the bank draft. You may also want to wait until the draft has cleared and the money is in your account before finalizing the sale.
As a safe alternative to carrying cash, consider choosing your preferred third party cashless payment method (at your own discretion). Secure cashless payment methods include electronic money transfers (Interac e-transfers). Never mail a cheque or wire money to sellers. Services like Western Union or MoneyGram should be avoided. Typically, scammers will use these services and will even falsify documents from a legitimate company. It’s best to avoid them entirely and keep things local!
Wire transfers are easy to fake, and hard to verify. If you decide to accept payment through one of these methods, don’t give them the item until you’ve been able to confirm with 100% certainty that the funds are in your account.
Note: If any buyer sends you an electronic transfer and then asks you to move some of the funds somewhere else – especially if they require the funds to be moved before you actually receive the money – don’t do it! This is likely an SMS scam.
