Communities like Craigslist, OfferUp, Fb Market and others are nice for locating low- or no-cost stuff that one can decide up immediately from a close-by vendor, and for eliminating helpful issues that don’t deserve to finish up in a landfill. However when coping with strangers from the Web, there’s all the time a danger that the particular person you’ve agreed to satisfy has different intentions.
Almost all U.S. states now have designated protected buying and selling stations — principally at native police departments — which make sure that all transactions are dealt with in plain view of each the authorities and safety cameras.
These protected buying and selling locations exist as a result of generally in-person transactions from the Web don’t finish properly for a number of events concerned. The web site Craigslistkillers has catalogued information hyperlinks for no less than 132 murders linked to Craigslist transactions since 2015. Many of those killings concerned high-priced objects like vehicles and client electronics, the place the potential purchaser apparently supposed all alongside to kill the proprietor and steal the merchandise supplied on the market. Others have been motivated just by a need to harm folks.
This isn’t to say that utilizing Craigslist is uniquely dangerous or harmful; I’m positive the overwhelming majority of transactions generated by the location finish amicably and with out bodily violence. And that in all probability holds true for all of Craigslist’s rivals.
Nonetheless, the danger of a deal going badly when one meets whole strangers from the Web is just not zero, and so it’s solely smart to take a couple of easy precautions. For instance, selecting to transact at a chosen protected place reminiscent of a police station dramatically reduces the probability that anybody wishing you hurt would even present up.
I not too long ago stumbled upon one in every of these designated trade locations accidentally, therefore my curiosity in studying extra about them. The one I encountered was at a Virginia county sheriff’s workplace, and it has two parking spots reserved with an indication that reads, “Web Buy & Trade Location: This Space is Underneath 24 Hour Video Surveillance” [image above].
In accordance with the record maintained at Safetradestations.com, there are 4 different such designated areas in Northern Virginia. And it seems most states now have them in no less than some main cities. Safeexchangepoint.com additionally has a searchable index of protected buying and selling areas in the US and Canada.
Granted, not everybody goes to stay near one in every of these designated buying and selling stations. Or perhaps what you need to purchase, promote or commerce you’d moderately not have recorded in entrance of police cameras. Both manner, listed here are a couple of recommendations on staying protected whereas transacting in actual life with strangers from the Web (compliments of the aforementioned protected buying and selling web sites).
The most secure trade factors are simply accessible and in a well-lit, public place the place transactions are seen to others close by. Attempt to prepare a gathering time that’s throughout daytime, and think about bringing a buddy alongside — particularly when coping with high-value objects like laptops and sensible telephones.
Safeexchangepoint.com additionally advises that police or retailers that host their very own trade areas typically received’t get entangled within the particulars of your transaction except specified in any other case, and that many police departments (however not all) are prepared to verify the serial variety of an merchandise on the market to verify it’s not recognized to be stolen property.
In fact, it’s not all the time sensible or attainable to haul that outdated couch to the native police division, or a used automobile that isn’t working. In these conditions, safetradestations.com has some first rate ideas:
- Meet at a police station the place you’ll be able to trade and photocopy every others’ identification papers, reminiscent of a driver’s license. Do NOT carry money to this location.
- Photocopy the license or identification paper, or use your telephone to {photograph} it.
- Electronic mail the ID info to a buddy, or to somebody trusted (to not your self).
- Should you’re promoting at dwelling, or going to somebody’s dwelling, by no means be outnumbered. Should you’re at dwelling, ensure you have two or three folks there — and inform the one who is coming that you should have others with you.
- At dwelling or an residence, NEVER let somebody go wherever unaccompanied. All the time be sure that they’re escorted.
- By no means let multiple group come to your private home at one time to purchase or promote.
- Watch out for widespread scams, like checks for an quantity increased than the quantity of the deal; “cashier’s checks” which are solid and offered when the financial institution is closed.
- In case you are given a cashier’s verify, cash order or different equal, name the financial institution — on the quantity listed on-line, not a quantity the client provides you — to confirm the validity of the verify.
