Safety tips

Millions of in-person sales happen without a hitch. The handful that go wrong almost always break one of the rules below.

Meeting up

• Meet in a busy public place. The Old Harbor market hall and the Cascade Park community center both have designated, camera-covered swap zones.
• Daylight hours beat 10pm parking lots, every time.
• For big items that require a home pickup, have another adult with you, and keep the transaction at the door or in the garage.
• Tell someone where you're going. A text with the listing link takes five seconds.

Money

• Never wire money, buy gift cards, or send a "verification code." Each of these is a scam 100% of the time, no exceptions.
• Cash is king for small stuff. For bigger amounts, an in-person instant transfer you both watch complete works well.
• A "deposit to hold it" request from someone you've never met is a red flag. Stallly sellers expect first-come, first-served.
• Overpayment ("I'll send $500 extra for your trouble, just refund the difference") is the oldest trick on the internet.

Vehicles & housing

• For cars: meet at the DMV or a mechanic you trust. A $100 pre-purchase inspection has saved thousands of Arbor Bay buyers from a bad engine.
• Verify the title matches the seller's ID before money moves.
• For rentals: never pay a deposit before seeing the unit in person and confirming the person showing it has keys. Scammers copy legitimate ads and cut the price.

Online

• Keep conversation in Stallly messages until you're ready to meet — that's what the relay is for.
• Anyone who wants to move immediately to a courier, escrow service, or shipping arrangement did not read your ad and does not want your couch.
• If an ad or a buyer feels off, it probably is. Walk away; another will come along.

Something dangerous or fraudulent on the site? Email safety@stallly.com with the listing number and we'll take a look within a day — usually much faster.