How to meet buyers and sellers safely

Meet in a busy public place with people and cameras around: a mall, a metro station concourse, a café, outside a bank or a well-lit market. Avoid isolated spots, parking lots at night and the other person's car.

For a phone or laptop, a café with a power socket and Wi-Fi makes testing easier.

Meet in daylight where you can. Agree the time and place in writing in your chat, so there is a record. If the other person changes the place at the last minute to somewhere quieter, treat it as a warning sign.

Share the meeting place, the time and the other person's name and number with a friend or family member, and check in afterwards. If possible, take someone with you, especially for high-value items.

• Sellers: the item, its box and accessories, the bill, a charger or power bank so it can be tested, and a bag for the buyer.
• Buyers: the agreed amount (or your UPI app ready), a charger or earphones to test gadgets, a measuring tape for furniture and clothes.
• Both: a charged phone.

Some things cannot be carried to a café. If a buyer has to come to your home, keep the item near the door or in the building lobby if you can, have another adult at home, and do not show other rooms or valuables. If you are the buyer visiting a home, tell someone where you are going and take a friend.

Agree in advance who handles loading and transport, and do not hand over keys, gate passes or documents beyond what the sale needs.

Let the buyer inspect the item without rushing. Exchange the item and the payment at the same time, and for UPI, wait until the money shows in the seller's own bank app. Do not let anyone take the item to "show someone" before paying.

Plan the test before you go. For a phone or laptop, decide which apps or files you will try and bring a cable. For clothes and shoes, ask whether a trial room or a quiet corner is nearby. For a cycle, ask whether there is space to ride a short distance. A seller who refuses any reasonable test is telling you something about the item.

• The item is clearly different from the photos or description.
• The other person asks you to scan a QR code, share an OTP or install an app.
• You are pressured to move somewhere private or to decide immediately.
• Anything makes you uncomfortable. No deal is worth your safety.

Your phone number, email and street address are never shown on a public listing. They are shared only with a buyer who places an order, and the seller sees that buyer's name, email and phone in return, so both sides know who they are meeting. Sellers can choose to hide their email from buyers.