Buying or selling items through the internet, with other individuals, can be risky. Think about your safety. It’s not just that you want to avoid scammers, but also steer clear of other crime. Robbery or worse. For local sales that involve a face-to-face meeting, you may want a location that is safer than your front stoop. Please know about Internet Purchase Exchange Locations, if you ever deal through Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist or eBay.
Most police stations now offer special zones for the general public to use during a personal transaction. Sometimes they are called Safe Trade Stations, and you can find a list of participating stations at this website. Other stations may offer meet-up security without calling it something special, so you may want to reach out and inquire of your local PD. Call their non-emergency line and ask: “May I use your parking lot or front lobby to conduct a personal transaction? I want to sell an item to someone from the internet and be safe about it!”
Not only is this going to keep you safe, it will scare off most of the jokers and evildoers of the internet. As soon as you mention a police station, most criminals will ghost you. Which saves you a lot of time, trouble and emotion.
If your local police force does not offer an Internet Purchase Exchange Location, ask them to consider it as a future safety offering. Or perhaps reach out to your town office or local mall to see if they can help.
