Buying from an unknown seller online: checks before you pay

Second-hand phones, laptops, bikes, cars and even property listings are bought and sold between strangers every day. Most deals go well. The ones that do not often follow a pattern: a great price, a convincing story, and pressure to pay before you have seen anything.

Why these deals go wrong

• The item does not exist, or the photos are copied from another listing.
• The seller is not the owner.
• The item has a hidden problem or is stolen.
• The seller takes an advance and disappears.
• The payment goes to an account that is not in the seller's name.

Checks to do before you pay

1. Search the photos. Do they appear in other listings with different details?
2. Ask for a live video call. Ask the seller to show the item, its serial or IMEI number, bills and the seller's own face.
3. Match names. The name on the ID, the bill or RC and the account receiving money should be the same.
4. For vehicles: check the RC details, pending challans and whether any loan is marked against it.
5. Meet in a safe place where you can inspect the item, ideally with someone you trust.
6. Pay safely. No large advance to strangers. Prefer payment on handover, and pay to an account in the seller's name.
7. Keep records: chat, receipts and the video call.

Warning signs

• The price is far below the market with no reason
• "Urgent sale, leaving the country or city"
• Refusal to show the item live or to meet
• Requests for gift cards, "token money" or payment to a third person's account
• Pushing you to move away from the platform's chat or payment system

How Praman helps

Marketplaces and individuals can use Praman by SatyaSakshi to add a verification step. The seller joins a short WhatsApp video call, shows the item live with location and time, and completes ID and face match. For vehicles, instant checks bring up RC details and pending challans. Buyers receive a report, and marketplaces can show a verified status next to the listing.

Frequently asked questions

Related: how Praman handles this for businesses · all instant checks

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