Safety Guidelines

Last updated: 26 July 2026

SellMyStuff verifies seller identity and lets buyers rate sellers, but every transaction happens in person, between two people, off the platform. These guidelines are how you stay safe in that moment.

Meeting to view or collect an item

• Meet in a busy public place — a shopping centre, a petrol station forecourt, outside a bank, or a police station. Many Kenyan police stations welcome online sale handovers.
• Meet in daylight. If the only time that works is after dark, choose somewhere well lit and busy.
• Bring someone with you, particularly for a high-value item.
• Tell someone where you are going, who you are meeting, and when you expect to be back. Share the listing link with them.
• For large furniture or appliances that must be viewed at a home, bring a companion, arrive in daylight, and leave immediately if anything feels wrong. Trust that instinct — it costs you nothing to walk away.

Checking the item

• Inspect it fully before any money changes hands.
• Power on anything electrical. Ask to see it working at the mains.
• Check serial numbers on electronics, and ask for the original receipt or box.
• For anything with a title or registration, confirm the seller's name matches the document.
• If the item is not as described in the listing, you are under no obligation to complete the purchase.

Paying safely

• Pay only once you have the item in your hands.
• Pay by M-Pesa so there is a record. Confirm the M-Pesa confirmation SMS has actually arrived before you part company — screenshots can be faked, and a “pending” message is not a payment.
• Never share your M-Pesa PIN or an OTP code with anyone. SellMyStuff will never ask for either. Nor will Safaricom.
• Be suspicious of any request to move the conversation off the platform to complete payment. That is where the platform's record of the transaction ends.

Fraud patterns to watch for

• The price is far below market. The most reliable warning sign there is.
• Pressure to decide immediately— “three other people want it, send a deposit now to hold it”. A genuine seller can wait for you to see the item.
• The seller refuses to meet, or is always travelling, or insists on a courier who must be paid in advance.
• Overpayment and refund requests— someone “accidentally” sends too much and asks you to send back the difference.
• Someone claiming to be SellMyStuff staff asking for your password, OTP, or a payment to release funds. We never do this.
• Stock photographs.Ask for a fresh photo of the item next to something specific, like today's newspaper or a handwritten note.

For sellers

• Do not give out your home address until you have agreed a sale.
• Confirm the M-Pesa payment has landed in your account before handing the item over. Do not rely on a screenshot the buyer shows you.
• Do not accept a cheque, a bank transfer promise, or payment “on delivery”.
• If you are meeting a buyer at home, have someone else there with you, and keep the meeting to the doorway or driveway where possible.

Reporting a problem

Every listing and every seller shelf has a Report link. Use it if you encounter a scam attempt, a counterfeit or stolen item, harassment, or a prohibited item. You can attach evidence such as screenshots — that evidence is encrypted and visible only to our moderation team.

Reporting is confidential. The person you report is not told who reported them.

If you are in immediate danger, contact the police on 999 or 112 first. Report to us afterwards so we can remove the account.

For anything else: support@sellmystuff.co.ke