How to check a seller before you pay

You found someone online who sells what you want. The price is fair and the pictures look good. Before you send money, spend two minutes checking who they are.

What a real review looks like

A real review is specific. It says what the buyer ordered, whether it showed up when promised, and what happened when something went wrong. "Great seller" tells you nothing. "Ordered a custom print on a Monday, it shipped Wednesday and the color matched the sample" tells you a lot.

Look for variety too. Real buyers write in different ways, on different days, and some mention a small problem. A page where every review sounds the same is worth a second look.

Why a screenshot proves very little

A screenshot of a thank-you message can be edited, cropped or taken from somebody else's conversation. You cannot tell who wrote it or whether it was ever sent to this seller. A review on a page the seller approves is stronger, because it has an address you can open and a date you can read. It is still the seller's page, so read it the way you would read any shop window.

Ask for the thing a screenshot cannot give you

Ask the seller for a link to their reviews instead of pictures of them. Someone with real buyers can send a link in a few seconds. If they only send images, ask again. If they keep sending images, that is an answer.

Look the seller up

If the seller has a page here, type their handle into Check a seller on the home page. It opens their page if one exists and shows what earlier buyers wrote. If nothing comes up, that does not mean they are a fraud. It means you need another way to check, such as their history on the platform where you found them.

Before you send money

• Read at least three reviews, and read the least flattering one.
• Check the dates. Reviews that all arrived in one week deserve a question.
• Use a payment method that lets you dispute a charge.
• Keep the conversation where the platform can see it.