A safety checklist for selling and swapping secondhand items in person

October 7, 2026

Most secondhand handovers go smoothly. A few simple habits make them safer, especially when the item is personal.

Before you meet

• Chat first, in the app. Keep the conversation on the platform so there is a record, and don’t move to other apps too early.
• Share as little as possible. No home address, no workplace, no full name, no social handles unless you want to.
• Agree on the details in writing: item, condition, price or swap, time and place.
• Be wary of pressure. Urgency, overpayment stories and requests to pay or receive money through unusual links are classic red flags.

Where and when

• Pick a busy public place such as a café, a shopping centre entrance or a transit hub, in daylight.
• Tell a friend where you are going and when you will be back.
• Take a friend along for larger or more valuable items.
• Never invite a stranger to your home for a handover, and don’t go to theirs.

At the handover

• Check the item together, and let the other person inspect it.
• Prefer cash you can check, or a payment you can see arrive before you hand the item over. Be careful with screenshots of transfers.
• Trust your instincts. If something feels off, it is fine to leave.

After

Report anyone who behaves badly and block them. On fromEx you can block and report from any profile or chat, and reports are reviewed by people.

A few minutes of caution is worth it, and most meetings are simply pleasant.