Marketplace Safety

All Ads UK is a classified advertising platform, not a party to the private sale or service contract. We use confirmed accounts, automated checks, moderation, image review, rate limits and user reports to reduce risk. These measures cannot guarantee that every advert, identity, item or payment is genuine, so you must make your own checks before sending money or sharing sensitive information.

Approved adverts may still change, sell elsewhere or be removed. Never treat an advert being visible, promoted or marked live as proof of a seller’s identity, ownership or reliability.

• Read the complete advert, including condition, location, collection, delivery and important exclusions.
• Compare the price with similar listings. An unusually low price may be a warning sign.
• Ask clear questions and request recent, relevant photographs or a video where appropriate.
• Keep communication inside your All Ads UK account where possible. Private messages create a useful record and help us investigate reports.
• Do not move to another platform simply because the other person says the conversation must be secret.

• Pressure to pay immediately, pay a deposit or reserve an item without seeing it.
• Requests for gift cards, cryptocurrency, cash sent by courier, unusual bank transfers or payment to a different person.
• Payment links, invoices, courier forms or screenshots that you cannot verify independently.
• A story involving an urgent emergency, overseas location, armed forces posting, overpayment or a refund through a third party.
• Refusal to answer reasonable questions, inconsistent details, copied photographs or a price that seems too good to be true.

• All Ads UK does not hold buyer funds, provide escrow or guarantee private transactions.
• Do not pay before you have independently checked the seller, item and agreed terms. For high-value items, use a payment method with appropriate buyer protection and follow your bank’s advice.
• Never share your online-banking login, card PIN, password, one-time passcode or full card details with another user.
• Do not rely on a payment screenshot or an email claiming that money is pending. Confirm funds in your own bank account or payment app.
• Promotion payments made through the All Ads UK checkout are separate from payments between buyers and sellers. Check the checkout address before paying and keep the receipt.

• Meet in daylight at a public place where practical, or at a business premises. Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return.
• Take another adult for valuable items. Do not invite an unknown person into your home or enter theirs alone.
• For vehicles, machinery and other heavy goods, plan loading and transport safely. Do not let an unsafe situation or test drive continue.
• Check the item before paying, and keep a written record of what was agreed. Trust your instincts and leave if anything feels wrong.
• Do not hand over keys, identity documents or property until payment is confirmed and the arrangement is clear.

• Use a reputable, trackable and insured delivery service when collection is not possible.
• Agree who pays for delivery, when dispatch will happen and what happens if an item is damaged or lost.
• Do not click courier links sent unexpectedly in messages. Open the courier’s official website or app yourself.
• Sellers should photograph the item, packaging, tracking label and proof of dispatch. Buyers should inspect packaging before accepting a damaged parcel.

• View the vehicle or equipment in person and check that the seller has the right to sell it.
• For road vehicles, independently check the registration, VIN, V5C details, MOT history, mileage, finance and write-off history. Make sure the VIN on the vehicle matches the documents.
• For boats, jet skis, plant and machinery, check serial or hull numbers, ownership documents, safety equipment, service history and any relevant registration or insurance requirements.
• Do not arrange a test drive without confirming insurance, licence requirements and safe conditions. Never allow a stranger to keep your keys or documents as security.

• Never pay a deposit for a property you have not independently viewed or verified.
• Check the address, landlord or agent identity, ownership or authority to let, tenancy terms and any required safety or licensing information.
• Do not send identity documents or money because someone claims that a viewing, reference check or key release requires an urgent fee.
• Use an independent contact method and verify details with the relevant authority or professional body where appropriate.

• Check serial numbers, compatibility, condition, included accessories and proof of purchase where relevant.
• For 3D printers, tools and technical equipment, confirm the exact model, working condition, firmware or software requirements, consumables and any missing parts before agreeing a price.
• Be cautious with sealed boxes, stock photographs and claims that an item is new when the seller will not provide a current photograph or collection option.
• Do not install unknown remote-access software or share verification codes to “test” a device.

• Use an accurate title, price, category, location and description. State faults, exclusions, collection or delivery terms clearly.
• Use your own photographs and remove house numbers, documents, number plates, access codes and other information that could reveal private details.
• Keep conversations professional. Do not accept suspicious overpayments, send money back to a different account or share account credentials.
• Confirm payment yourself before handing over an item. Keep records of messages, payment, collection, delivery and serial numbers.
• Report abusive, threatening or suspicious approaches, and block contact where appropriate.

• Use a unique, strong password for your account and protect the email account used to sign in.
• Never share a password, one-time code, recovery link or identity document through a marketplace message.
• Only show a telephone number publicly when you are comfortable receiving direct calls. Private messages are available for buyer enquiries.
• Log out on shared devices and contact us promptly if you see an advert, message or account change that you did not make.

Use the “Report advert” control on the listing page and select the closest reason, such as scam, prohibited item, duplicate, wrong category, sold, abusive or other. Include the advert reference, what happened, dates, payment details and evidence without sending passwords or full card numbers.

Reports are reviewed by the team and may lead to an advert being checked, edited, hidden, removed or referred to an appropriate authority. Do not confront or threaten another user.

1. Stop communicating and do not send more money or codes.
2. Contact your bank or payment provider immediately using an official number. Ask whether a payment can be recalled or marked as fraud.
3. Preserve the advert URL or reference, messages, usernames, emails, phone numbers, receipts, tracking details and screenshots.
4. Report the advert to All Ads UK. For suspected fraud in the UK, report it to Action Fraud or the police where appropriate. If you are in immediate danger, call 999.
5. If your account or email may be compromised, change passwords from a trusted device and contact us.

Read the Prohibited Items Policy before posting, and see the Terms and Conditions for the rules applying to adverts, messages, promotions and account use. For help or a safety report, use the Contact page.