Discussions

Hi all,  
 
Just wanted to take the chance to share a reminder that the classifieds are intended as an in-person only service when buying or selling items. You should have seen what you’re buying in person before making any kind of payment on it.  
 
Scams are known to exist through online classified services including this one where when the seller is contacted, they request (or even require) a deposit in order to hold an item without your having actually seen it. Once you’ve e-transferred money, there generally is no way of getting it back should your seller disappear/cut off communication after that money is sent.  
 
It’s usually the case with these ads that the pricing is too good to be true, which for some people might lead to a sense of urgency to send a deposit to secure what they see as a deal. The pressure can be felt that much more by rural folks feeling that they might lose out on said perceived deal to someone that can get to pick it up first.  
 
Sellers meeting this des:cription will sometimes use a Manitoba phone number and even go as far as texting or even getting onto a phone call from that number.  
 
If you run into an ad that you think might be like this or have been in correspondence with a seller that makes it that much clearer, please click on the “report” link on that ad to make sure it gets flagged (it only takes a few seconds). Some might have the instinct to assume someone else has already reported it, but there honestly can’t be enough reports.  
 
Above all else I can’t stress enough to avoid temptation to send payment in advance.  
 
Even though the site has been established in the area for a long time and there are many notices like this placed on pages throughout the classifieds, it's never a bad idea to make sure anyone in your life who might be new to this kind of service is aware that these kinds of scams are common online.  
 
Thanks to everyone on the buyer and seller sides of the classifieds that's contributed to it being the best possible place it can be for local folks to exchange goods and services.