The vast majority of DoneDeal users are trustworthy and genuine.
Nevertheless, it is very important to take the same common sense precautions online as you would offline. Below are some guidelines that will help you stay safe when buying goods through classified ads.
- Deal with people locally, who you can meet in person (this simple rule helps you avoid 99% of the problems).
- Do not pay in advance for goods.
- Beware if the goods are cheaper than normal, of if the seller is pressing you to buy quickly.
- Please beware of brand goods, tickets, and multimedia products that are not originals.
- Always get a signed proof of purchase.
- If the seller has a mobile phone number, also ask for the home phone number, so you can contact the seller if there is a problem with the product.
Payment
- Use cash or bank drafts when paying for goods.
- Never pay for goods through Western Union or other similar money transfer services.
- DoneDeal does not endorse any escrow company. In fact we would recommend that our users meet with the buyer/seller in person.
Buying a Vehicle?
- Check with the Hire Purchase Register (Ph: 01 2600905) that the car is not under a Hire Purchase agreement.
- Check the car history, there are a number of great Irish online services: MyWheels, Motorcheck, Cartell
- Get a trusted mechanic to do a check up on the vehicle before handing over the money.
