How to Buy and Sell Safely on the Kabayans Marketplace

Meet in public — always

The single most effective safety rule:

• Meet at Tim Hortons, a coffee shop, a grocery store entrance, or a busy mall food court.
• Calgary Police designate certain police district office parking lots as safe-exchange spots — these are well-lit, on camera, and a strong deterrent to scammers [verify Calgary Police safe-exchange locations at calgarypolice.ca].
• Meet during daylight whenever possible.
• Bring a friend or family member for higher-value transactions.

A seller who insists on meeting at their home, in an alley, or 'somewhere quiet' is signalling either inconvenience or intent. Either way, decline.

Payment rules

For buyers:

• Never send e-transfer or deposit before seeing the item in person. Once an e-transfer is accepted, the money is gone.
• Pay by cash for under $200; e-transfer at the moment of handover for larger amounts.
• Inspect the item fully before paying — power on electronics, test moving parts, verify serial numbers if buying brand-name goods.
• Get a written or text receipt for high-value items.

For sellers:

• Never ship before payment clears. If a buyer e-transfers and then claims it 'bounced' or asks for a refund, ignore the request until you've confirmed the funds in your account.
• Be wary of overpayment scams — buyer 'accidentally' sends too much and asks you to refund the difference. The original payment will reverse later and you'll be out of pocket.
• Don't accept cheques from strangers.
• Don't ship to addresses different from what the buyer used to register on the platform.

Common scam patterns to recognize

• The 'I'm overseas / out of town' buyer or seller — wants to do everything remotely. Almost always a scam.
• The shipping intermediary — buyer claims 'my shipping agent will arrange pickup.' The agent is fake and demands fees.
• The fake e-transfer notification — scammer sends a screenshot or fake email claiming they paid. Always confirm directly in your banking app, not from email screenshots.
• The phishing question — 'Can you confirm your full name, address, and bank?' before any transaction. They're harvesting your details, not buying.
• Too-good-to-be-true prices — an iPhone 15 listed at $400 with a stock photo is almost always a scam.

Build and check seller reputation

If the platform supports ratings or verification badges, use them:

• Check the seller's account age and history before buying valuable items.
• Look at previous reviews if available.
• Search the seller's name and phone number on Google and Facebook — scammers often reuse identities across platforms.
• For high-value items (cars, electronics, jewellery), ask for ID at the meeting. Legitimate sellers expect this.

Report and protect the community

If you encounter a suspicious listing or message:

• Report the user to Kabayans Marketplace through the in-platform report function so the team can review and remove.
• Block the user so they can't message you again.
• Post a warning in Kabayans community channels with the scammer's username — without sharing private details like phone numbers publicly.
• For financial loss, report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 and your local police non-emergency line.

Special note for new Filipino arrivals

Scammers know Filipino communities are trust-based. They will use phrases like 'kababayan ako, you can trust me' or 'don't worry, we're all Pinoy here.' That is not a credential. Apply the same safety rules to a kababayan as to anyone else.