•    The purpose of the Gumtree "For Sale" category is to encourage face-to-face, local, trading. When you find an item you'd like to buy, ask to meet in-person to see the item and exchange money. For personal ease and safety, always ensure you take someone with you and meet in a public place e.g. Shoprite Money Market Kiosks. If you're answering a home service ad ask the poster to produce identification and proof of qualification before inviting them into your home.

•    Never send your item before receiving the money. Do not send the item until confirming that the payment was legitimate, and has cleared, with your bank. Never hand over goods to Uber / Taxify drivers after receiving an EFT notification from a buyer. Wait until the payment reflects on your bank account before handing over/sending an item.

•    Never send or wire money to sellers or buyers. This includes never mailing a cheque or using payment services like Skrill, Bidpay, eWallet, PayPal, Western Union or Money Gram to pay for items found on Gumtree. It is our belief that these forms of funds transfer are favoured by fraudsters.

•    Gumtree Live Chat Support is directly in our Help Center. If you receive an email containing a Live Chat link, please report it to us.

•    Please also take special care when buying expensive items like mobile phones, laptops, plasma TVs, airline tickets and even tickets for shows/gigs. When buying airline tickets we suggest you take the seller's name and ticket number, check the ticket exists and take responsibility yourself for changing the names.

•    When buying tickets for events please be aware that some tickets may have terms printed on them that limit the ability of the original buyer to sell them to someone else.

•    Never provide your personal or banking information (e.g. credit card number) to others over the Internet.

•    Make yourself aware of common scams and fraud. Do not believe the promise of large sums of money for your help in any task.

•    Please contact us about any attempted fraud or suspicious emails, ads, or other activity by community members. In case of fraud or illegal activity, we also recommend that you report it to the Police.

•    Use common sense. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.


Buying & Selling Tickets - Top Tips for Staying Safe:


•    When selling or buying tickets for events please be aware that some tickets may have terms printed on them that limit the ability of the original buyer to sell them to someone else. Please check out resale policies, terms and conditions with the official event organiser before selling or buying a ticket on Gumtree.

•    Buyers please ensure the legitimacy of tickets before handing over money and again refer to resell policies, terms and conditions with the official event organiser.

•    Buyers double check that the ticket isn't canceled by the event organiser before handing over money.

•    Buyers be a little cautious with sellers offering printed tickets as dodgy sellers can print several copies and sell to more than one buyer and only the buyer who arrives at the event first will be authorised to enter. Again refer to resell policies, terms and conditions with the official event organiser as some events will also require you to produce a photo id to confirm you are the original buyer.


Buying Pets - Top Tips for Staying Safe:


•    Never send or wire money to sellers. This includes never mailing a cheque or using payment services like Skrill, Bidpay, eWallet, Western Union or Money Gram. It is our belief that these forms of funds transfer are favoured by fraudsters. Familiarise yourself with the latest scam trends.

•    Make sure that the pets advertised adhere to the Gumtree pet policies.

•    When buying a kitten or puppy, ensure the seller can provide you with the necessary documentation. A vet card to determine age, to show that the puppy/kitten is vet checked, vaccinated and in good health.

•    Always insist on viewing all pets in person before making a final decision.


  Accommodation - Top Tips for Staying Safe:


•    View properties in person. Gumtree is a local community site and we encourage face-to-face, local, trading. People willing to rent a property without seeing it or the prospective tenant first, even if they claim that it is because they are currently overseas, are unlikely to be legitimate. For personal ease and safety, always ensure you take someone with you, or if you are inviting someone into your home ask to see personal identification first.

•    Never send or wire money to landlords. This includes never mailing a cheque or using payment services like Bidpay, Skrill, Western Union or Money Gram to pay for items found on Gumtree. It is our belief that these forms of funds transfer are favoured by fraudsters.

•    Gumtree doesn't offer any sort of buyer protection / payment programs. Any emails you receive that talk about such systems are scams, even if they may have the Gumtree logo. If you receive any emails promoting these services, please report it to us.

•    Never provide your personal or banking information (e.g. credit card number) to others over the Internet.

•    Make yourself aware of common scams and fraud. Do not believe the promise of large sums of money for your help in any task.

•    Report to us any attempted fraud or suspicious emails, ads, or other activity by community members. In case of fraud or illegal activity, we also recommend that you report it to the Police.

•    Use common sense. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.


Jobs - Top Tips for Staying Safe:


•    You should find out as much as you can about the company from independent resources before taking up a position. If you are an employer, follow up on references and check on their authenticity.

•    Meet your prospective employers/ employees face to face.

•    You should NOT have to provide your bank account details when applying for a job (this should only be once you have accepted an offer and started with the company). If any jobs ask you for them, please report it to us

•    You should never have to pay any money to interview or apply for a job, please report all ads that ask this of you to our helpdesk.

•    Unfortunately, some scammers do target job seekers so please make yourself aware of the common scams out there. All the usual common sense rules apply - if it looks too good to be true it probably is!

•    Make certain that FAX is not the ONLY means of communication. Recruiters/employers shouldn't have any problem accepting your CV via email.


Vehicles - Top Tips for Staying Safe:


       When Buying a Vehicle:


•    Do not pay any deposit for a vehicle before viewing the vehicle in person

•    Vehicle ads where the phone number is embedded in the vehicle image could indicate suspicious behaviour. Gumtree has a designated phone number field for users to use

•    Check that the VIN matches the number on the owner registration and roadworthy documents

•    Check that the VIN number has not been tampered with

•    Check that the address supplied by the seller matches the address on the registration and roadworthy documents

•    Check the service history of the car

•    Check chassis and engine numbers – inconsistencies could indicate that the vehicle has been tampered with

•    Make sure there is no outstanding finance on the vehicle you are purchasing 

•    The SAPS or the Metro Police will be able to check whether a vehicle has been stolen and that the VIN/chassis and engine numbers are in accordance with the vehicle’s registration documents. This information is provided free of charge.

•    Verify the VIN number by using the following tool: https://www.vindecoderz.com/

•    Make sure you complete and receive all the correct paperwork


       When Selling a Vehicle:


•    Do not hand over the vehicle to the buyer before payment has cleared 

•    Meet in a public place and always take someone with you

•    Make sure that you accompany the buyer on test drives