While online platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree and Preloved can be an excellent way to shop sustainably and find bargains to furnish your home, there are some warning signs you need to look out for.
Tristan Lynch, CEO at Roseland Furniture, has shared five “red flags” you should know when purchasing second-hand furniture.
Check for shoddy DIY work before purchase
While flatpack furniture can add value and style to any home, buyers must be cautious when purchasing it second-hand. The issue with flatpack furniture comes with the assembly and disassembly. Flatpack items are relatively easy to assemble, but some are more professionally assembled than others. Check the item before you purchase, looking for any signs of glue. If you are required to disassemble furniture parts containing glue, they may get destroyed, ruining your second-hand bargain.
Cracks, woodworm, and more: Importance of inspecting woodwork
Second-hand purchases can often be completed quickly but inspecting the item you’re buying is vital. Usually, older, more dated woodwork might not catch your eye, but these items may be of very high quality and need a new coat of paint. You are almost sure to find a few scratches on any second-hand item but instead, look for things like cracks, loose joints, woodworm or wobbly legs, which significantly affect the structural integrity of the item. If you are purchasing an item with drawers, opening these and inspecting the dovetail joints (i.e. corners) is an excellent way to gauge an item’s quality quickly.
Spot a fake seller fast
Sometimes, you spot a bargain on Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree or elsewhere that seems too good to be true. Well, it just might. If you need clarification on the seller and item, there are a few steps you can take to vet them. Browsing a seller’s profile can often give you an indication of fraudulence. Do they have no profile picture? Are they a new account with no ratings? Does their profile have minimal information? Have they put more than one listing up for the same item? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, it is best to proceed cautiously or find a more reliable seller.
Stay safe, stay on the platform
A common tactic for scammers selling furniture or anything else online is to suggest exchanging emails or phone numbers to discuss the purchase. They usually like to speak outside platforms like Facebook Marketplace, so there is no record of what was communicated, and they can continue scamming on those platforms. Even exchanging emails can result in the seller sending phishing emails to scam you. It is advised to only communicate with sellers on the platform where the item is listed to provide you with as much safety as possible.
Shield yourself from PayPal scams and advance fee fraud
It has become common practice to pay for goods with every online retailer before they arrive. The difference is online retailers come with levels of protection via refunds, return policies, and more, while second-hand marketplaces do not provide the same level of security. Buyers are advised not to pay in advance and, if purchasing locally, to meet the seller in a public location where they can safely assess the item and make the payment. If you must get an item shipped, insist on tracking so you can monitor when they post it and its location.
PayPal may seem like a secure way to transfer money, but scammers have found a way to remove your buyer protection. If a seller asks you to send the money through the ‘friends and family’ method on PayPal, reject the request. This option means they don’t have to pay a fee to receive payment, but it also removes any form of buyer protection. Instead, opt for the ‘goods and services’ method, which sees you supported by PayPal’s Buyer Protection, allowing you to request a refund if the product doesn’t arrive or fails to match its description.