Meet-safe buy and sell guidelines for first-time localads users

Choose where you meet

Always choose a place with passive surveillance and predictable access. Public transport hubs, retail carparks and community areas remain best for first-time meetings.

Protect your time and your deal

Plan the exchange before leaving home

Confirm the item, agreed price, meeting point and expected inspection in the same message thread. Tell another person where you are going and avoid moving to a private or isolated location after arrival. For a high-value item, bring someone with you and meet during business hours near a place where help is available. Neither buyer nor seller should feel pressured to reveal a home address earlier than collection genuinely requires.

Localads.ie connects people but does not process the marketplace payment between buyer and seller. That makes clear records especially important. A seller should verify that funds are actually received rather than relying on a screenshot, and a buyer should obtain a simple written receipt for valuable goods. Keep personal documents out of messages and photographs. If a conversation requests passwords, security codes, gift cards or an advance courier fee, stop and report it through the platform.

Before completing an exchange, compare the item, seller, price and payment request with the original advert. A last-minute change deserves a fresh check, especially when it involves another person, location or account. Inspect goods before paying whenever practical, use a traceable method appropriate to the transaction and obtain a written receipt for valuable items. Local Ads provides discovery and communication tools but does not hold the marketplace payment. Reporting suspicious conduct early, with clear supporting details, helps moderation respond and may prevent the same pattern from reaching another member.