How to meet a buyer safely for a local pickup

Updated October 30, 2026

Most local sales are simple: someone shows up, pays, and leaves with the thing. A little planning keeps it that way.

Before you meet

Agree on the price and the payment method first. Settle it in writing before anyone drives anywhere. It avoids surprises at the door.
Don’t share your home address until the deal is set. A nearby intersection is enough until then.
Look at who you’re dealing with. In Soldu, every offer comes with a short record of the buyer: purchases completed and missed pickups. You don’t have to say yes to the highest offer if the record worries you.

Where to meet

Pick a public, busy, well-lit place for anything small enough to carry: a coffee shop, a grocery store entrance, a bank lobby.
Ask your local police department whether it has a safe exchange spot. Many do, often a parking lot with cameras.
Meet in daylight when you can.

When the buyer comes to your home

Big furniture often has to be picked up where it is. If so:

Move the item to the garage, porch or entryway first, so the buyer doesn’t need to walk through your home.
Have someone else there.
Tell a friend the time and the buyer’s name.
Keep your phone charged and with you.

Getting paid

Soldu never handles payment, so you and the buyer decide how. A few habits keep you safe:

Cash: count it in front of the buyer before you hand anything over.
Payment apps: open your own app and confirm the money is there. Don’t trust a screenshot or an email that says you’ve been paid.
Read your payment app’s rules on purchase protection and reversals before you agree to use it. They differ from app to app.

Common scams to walk away from

A buyer sends more than the price and asks you to send back the difference.
A buyer asks you to read them a verification code sent to your phone.
A buyer can’t meet, wants you to ship, and offers a check or a “mover” to collect it.
A buyer pressures you to hurry or to skip the usual steps.

If something feels off, it’s fine to cancel. In Soldu, if a sale doesn’t happen, tap “Deal didn’t happen? Reopen.” If someone is waiting in Next in line, the app offers you the top one as your new buyer, so you don’t start over. If not, the link opens again for new offers.

If something goes wrong

Report the person in the app you used. In Soldu you can report and block, and we review reports twice a day. If you were threatened or robbed, call the police.