How a direct sale works
Contacting the seller, the optional phone, negotiating, safe hand-over and payment, "Sold to X", what Seconda does and does not do.
How does a sale on Seconda work right now?
Right now Seconda runs as a classifieds site: the seller publishes the listing, the buyer messages or calls them, they agree on the price and the hand-over, and payment and hand-over are directly between them. Seconda hosts the listings and messages, translates messages, checks what gets published and stops known scams. It does not collect money, does not issue labels, does not deliver and does not hold the buyer's money.
When payment through the platform is switched on (with buyer protection, shipping labels and money held until receipt), it is announced at least 15 days ahead, in your account and by e-mail, and the terms are accepted again.
How do I get in touch with the seller?
From the listing page: "Message the seller" opens a conversation on the site (messages are translated automatically if you speak different languages). If the seller added their phone, "Show phone" appears too. Start with the questions that matter: is it still available, what flaws does it have, where can it be seen.
How do I see the seller's phone number?
If the seller added their phone, the listing has the "Show phone" button. The number is shown on tap, only if you are signed in. An account can see at most 40 numbers per hour, so nobody can harvest everyone's numbers. If the seller did not add a phone, message them.
How do I put my phone on my listings?
In Settings, under "Phone on listings", enter the number (digits only, 9 to 15, with + at the start if international). It is optional. It is shown on all your listings, on tap, only to signed-in users. Remove it any time by leaving the field empty and saving; from that moment it is shown to nobody. Details in the Privacy policy.
If you do not want calls, do not add it: messages on the site arrive just as fast and stay in writing, which helps if a disagreement comes up.
How do I negotiate the price?
From the listing page ("Propose a price") or from the conversation you make an offer: at least 60% of the asking price, valid for 24 hours; the seller accepts, declines or makes a counter-offer. An accepted offer is an agreement between you on the price, not an order: payment happens at hand-over. You can also negotiate in words, in messages; the site's offer has the advantage of staying clearly in writing.
How do the hand-over and payment work?
As you agree. Safest: you meet, the buyer checks the item and pays on the spot (cash or an instant transfer made in front of the other person). If the item has to be shipped, the seller sends it through a courier company with payment on delivery (cash on delivery), and the buyer pays the courier when receiving it. Seconda has no couriers, issues no labels and collects no money.
What you never do: pay a stranger in advance, a "reservation fee", card details or SMS codes sent to someone, payment links received in a message. See Safety and scams.
I am a seller. How do I guard against ill-intentioned buyers?
- Do not send the item before you have the money: with a courier choose payment on delivery, not "I'll pay when it arrives".
- Do not accept "payment" through a link or page sent by the buyer, nor a "proof of payment" as a picture: check in your own bank account that the money came in.
- Never give anyone the SMS code or card details "so they can send you the money": to receive money you only need an IBAN.
- A buyer who pays "extra" and asks for the difference back is a classic scam.
- When meeting, check large banknotes; with a transfer, wait to see the money in your account, not on their screen.
I sold it. What do I do with the listing?
In the conversation with the buyer, after the hand-over, tap "I sold it to X" and tick the confirmation. The listing moves to sold, leaves the search, and the buyer gets a message that the listing was marked sold to them. Mark only when you have really handed it over and only to the person who bought. If the sale happened off the site, with someone who did not message you, mark the listing sold from your wardrobe (the button on the listing page is being built; until it appears, write to us from the Contact page).
Can I reserve an item for someone?
Yes: the listing can be marked reserved for a buyer, for 5 days; during this time "reserved" shows on its page and it no longer appears in search. If the sale does not happen, it goes back to active on its own. A reservation binds nobody: it is a sign for the others.
What does Seconda do and not do in a direct sale?
It does: host listings and messages, translate messages, check texts and photos automatically, stop messages with known scams, take reports and decide on accounts, hand data to the authorities when the law requires.
It does not: it is not a party to the sale, does not collect or hold money, does not deliver, does not guarantee the item and does not arbitrate disputes between you. The sales contract is between seller and buyer; rights towards a Pro seller are those in consumer law. The full text is in the Terms and conditions.
When will payment through the platform come?
When the contracts with the couriers and the payment processor are ready. Then you will pay by card on the site, the money will stay with the platform until you confirm receipt, the seller will get a ready-made shipping label, and problems will be handled from the order page. The change is announced at least 15 days ahead.