Buying from online sellers in Zambia without getting scammed

Buying from sellers on Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram is now normal in Zambia. Clothes, phones, hair, furniture, cakes, car parts: if you can think of it, someone in a Lusaka WhatsApp group is selling it. Most of these sellers are honest people building a business. A few are not, and they are very good at looking real.

Here is how to tell the difference before you send money.

Check the seller, not just the product

Nice photos prove nothing. Anyone can copy them from another page.

• How old is the page or number? A Facebook page created last month with thousands of likes is suspicious. Real businesses usually have a history of posts going back a long time.
• Are the comments real? Look for customers tagging friends, asking follow-up questions and posting their own photos. Pages that turn off comments, or only show "Thank you, received!" from accounts with no profile picture, are a red flag.
• Search their name and number. Search on Facebook and on ZedReviews. If others have had problems, someone has usually said so.
• Read their reviews. On ZedReviews, check online sellers for the score, how many reviews they have and how they reply to complaints. A seller who answers problems politely and fixes them is one you can trust with your money.

Pay in the safest way you can

How you pay matters more than anything else.

1. Pay on delivery when possible. Many good sellers in Lusaka and on the Copperbelt deliver and accept payment when you receive the item. If a seller offers this, it is a strong sign they are confident in what they sell.
2. For a first order, keep it small. Try a cheaper item first. If it arrives as promised, you can trust them with a bigger one.
3. Check the name before you confirm a mobile money payment. When you send money on Airtel Money, MTN MoMo or Zamtel Kwacha, the name of the person receiving it appears before you confirm. If it doesn't match the seller or business you were told, stop and ask why.
4. Never share your PIN or the code you receive by SMS. No real seller, and no mobile money agent, ever needs them.
5. Keep the record. Screenshot the advert, the chat where you agreed the price and the payment confirmation. If something goes wrong, this is your proof.

Common tricks to watch for

• "Only two left, pay now to reserve." Pressure to pay quickly is the oldest trick there is. A real seller will still be there tomorrow.
• "Send the money to my brother's number." Be careful when the name on the payment doesn't match the seller, especially on a first order.
• "I sent you too much by mistake, please send it back." A classic mobile money scam. Check your actual balance and messages from the real provider, not a screenshot someone sends you.
• Prices far below the market. A new iPhone at half price isn't a bargain. It is either stolen, fake, or doesn't exist.
• They only accept payment upfront, deliver "later", and stop replying. If a seller suddenly stops answering after you pay, report the number to your mobile money provider immediately. The sooner you do, the better the chance of stopping the money.

Collecting from the seller

If you are meeting to collect, choose a busy public place: a shopping mall car park, a bank or a fuel station. Check the item before you pay. For phones and electronics, switch them on, test the camera and charging, and make sure they aren't locked to someone else's account.

When it goes well, say so

Honest online sellers live and die by trust. When a seller delivers on time and the item is what they showed you, find them on ZedReviews and leave a review. If they aren't listed yet, you can add them in a minute and review them straight away.

Your review makes it easier for the next person to buy safely, and helps a good seller grow.