WickedTrades Safety Guidelines

Effective date: August 26, 2026

WickedTrades is designed to help people buy and sell locally, but every transaction involves some degree of risk.

These Safety Guidelines are intended to help users make safer decisions when communicating, inspecting items, meeting in person, and completing transactions.

1. Trust Your Judgment

If something about a listing, message, payment request, or meeting feels suspicious, unusual, rushed, or too good to be true, do not proceed until you are comfortable.

You are never required to complete a transaction simply because you contacted another user or made an offer.

2. Review the Listing Carefully

Before contacting a seller, review the listing description, photographs, condition, price, location, and seller reputation information.

Ask questions if important details are unclear.

3. Be Cautious With Deals That Seem Too Good to Be True

Very low prices, urgent demands, unusual payment requests, or pressure to act immediately may be warning signs of fraud.

Compare the asking price with similar goods where practical.

4. Keep Communication on WickedTrades When Possible

Using WickedTrades messaging gives you a record of marketplace communications and may help with reporting or moderation if a problem occurs.

Be cautious if another user immediately pressures you to move the conversation to an unrelated messaging service, email address, or phone number.

5. Protect Your Personal Information

Do not send another user information they do not need to complete the transaction.

Never send:

• Account passwords
• Verification codes
• Banking passwords
• Credit-card numbers
• Social Insurance Numbers
• Copies of identification unless there is a legitimate and lawful reason
• Security-question answers

WickedTrades will never need your WickedTrades password through marketplace chat.

6. Meeting in Person

When practical, arrange exchanges in a public, well-lit location during reasonable hours.

Consider locations where other people are present, such as:

• Busy shopping areas
• Coffee shops
• Public parking areas
• Designated community exchange locations

Some communities or police services may provide designated safe exchange areas.

7. Tell Someone Where You Are Going

Consider telling a friend or family member where you are going, who you are meeting, and approximately when you expect to return.

For higher-value transactions, consider bringing another person with you.

8. Protect Your Home Address

WickedTrades may display a city, region, or approximate distance rather than a seller's exact coordinates.

Avoid publicly posting your precise residential address in listing descriptions or photographs unless you are comfortable doing so.

If an item must be collected from your home, consider sharing the exact address only when necessary and only with the person involved in the transaction.

9. Inspect Items Before Payment

When possible, buyers should inspect goods before completing payment.

Confirm that:

• The item matches the listing
• The condition is acceptable
• Important parts or accessories are included
• Electronics function as expected
• Serial numbers or identifying information appear reasonable where applicable

10. High-Value Items

Use additional caution when buying or selling expensive goods such as vehicles, electronics, jewellery, collectibles, tools, or other high-value property.

Depending on the item, you may wish to:

• Verify ownership
• Check serial numbers
• Obtain an inspection
• Confirm authenticity
• Use written documentation
• Meet at an appropriate professional location

11. Vehicle Transactions

Vehicle transactions may involve additional legal, registration, ownership, insurance, inspection, lien, and safety considerations.

Buyers should independently verify relevant vehicle information before completing a purchase.

12. Payment Safety

Buyers and sellers are responsible for agreeing on a lawful payment method they trust.

Be cautious with payment arrangements involving:

• Overpayments
• Requests to refund part of an unexpected payment
• Gift cards
• Cryptocurrency requested unexpectedly
• Wire transfers to unknown parties
• Unusual payment links
• Cheques for amounts greater than the agreed price

13. Overpayment Scams

Be especially cautious when a buyer claims to have accidentally paid too much and asks you to return the difference.

A fraudulent payment may appear temporarily before later being reversed.

14. Shipping and Remote Transactions

WickedTrades is primarily intended to help people connect locally.

Remote transactions and shipping may involve additional risks because the buyer cannot inspect the item before payment and the seller may not know the buyer.

Use additional caution when a user requests shipping, especially when combined with unusual payment methods, urgency, or overpayment.

15. Never Share Verification Codes

Scammers may ask for a code sent to your phone or email and claim it is needed to confirm your identity.

Do not provide WickedTrades verification links, password reset links, login codes, or other authentication information to another user.

16. Suspicious Links

Be cautious when another user sends you a link requesting login information, payment details, banking information, or identity documents.

Check the website address carefully before entering sensitive information.

17. Seller Safety

Sellers should:

• Describe items accurately
• Avoid sharing unnecessary personal information
• Be cautious with overpayments
• Confirm payment before releasing goods
• Use extra care for high-value transactions
• Keep records of important transaction details where appropriate

18. Buyer Safety

Buyers should:

• Read listings carefully
• Inspect items where practical
• Ask questions
• Review seller reputation
• Avoid paying in advance when they are not comfortable doing so
• Verify important details independently

19. Harassment and Threats

Harassment, threats, intimidation, stalking, discriminatory abuse, and other harmful behaviour are not permitted on WickedTrades.

If another user makes you feel unsafe, end the interaction and use WickedTrades reporting tools where appropriate.

20. Reporting Suspicious Activity

WickedTrades provides reporting tools for listings and users.

Report activity that appears to involve:

• Fraud
• Stolen goods
• Prohibited items
• Threats or harassment
• Counterfeit goods
• Suspicious payment schemes
• Other serious policy violations

21. Emergencies and Immediate Danger

WickedTrades reporting tools are not emergency services.

If you believe you or another person is in immediate danger, contact emergency services or the appropriate local authorities.

22. WickedTrades Does Not Guarantee Users

Ratings, reviews, verification indicators, completed transaction counts, response information, account history, and similar features may help users make informed decisions.

They do not guarantee that a user is trustworthy or that a transaction will be safe or successful.

23. WickedTrades Moderation

WickedTrades may investigate reports and take reasonable action to protect the marketplace.

Actions may include:

• Removing listings
• Restricting accounts
• Suspending users
• Terminating accounts
• Preserving relevant records
• Cooperating with lawful requests from authorities

24. Questions

Questions about marketplace safety may be directed to:

WickedTrades
New Brunswick, Canada
Email: support@wickedtrades.ca

Terms of Service · Privacy Policy · Prohibited Items

These guidelines are intended to promote safer marketplace behaviour but cannot eliminate all risks associated with transactions between users.