Seller Guide

A good deal is only a good deal when you walk away safe. We can't stand beside you at every meeting, but thousands of safe deals happen on Foovs every week by following a few simple habits. Here they are.

The Golden Rules

⭐ Check the seller before you check the item

Every Foovs profile shows reviews from real buyers and a Verified badge for sellers who have confirmed their identity with a government ID. Two minutes reading a seller's feedback tells you more than an hour of chatting. Prefer verified sellers for anything valuable — and after your own deal, leave a review to help the next person.

💸 Never pay before you see the item

No deposits "to hold it for you", no "delivery fees" before dispatch, no transfers to strangers. Meet face to face, inspect the item, then pay. A genuine seller will understand — only scammers pressure you to pay upfront.

📦 Watch the item until it's in your hands

Inspect it, test it, and keep your eyes on it until it's packed and handed over. A classic trick is swapping the tested item for a faulty one during wrapping. If you looked away, look inside again.

💳 Guard your codes and cards

Nobody doing an honest deal needs your PIN, OTP, card details or banking password — and Foovs staff will never ask for them either. Treat any "payment service", "refund agent" or "confirmation code" request as a scam. If you're the seller, trust only your own banking app balance — never an SMS alert or a payment screenshot.

💬 Stay inside Foovs Messages

Keeping the conversation on Foovs protects you twice: our safety systems watch for known scam patterns, and the chat history is evidence if something goes wrong. Someone rushing you off the platform in their first message usually has a reason to avoid being seen.

👀 If it's too sweet, it's a trap

A ₦900k iPhone for ₦200k has no explanation you should believe. Unrealistic prices, urgent "I'm travelling today" stories, and easy-money offers are bait. Walk away — another genuine deal is always around the corner.

Situation-Specific Tips

💼 Job seekers

• Real employers never charge application, interview, training or "form" fees.
• Interviews happen at a company's official address during business hours — not in private apartments or hotel rooms.
• Look up the company independently: website, registration, reviews, the works.
• Hold back personal documents (NIN, BVN, ID copies) until you have a genuine written offer.

🚗 Vehicle buyers

• Test-drive it, and bring your own mechanic — a hidden gearbox problem costs more than his fee.
• Verify the complete documents: customs papers, proof of ownership, change of ownership history.
• Meet at the seller's verifiable location, not a "convenient" roadside handover.
• Pay only when the vehicle, the papers and your checks all agree.

🧰 Hiring services or artisans

• Reviews first — a service provider's feedback history is their real CV.
• Agree the exact scope, price and timeline in writing (Foovs Messages counts) before work starts.
• Pay in stages tied to completed work, never everything upfront.

🏠 Property hunters

• "Inspection fees" to view a property are almost always a scam — be very suspicious.
• Visit more than once, at different times of day, and go with someone you trust.
• Talk to neighbours and security around the property: confirm who actually owns or manages it, and whether it's genuinely available for sale or rent.
• Never pay for a property you can't move into (or take possession of) immediately after payment — "pay now, pack in next month" is how people rent apartments that were never the scammer's to rent.
• For purchases, verify title documents with a lawyer before any money moves.

Something Went Wrong?

Report it — quickly. Use Report Fraud to alert our Trust & Safety team, or the report button on any listing or profile. Reports are reviewed by humans, scammers get banned, and your report protects the next buyer. If money was taken, also report to your bank immediately and request a transaction reversal, then contact the police or EFCC for significant amounts.

Foovs is built to be Nigeria's safer marketplace — verified sellers, reviewed listings, and a team that acts on reports. Meet these tips halfway, and you'll be fine.