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Online Safety Information for Buyers and Sellers

Your safety is paramount when trading online. This page provides crucial advice on how to protect yourself from potential scams and ensure a secure experience on our platform.

Protect Your Aviation Transaction

Transactions involving aircraft and aviation equipment can be high-value, making them attractive targets for sophisticated scammers. Your vigilance is the first line of defence.

CRITICALLY IMPORTANT: Use Our Private Messaging System for Initial Contact:

  • Our secure, built-in private messaging system is designed to protect you. It allows potential buyers to contact you and ask initial questions without you having to expose your personal email address or phone number publicly in your advert description.
  • Keep initial communications within the messaging system. This provides a layer of privacy and helps filter out mass spam or phishing attempts directed at publicly listed contact details.

DO NOT Include Your Email Address or Phone Number in the Public Advert Description:

  • Adding your personal contact information directly into the text or image of your advert bypasses the safety measures of our private messaging system and makes you a target for scammers who crawl websites for contact details.
  • Share your email or phone number only through the private messaging system once you have communicated with a potential buyer, feel comfortable, and are ready to move towards a potential deal or inspection.

Be Alert to Common Scam Tactics:

The Overpayment Scam (Fraudulent Cheques/Money Orders/Escrow Services): This scam is particularly dangerous with high-value aviation items. A "buyer" will offer to pay with a cheque or money order for more than your asking price. They will then ask you to cash the cheque and send them the difference back (often via bank transfer or wire). They might also insist on using a fake escrow service they control. The funds from fraudulent instruments will eventually be reversed by your bank (often weeks later), and you will be liable for the full amount, losing the money you sent back and potentially your item.

  • NEVER accept payment for more than your agreed-upon price.
  • Be extremely cautious of buyers who are overseas, cannot inspect the item in person, and insist on unusual payment methods or using their own escrow service.
  • If you do accept a cheque, wait for the funds to be fully cleared by your bank (this can take several weeks) before handing over the item or sending any money back. Bank transfers initiated within the UK are generally safer once confirmed, but always verify funds have arrived and are genuinely cleared.
  • Fake Escrow Services: Scammers create fake escrow websites or impersonate legitimate ones. Always independently verify an escrow service and initiate the process through a trusted, reputable provider you have researched yourself.
  • Requests for Advance Fees: Be wary of buyers asking you to pay upfront fees for things like "insurance," "shipping," or "customs" before the sale is complete.
  • Buyers Who Avoid Inspection: For aircraft and significant components, a genuine buyer will almost always want to conduct a pre-buy inspection. Be cautious of buyers who are too eager to purchase sight-unseen, especially if they are far away.
  • Phishing Attempts: Be suspicious of messages asking for your bank account **details**, National Insurance number, or other sensitive personal information early in the communication process.

Trust Your Gut:

If a communication feels off, the offer is unusually high, or the buyer is pressuring you or unwilling to follow standard procedures (like inspection), it's okay to walk away. Scammers often create a sense of urgency.

Reporting Suspicious Activity:

If you receive a suspicious message through our private messaging system, or if a user is attempting a scam outside of it after initial contact was made on our site, please report them to us immediately using the Contact form. Provide as much detail as possible, including message content or external communications if applicable. You may also consider reporting the incident to Action Fraud, the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime.

For guidance on creating an effective advert, please see our Advertising Guidelines page.

Stay safe!