Page 38 - TODAY magazine Issue 1 2021

If you’ve been watching from the sidelines, a little hesitant to get into the new ‘second-hand economy’, Kemong Mopedi has advice.
It is never wise to spend too much but to rather make a little extra money every month. Together with a growing awareness that we have to consume less if we are to protect the environment,
this has led to a boom in second-hand buying and selling.
Be it that old fridge gathering dust in the garage or the shoes and bedding taking up space in your wardrobe, there are many South African second-hand platforms to help you sell what you no longer need. Similarly, if you’re looking for household goods, gadgets or a new car without the hefty price tag, one of the second-hand online classifieds or stores could be the solution.
If you are smart about it.
LESSONS LEARNT THE HARD WAY
Excited at the idea of finally owning the PlayStation 4 Pro, air traffic manager Patrick Sethole made contact with a seller he’d met on OLX. They quickly hit it off, took the conversation to WhatsApp and, oblivious to anything possibly going pear-shaped, Sethole sent a R200 eWallet after the seller insisted on a commitment fee. ‘He reassured me that all he needed for him to turn down other offers was the R200 courier fee, after which we’d discuss the payment plan. After I did, he blocked my number and I never heard from him again,’ says Patrick.
‘The first place to start when buying or selling through online classifieds like OLX, Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree is to scrutinise the platform’s buying and selling instructions. In addition, check its terms and conditions, particularly paying close attention to how far the site is willing to become involved should a sale fall through,’ says Papi Mabele, a tech consultant and writer.
Also worth noting, Mabele says, is doing your homework on the buyer or seller. ‘Be sure to have at least the other person’s correct and confirmed contact details,’ he urges. 'If you're the buyer, insist on a photo of the seller with the item you are interested in.’
Marketing manager Khensani Mashaba-Dubasi swears by online second-hand shopping, and even more so, having safety precautions. ‘Whenever I buy items
— which often are big pieces of furniture, because it’s easy to spot their quality and faults from photos — I also check if the seller has previously sold anything or posted any other items to determine their reliability. I’m usually wary of first-time sellers. On pick-up day, I always ask someone to tag along and we share our live location with friends and family,’ she says.
First-time online seller and entrepreneur Angie Naledi recently sold her high-end coffee table on Facebook Marketplace. She says it helped that she’d read up on the second-hand shopping rules of trade, which made her a firm negotiator and made the process smooth. ‘On pick-up day, I ensured that I had someone with me in
the house and had already told the buyer to pay cash or EFT me on the spot. Most sellers don’t like eWallet payments because they usually can be reversed.’
SAFETY TIPS FOR SHOPPERS
• Verify the seller’s reputation. If you’re buying from a
second-hand business, check its real-world presence. Call them up to verify their details and see how many followers and posts they have on social media. If they’re professional, there will be more than a handful. Remember that overseas sellers may be harder to track down in the event of a problem.
• Cash is king. It’s safest to pay cash on the day you collect the item. (Remember to take the correct amount.) It allows you to first inspect the item and doesn’t leave a trail to your bank, as an EFT or Instant Cash Send Service could. Take someone with you, not only for your protection but also as a witness that you have paid for the item. Ask for an invoice and, as added proof of payment, ask your friend to take a photo as you hand over the money.
• Try Bidorbuy. If you don’t like the idea of picking
up purchases from a stranger, there's Bidorbuy (bidorbuy.co.za). You can find pretty much the same things as you would on Gumtree except that you will pay Bidorbuy, choose a delivery option and wait for your delivery to arrive without ever having to meet the seller.
YOUR TIME // SELLING AND BUYING
SECOND-HAND
is the new way to shop
// 36 // ISSUE ONE 2021