By the time we hit our 40s, we’d been to more than fifty weddings. We really knew what was worth paying for – and weren’t afraid to scrap stuff.

How much does it cost to get married?

Done with the stress of tracking what’s due when? Bills Manager can take the load off.

“Bills, Bills, Bills” – Sorted in three simple steps

There was an ocean of distance between me and my girlfriend. We couldn’t make it work.

“Money broke us up. Long distance cost too much.”

If you come across a great deal online, it’s often hard to resist, isn’t it? The internet gives us such an amazing choice of things to buy. But it also provides fraudsters with a lot of opportunity to scam unsuspecting shoppers.

Fraudsters often advertise non-existent goods or services on social media, online marketplaces or on fake websites to steal your money, so it’s very important to know how to identify these scams.

Before you commit to a purchase, take a good look at the website. Here are some top tips to help you stay safe:

Buying from social media or a marketplace

When purchasing through a social media site (such as Instagram), or a marketplace (for example Gumtree or Depop),

 or a marketplace (for example Gumtree or Depop), you can sometimes get a great deal by purchasing directly from an individual. The issue is that there are often no checks made by the platform to verify that the seller is genuine.

The first step before making any purchase from such a site is to understand what protection is offered to a buyer (potentially you), by the website. Some sites will allow you to pay the seller by card via their own payment service (think Depop or Ebay), and may offer a facility to help you resolve any issues about the purchase - for example if the item doesn’t turn up or isn’t what you expected. Paying outside of the platform means you won’t be entitled to such protection.

Social media marketplaces (such as Facebook) and some marketplace apps (such as Gumtree), rely on you managing a purchase with a stranger/seller yourself. The intention with these platforms is for you to purchase locally, meaning you can see the goods in person before handing over any money. You could always choose to meet the seller in a public place to keep yourself safe and take a friend or family member with you.

Never make a large purchase on social media or a marketplace without seeing the item in person first - particularly for goods such as vehicles (where you should carry out extra checks, such as checking the paperwork is registered at the address you view the vehicle at and performing 

If buying a service, try and get a recommendation from a friend or relative that’s used the seller before. Research the company and check reviews on a site like 

Red flags when buying from social media or a marketplace

Always remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! When shopping anywhere new, always take some time to verify the seller. You can find more useful tips by visiting the website of our friends over at 

Fraudsters advertise non-existent goods or services on social media, online marketplaces or on fake websites to steal your money. It’s very important to know how to identify these scams. 