Question 1

How do I contact a seller?

Accepted Answer

Open the advert you're interested in and tap Message seller. Write your question — or pick one of the suggested openers — and send it. The conversation then lives in Messages in your account, and you'll see the seller's reply there.

You need a Preloved account to message a seller, and depending on your membership there may be a short wait before you can respond to brand-new listings. Keep the whole conversation on Preloved — it protects both of you if anything goes wrong.

Question 2

Does it cost anything to buy on Preloved?

Accepted Answer

Browsing and buying on Preloved is free — we never charge buyers a fee or commission on anything you buy.

With a free account you can respond to listings 12 days after they were placed. Full and Premium members can respond to any listing as soon as it goes live, which matters for sought-after items that sell quickly.

Question 3

How do I find items near me?

Accepted Answer

Use the search bar at the top of any page and set your town or postcode. Results are ordered so you can see what's closest, and you can narrow things down by category and price.

If you search for something regularly, save the search from the results page. You can name it, and choose how often you'd like to be alerted about new matches.

Question 4

What should I check before buying something second-hand?

Accepted Answer

Ask the seller anything the advert doesn't cover: age, condition, faults, and why they're selling. Honest sellers are happy to answer and to send extra photos.

Where you can, view the item in person before handing over any money — and test it. Plug electricals in, ride the bike, open and close the pram. If the item isn't as described, you can simply walk away.

Question 5

Can I make an offer on an item?

Accepted Answer

Yes — haggling is a normal part of second-hand buying. Message the seller with a polite, realistic offer and take it from there.

Bear in mind the price is the seller's to set. A fair offer with a quick collection time is far more persuasive than a low one.

Question 6

How do I post an advert?

Accepted Answer

Tap Post an ad, pick the category that best fits your item, and fill in the form: a clear title, an honest description, your price and your location. Add photos — adverts with good photos sell much faster.

Most adverts go live straight away. Adverts in a few sensitive categories (pets, for example) are checked by our team first, so they can take a little longer to appear.

Question 7

How do I take good photos for my advert?

Accepted Answer

Use natural daylight and a plain background, and fill the frame with the item. Take several shots: the whole item, close-ups of any labels or model numbers, and — importantly — any marks or damage. Showing flaws honestly builds trust and saves wasted viewings.

Wipe the item down first and, for furniture, photograph it assembled and in situ. The first photo is the one buyers see in search results, so make it your best.

Question 8

How much does it cost to sell on Preloved?

Accepted Answer

For private sellers, listing is free and we take no commission when you sell — whatever you agree with the buyer is yours.

If you sell in volume or trade as a business, our Business memberships give you unlimited listings that free members can respond to immediately, plus extras like a link to your own website.

Question 9

How do I edit or remove my advert?

Accepted Answer

Go to My adverts in your account. From there you can edit the details or photos of any live advert, renew it to bump it back up the listings, or archive it once it's sold.

Archiving rather than deleting keeps your selling history tidy — and you can un-archive an advert if a sale falls through.

Question 10

Why is my advert waiting to be checked?

Accepted Answer

Adverts in higher-risk categories — live animals in particular — are reviewed by our team before they go live. This is how we keep puppy farms, scammers and prohibited items off Preloved.

Checks usually complete within a working day. If your advert is rejected we'll tell you why, and you can fix it and resubmit.

Question 11

What do the different memberships include?

Accepted Answer

Free membership lets you browse everything, place unlimited listings, and respond to listings 12 days after they were placed.

Full membership removes the wait — respond to any listing the moment it goes live — and adds unlimited photos on your adverts and access to member rewards.

Premium adds priority placement so your adverts sell faster, video and links in your listings, and ad-free browsing.

Business and Business Unlimited are for traders: listings free members can respond to immediately, no selling or commission charges, unlimited photos, and a link to your own website.

Question 12

How do I upgrade, downgrade or cancel my membership?

Accepted Answer

Go to Membership in your account to compare tiers and upgrade — payment is taken securely by card and your new benefits apply immediately.

You can cancel any time from the same page. Your paid benefits carry on until the end of the period you've already paid for, and your account then drops back to Free — nothing is deleted.

Question 13

What is the verification badge?

Accepted Answer

The green Verified badge means a member has confirmed their identity with us through an independent identity check. It appears next to their name on their profile and adverts.

It's a strong trust signal when you're deciding who to buy from — and getting verified yourself makes buyers far more comfortable dealing with you. You can start a check from your account settings.

Question 14

How do I change my email address or screen name?

Accepted Answer

Your screen name, contact details and what other members can see are all editable under Settings in your account.

Your screen name is what other members see — your email address and phone number are never shown publicly, and are only used for signing in and notifications you ask for.

Question 15

How do I close my account?

Accepted Answer

We'd be sorry to see you go. Before you do, archive any live adverts and finish any conversations in progress.

To close your account, contact our support team from the Contact us page and we'll take care of it. If your account is closed, your adverts come down and your personal details are removed in line with our privacy policy.

Question 16

How do I meet a buyer or seller safely?

Accepted Answer

Meet in daylight, in a public place where you can — a supermarket car park or a busy café works well. If the item has to be seen at a home, take someone with you and tell a friend where you're going.

For collections from your own home, keep the exchange at the door where possible and have the item ready. Trust your instincts: if something feels off, it's fine to cancel.

Question 17

How do I spot and avoid scams?

Accepted Answer

Keep chats on Preloved — scammers almost always try to move you to email or WhatsApp quickly. Never pay a stranger by bank transfer, and be very wary of anyone who refuses to let you view an item before paying.

Classic warning signs: a price that's too good to be true, pressure to 'secure' the item with a deposit, a courier or shipping company the other person insists on, and overpayment 'by mistake' with a request to refund the difference.

The safest pattern is simple: view the item in person and pay when you collect it.

Question 18

What should I check when buying a pet?

Accepted Answer

Always see the animal with its mother, in the place where it was raised — never agree to meet halfway or have a puppy or kitten delivered sight unseen. A responsible breeder will welcome questions and visits.

Check the paperwork: microchip details, vaccination records and, where relevant, KC registration. Puppies and kittens must be at least eight weeks old before they leave their mother.

If anything about the setup worries you, walk away and report the advert to us — you may be that animal's best chance.

Question 19

What's the safest way to pay?

Accepted Answer

Cash on collection, once you've seen and checked the item, is the simplest and safest way to pay for most second-hand purchases.

Avoid bank transfers to people you don't know, and never pay with gift cards, vouchers or cryptocurrency — no genuine seller asks for those. For higher-value items, a payment service with buyer protection is worth considering.

Question 20

How do I report a suspicious advert or member?

Accepted Answer

If an advert looks fraudulent, misdescribed or against our rules, or a member behaves badly in messages, please report it — it takes a moment and protects everyone.

Use the report option on the advert or conversation, or contact our support team from the Contact us page with a link to what you've seen. We review every report, and we'd always rather hear about something twice than not at all.

How can we help?

Buying

Selling

Account & membership

Staying safe