• All members have a corner where you can get to know them better through their profile and listings.
• Member stats and verifications are displayed for all members, which helps instill confidence and trustworthiness.
• Messages between members are sent through our messaging system, adding an extra layer of privacy.

• Location-based listings making it easier to detect unfamiliar and potentially inappropriate content.
• You can report a listing or member as inappropriate and our support team will take immediate action.
• Our support team monitors all website activity and content to ensure compliance with our listing policies.
• We employ automated tools to detect spam and possible fraudulent activity.

Be Neighborly

We rely on you to be respectful, honest and courteous so that Apartment Therapy Marketplace remains a fun, friendly and safe place to be.

• Be nice, even generous.
• Be prompt and responsive.
• Have fun and be creative and inventive.
• Don’t lie or misrepresent
• Don’t harass, stalk, threaten or abuse other people.
• Respect the privacy of others.
• Keep it legal.
• Eat your veggies.

Stay Safe

When meeting someone you don’t know, it’s important to take common sense precautions.

• Meet in a public place.
• Tell a friend where you’re going (or bring them along).
• Bring your mobile phone.
• Ask lots of questions, no good rushing things.
• Be prudent when buying high-value items.
• Don’t share personal information.
• Be careful inviting a stranger to your home. Don’t be alone.
• If you don’t like the vibe, walk away from the deal.

Member verifications help you judge the trustworthiness of the person you’re dealing with. The following verifications are displayed on a member’s corner, on their listings and next to each message in your inbox.

• Member Since – When they joined the community.
• Physical Location – Their location set by our system.
• Certified – Basic identifiy verification.
• Email Verified – Has direct access to email on file.
• Facebook Friends – Connected to Facebook account.
• Twitter Followers – Connected to Twitter account.
• Number of Listings – All listings active and past.
• Conversations – Conversations with other members.
• Response Rate – How often they reply to messagess
• Response Time – How long it takes them to reply.

Certified Members:

Getting Certified is a simple way for members to verify their identity and build trust. When a member purchases credits with a valid credit card, a Certified badge is displayed on their listings and corner. Keep in mind that certification doesn’t prove someone to be honest and trustworthy but rather a real person with a valid credit card.

More About Physical Location:

We display the city in which a member is physically in next to their name. This allows you to quickly identify whether the person is truly where they say they are. Members cannot edit their physical location, however if it is inaccurate, it can be updated by clicking "Update Location." Keep in mind that someone can use a VPN to hide or change their physical location.

Privacy Comes First

Your privacy is of the utmost importance to us and we are committed to respecting your right to privacy in everything we do. Your personal information is always kept private and secure. We will never share or sell your personal information nor will we send you unsolicited emails or postal mail.

Further, you are in full control of what information about you displays on Apartment Therapy Marketplace. You can edit all of your information including your username and corner name while retaining your account verifications.

Location Privacy

Apartment Therapy Marketplace works on proximity by calculating the distance between you and an item. Location privacy is enabled by default for everyone, which means that your exact address is concealed and it will never be shared publicly or privately. Instead, a small radius around you is displayed with the exact center-point randomly displaced for further privacy.

We recommend keeping location privacy enabled unless you’re a business with a public address.

Avoiding Scams and Frauds

You can avoid 99% of all problems by following these simple guidelines: meet face-to-face, in public and pay using our payment platform.

• Don’t give out your email address. If someone asks for your PayPal email address, it’s a scam.
• If you’re intimidated or made to feel guilty, report it.
• If it’s too good to be true, it’s a scam.
• Never give out financial information to a stranger.
• Do not do a bank transfer with a stranger.
• Do not use escrow services, many are fraudulent.
• Do not use services such as Western Union or MoneyGram.
• Do not engage in illegal activities.
• Do not buy stolen merchandise.

Payment Methods

• Cash – Good for in-person purchases under $1,000. Be sure to meet in public, bring a friend and ask for a written receipt.
• Money Orders – Good for in-person purchases over $1,000. Treat it the same way you’d treat case.
• PayPal – Do not share your PayPal email address, seller should issue a PayPal invoice instead.
• Credit Card – For businesses and professional sellers.

Our team is available to help you in any and every way we can. There are many ways to contact us but the easiest is to email us at marketplace@apartmenttherapy.com.