Police encourage use of e-commerce zone when meeting online sellers

Sites like Craigslist, VarageSale and Facebook trading pages offer a chance to find a good deal by buying other people’s unwanted items. But with local online shopping, you don’t always know the person on the other side of the screen — and that could potentially land you in a dangerous situation.

Vestavia Hills Police created an “e-commerce zone” at their headquarters last fall, Capt. Brian Gilham said. The zone is marked by a special parking sign, but Gilham said it includes the whole parking lot and the police department lobby. The area is monitored by video camera around-the-clock, making it a good meeting point to meet an online buyer or seller.

Gilham said the idea came from a citizen who called the department to ask if they had a safe meeting place designated. Gadsden and Birmingham Police have set up similar zones. Mayor Ashley Curry said he supported the e-commerce zone because, though most online sales are conducted safely, there have been cases of online buyers getting robbed or even attacked by a seller.

Simply asking a seller to meet at a police department, Curry said, can be a good way to reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim.

 “That’s a pretty good deterrent. If somebody says, ‘Well I can’t meet you there,’ … then you probably have just deterred a crime, if they’re not willing to come to the police department to do the transaction,” Curry said.

While the police department parking lot is monitored, Gilham encouraged residents to come into the lobby for transactions, particularly if they’re handling large amounts of money or meeting when it’s dark outside. Video cameras are not as effective in evening or night, and it is harder for a would-be robber to flee when they aren’t right next to their own vehicle.

“If you’re meeting at dark, come into the lobby. [It’s] the safest thing to do,” Gilham said.

Residents can choose to call ahead to the desk sergeant at 978-0140 to make sure they have someone looking out for them. So far, Gilham said the department has heard from several residents glad to have an added layer of safety for online purchases.

“It’s a situation where [if] someone agrees to meet you at the police department to make a transaction, you’re pretty much, you can almost bet you’re in as good a situation as you’re going to be,” Gilham said.

Other tips for using online trading sites safely:

►  Trust your gut, and pay attention to subtle feelings that a situation is wrong.

►  Avoid meeting at your home when possible, especially if you’re alone.

►  Don’t give out personal information, especially letting people know when your home — and valuables ― will be unattended. “It’s the same cautions you would tell people about posting on Facebook,” Curry said.

►  Only accept cash ― never checks or money orders.

►  Buy local. Facebook groups like Vestavia Trading are connected to users’ profiles, so you can check out a seller and any mutual friends you have before agreeing to meet them.

► Open sealed containers to be sure the product you’re getting is what was advertised.

► Don’t meet a seller in one location and follow them to a second one, especially a home or less public location.

► If something looks too good to be true, it probably is.