The seller wants me to pay outside the shopping app. Is that a scam?
Usually, yes. Platforms hold your payment until you confirm the item; a seller who asks you to pay directly by GCash or bank transfer is removing that protection, and if nothing arrives, the platform cannot help you. A discount for paying outside is not worth the risk.
The approach is friendly: "cheaper if you pay direct", "the app has high fees", "order on the app but send the money to this number". Once you pay outside, the order on the app is cancelled and the chat is deleted. The platform's refund rules no longer apply.
What to do
- Keep the payment inside the app, always. Decline the discount.
- Report the seller to the platform for asking you to pay outside.
- If you already paid outside and nothing came, contact GCash or your bank and report it.
- Search the GCash name and number the seller gave you together with "scammer".
- Check the seller's number on Veritaza if you want to know whether it is on scam lists or has been checked by others.
Frequently asked questions
- The seller said their shop account is suspended, so they need direct payment. Believable?
- A suspended shop is a reason not to buy, not a reason to pay outside.
Want to know if there are warning signs about the person you are talking to? Veritaza checks the photos, the messages, the number, the email, the name and the ID, for ₱199.
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