Safety Centre |
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Welcome to our Customer Services Centre!
Here you'll find an array of information, tips and advice to ensure you have the safest possible experience when using Vivastreet. "Hello" from your local Customer Services Team!
Vivastreet has teamed up with Action Fraud, the UK's national fraud and internet crime reporting centre. If you'd like to report a scam directly to Action Fraud, head to their reporting centre here.
Buying Safely
The likelihood of anything negative happening to you when purchasing an item is considered minimal but it's always best to act with caution for a safe and successful experience with Vivastreet.
To ensure your safety, we recommend following our safety tips and advice listed here:
Safety tip for buying a bike:
Safety tip for buying event tickets:
Selling Safely
The more transparent and honest you are when communicating your item or service of sale on Vivastreet, the more your ad will be seen as safe and trustworthy naturally increasing your chances of ad success.
Here are some of our recommendations to be recognised as a safe seller:
Protect yourself
Here are our top tips and guidelines on how you can protect yourself as a seller::
Property
We want your property buying, renting or selling experience with Vivastreet to be as secure and successful as possible. Here are our top tips to protect your personal safety:
Vehicles
Buying a car or a motorcycle can be a delightful experience and we at Vivastreet want to keep it that way. To avoid scams and fraudsters, here are our top tips for a safe and rewarding experience when buying a vehicle:
Here are our top tips for selling a vehicle safely and avoiding fraudulent buyers:
Employment
As an effective tool for job seekers and employers, Vivastreet is a convenient platform successfully connecting people to jobs. We do however recommend you practice caution to ensure your safety when using Vivastreet.
Here are our top safety tips for job seekers:
Our top tip for job seekers and employers:
Customer Services
If you would like to report a scam on Vivastreet or have issues with your ad, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Our friendly customer services team is on stand-by to answer your questions.
To contact us please call: +44 (0) 203 695 8755 or email: [email protected]. In the UK, our opening times are: Monday – Friday, 08.00 – 19.00 Alternatively you can send us a message by filling out the form here. Please include your telephone number in your message so we can call you back. If you would like to report a scam, please head directly to Action Fraud's website here. In doing so, you are giving anti-fraud agencies vital information to protect you and others from being victims of online fraud. For more information about Vivastreet, head to our Corporate Website. Report a Scam
Vivastreet has teamed up with Action Fraud, the UK's national online fraud reporting centre, to ensure you the safest possible experience when using Vivastreet.
If you have been the victim of a scam or know of a fraudster, please head directly to Action Fraud's website here. In doing so, you are giving anti-fraud agencies vital information to protect you and others from being victims of online fraud.If you would like to report any suspicious ads or a person who has acted illegally on Vivastreet, please contact your local Vivastreet customer services team here. Please ensure you have the Ad ID number of the suspected scam. Action Fraud works closely with the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB), which is run by the City of London Police. With the help of Action Fraud, Vivastreet is increasing the chances of bringing online fraudsters to justice. ![]() More info on Action Fraud: To report a fraud, Action Fraud's online fraud reporting form is available 24 hours every day. You can also get advice about fraud by calling: 0300 123 2040 (textphone 0300 123 2050). Action Fraud's specialist fraud advisers are available during the following times to answer any questions and discuss any feedback you may have: For general enquiries, you can email: [email protected]. Set up by the National Fraud Authority in 2009, Action Fraud handles reports on all types of fraud, including identity theft, credit card and consumer fraud. To date, Action Fraud has received over 91,000 calls and more than 330,000 unique visitors to its website since October 2009 and these figures are set to increase considerably with new developments that are being made to the service. Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I email a user directly?
It is the right of every Vivastreet member to remain anonymous. To prevent spam we have developed anonymous email systems protecting both buyers and sellers, from people stealing their email addresses and spamming their inboxes. An anonymous email address is created for each Vivastreet ad (eg. [email protected]). When you send an email to one of these anonymous email addresses, it goes through our servers before being redirected to the true email address. It's as simple as that! Our secure response system will generate an anonymous email address for buyers when replying to an ad. What if an ad doesn't include a phone number?
Sellers are encouraged but not forced to provide a phone number. It is the right of every Vivastreet member to remain anonymous. The best way to get in touch is through our secure email system. I've received an email from Vivastreet offering payment and protection services – is this legitimate?
No! Please consider these emails as fake; they are known as 'spoof' or 'phishing' emails. Vivastreet doesn't offer any form of payment scheme or protection. If you receive an email alleging to be from Vivastreet and you are unsure of its legitimacy please contact us immediately. What should I look for to make sure I can trust a seller?
Read the ad carefully and trust your instincts. If it reads well, is full of detail and description, includes photos and contact details then it is most likely legitimate. If the ad is vague, confusing, lacks an image or incorporates a professional/ website looking photo and if in general the offer sounds too good to be true, it may well be a scam. Remember, you can always contact the user through our anonymous email system so ask questions until you feel comfortable. You have the control so if you aren't sure then don't contact them again. How does Vivastreet protect me from getting scammed?
We have built-in security filters that operate behind the scenes to identify and quarantine suspicious ads and users. We work with Action Fraud to prevent scammers and fraudsters from operating and to bring them to justice. However, we need your help too, which is why it is vital that you report any fraudulent ads and behaviour on Vivastreet. The more you tell us the more we can help. What should I watch for regarding scams?
The best way to protect yourself is by asking questions, using common sense and learning as much as possible through the information available on our Safety Centre. Ads with incomplete information, missing photos, lots of typos could indicate suspect behaviour. When should I report an ad?
Anytime you suspect an ad of being a scam, spam or breaking our terms and conditions then please report it. It's always better to be safe than sorry! We appreciate that some ads reported may be perfectly fine but would rather encourage our users to act if in doubt. Removing scams and catching those responsible for them is very important to Vivastreet. To prevent abuse, each user is entitled to report a maximum of two ads a day. How do I report an ad?
Under the ad description box you will find a flag icon with the link 'Think this ad is a scam? Report it here now.' Click on this link and select the reason you are reporting the ad from the drop down menu. Please provide further information by entering your comments in the 'Message' box. What happens to reported ads?
If we consider the advert to be a scam or is reported by several users, it is removed immediately from the site and reviewed by our moderation system. If however, we consider the advert to be genuine but find it contains some minor mistakes we will rectify the error and inform the advertiser. Vivastreet always has the final say on whether an ad is modified or removed. How can I modify my ad?
The advertiser can modify their advert at any time. However, once it is deleted access to the advert is removed. I've received an email asking me to change my password. I didn't request this, so why have I got it?
If you did not request a new password, someone may have been trying to access your account without your permission. As long as you do not click the link contained in this email, no action will be taken and your account will remain secure. Someone has posted an ad on Vivastreet with my details, and I'm getting phone calls and emails, what do I do?
It may be the case someone accidentally typed a phone number or email address wrongly when posting the ad. If you find your details on an ad you haven't posted, report the ad to us and we'll remove it immediately. I've received a suspicious response to my ad. What should I do?
If in doubt don't proceed any further with someone who seems suspicious. If you'd like our advice, contact us so we can take a look and take appropriate actions, if necessary. Moderation of ads:
Vivastreet.co.uk will remove any advertisement that is prohibited by UK law, placed in the wrong category/city or that contains vulgar/abusive content. Members of the site are encouraged to flag ads that break our terms and conditions and actively report all scams to Vivastreet or directly to Action Fraud, the UK's national fraud reporting centre. |