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The holiday season is finally here! And, with it, lots of presents. If you’ve treated yourself or were gifted a new Steam Deck by a loved one, you might be thinking about selling your older device. Second-hand devices are in high demand, so we’re sure you won’t have any problem finding a buyer. However, there are plenty of bad people in the world. So, it’s important to protect yourself against scammers and ensure the transaction is safe.
One User Had Quite an Unfortunate Experience
We truly appreciate trustful people, and it’s really heartbreaking seeing that trust broken. However, it happens. And, with the state of the world, unfortunately, it keeps happening more and more frequently.
One Steam Deck user, Percyfoli0, shared their recent unfortunate experience. The OP tried selling their Steam Deck via Facebook Marketplace, found the buyer, and got scammed. The buyer somehow falsified a payment receipt and took off with the OP’s Steam Deck.
The OP noted: “I’m still not entirely sure how he pulled it off. He showed me on his banking app that he had sent the money, but the payment never actually arrived. After that, he blocked me on Facebook Marketplace. I reported it to the police, but unfortunately, they said there wasn’t much they could do. If you have any idea on how he did that”.
Users Share Tips on How to Stay Safe While Selling Your Steam Deck
This unfortunate event triggered a big reaction in the Steam Deck community, as the helpful users shared their best advice on selling goods and not getting scammed. So, if you are planning on selling your device, pay attention to these tips from the community.
One of the most upvoted pieces of advice was to only accept cash. Many players suggested asking the buyer to meet you near a police station. Also, if you choose this option, make sure to take your time, count the money, and check if the bills aren’t fake. Only after you’ve done this, do you hand over the goods to the buyer. Now, truth be told, this isn’t our go-to method, but we can understand the logic behind it. However, for bigger sums of money, we really don’t recommend this. Not only will it take you a while to count and check every banknote, but you’ll also be carrying a lot of cash on you, which can be potentially risky.
Our preferred method is getting the money deposited in our account. Many banks worldwide now offer instant payment. You could also use one of the well-known and verified apps, such as Venmo or PayPal. This takes away the public counting and checking of the money, as well as carrying a lot of money on you. However, if you choose this method, always wait for the money to hit your account before handing over the goods.
Also, if something like this happens to you, contact Steam Support, they are known for trying their best to help their customers. So, dear reader, we hope some of these tips will help you in the future. As for now, enjoy the holidays and stay safe.