Staying safe on NaijaBay

The one thing to understand first

NaijaBay does not handle payments, delivery, or refunds. We are a discovery platform: we help you find genuine Nigerian makers and put you in touch directly, usually over WhatsApp. Money moves between you and the maker, on terms the two of you agree.

That is a real advantage - no commission, no middleman marking things up, and you can talk to the person who actually made the item. But nobody is holding the money in escrow, so the checks below are worth the two minutes they take.

If you're buying

Never send the full amount up front. This is the single most important habit. Ask to pay on delivery, or agree a part-payment with the balance on arrival. A maker confident in their work will not object to a reasonable deposit.

Talk before you pay. Ask for a photo or short video of the actual item - not the listing photo. For custom work, agree timelines and what happens if it's late before any money moves.

Keep the conversation in WhatsApp. A written trail of what was promised, at what price, by when, is what makes a dispute resolvable. If a seller pushes you to move to a different app or to delete messages, treat that as a warning.

Prefer a verified maker where you can, and see below for exactly what that badge does and doesn't mean.

Walk away from urgency. “Pay now or you lose the price” is the oldest pressure tactic there is. Genuine makers do not need you to decide in five minutes.

Warning signs

Stop and reconsider if a seller asks for full payment before you have seen any evidence the item exists; refuses a call or a video; wants payment to an account in a different name with no explanation; sends stock photos that appear on other sites; or pressures you to complete quickly. Any one of these can have an innocent explanation. Two or more together rarely do.

If you're selling

Safety runs both ways. Be wary of a buyer who “overpays” and asks for the difference back, or who sends a payment screenshot rather than a confirmed transfer - confirm money has actually landed in your account before you ship, not that a screenshot says so. For high-value or custom pieces, take a deposit so a cancelled order doesn't leave you out of pocket.

Describe items honestly, including flaws. On a marketplace built on direct contact, your reputation is the whole business - one accurate listing is worth more than three flattering ones.

What the verified badge means

A Verified maker badge means we checked the store: the email is confirmed, a real address and contact number are on file, the store has at least three active listings, and it has been on NaijaBay long enough to have a track record. It is a meaningful signal that a real, contactable business is behind the store.

It is not a guarantee of any individual transaction. We are not party to your deal and we cannot refund it. Treat the badge as one good reason to trust a maker - alongside talking to them, seeing the item, and paying sensibly.

Messaging on NaijaBay

Where a maker has it switched on, you can message them on NaijaBay instead of starting on WhatsApp. It is the safer place to begin: you do not have to hand over your phone number to a stranger, and every conversation carries a block and a report button.

Two things to know. First, messages are kept - they are not deleted when you close a conversation, because they are often the only evidence behind a report. Second, if you or the other person reports a conversation, our moderators can read that thread so they can act on it. Nobody at NaijaBay browses conversations that have not been reported.

Messaging does not change who you are dealing with. NaijaBay still never handles payment, and a message on our site is not a guarantee of anything. NaijaBay staff will never message you asking for money, a bank transfer, or your password.

If something goes wrong

Tell us. Reports are how we find sellers who shouldn't be here - and because deals happen off-platform, a report from you is often the only way we would ever learn. We can suspend a store and remove its listings, which protects the next buyer even when we cannot recover your money.

You can report a listing from any product page, a maker from any storefront, or report a problem here if you no longer have the page to hand. If you have lost money, also report it to your bank and to the Nigeria Police Force cybercrime unit - a platform report is not a substitute for that.

Still unsure?

If something feels off and you would rather ask first, that is always the cheaper option. Get in touch through our help centre before any money moves.