Safety Guidelines

• Confirm the other party’s full name, phone number, location and authority to sell or buy for a business.
• Ask for evidence of ownership, production, quantity, quality, grade, origin and any licence or certificate relevant to the product.
• Treat a FarmOffer verification badge as one trust signal, not a guarantee.
• A phone-checked badge confirms control of that number at the time of verification. It does not confirm product ownership or guarantee conduct.
• Be cautious when an account is new, information changes suddenly or the person refuses reasonable checks.

• Inspect the actual goods, not only photos. Check quantity, weight, condition, packaging and whether the goods match the listing.
• For food, confirm freshness, contamination risks, storage temperature, expiry information and handling conditions.
• For livestock, seed, fertiliser, pesticides and veterinary products, confirm applicable health, movement, registration and labelling requirements.
• Use a qualified independent inspector for large, cross-border or technically sensitive trades.

• Choose a known, well-lit place or verified farm, warehouse or business location and tell someone where you are going.
• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Use a traceable direct payment method where practical.
• Do not enter an unsafe location or travel alone when the value, distance or circumstances create additional risk.
• Confirm loading, transport, permits, border requirements, insurance and responsibility for loss before goods move.

FarmOffer does not collect transaction payments and does not provide escrow. Agree the final price, currency, quantity and handover terms directly. Pay the seller only after the agreed checks, unless you knowingly choose another arrangement with a trusted counterparty.

Be suspicious of urgent advance-payment demands, unexpected account changes, overpayments, requests to refund a difference or instructions to send money to an unrelated third party.

• Never share your FarmOffer or Google password, one-time code, recovery link or screen-sharing access.
• Check that messages and links are genuine before opening them. FarmOffer will not ask you to reveal a password to complete a trade.
• Keep negotiation details in FarmOffer where possible, then retain relevant WhatsApp messages, receipts and proof of payment.
• Use strong device security and sign out from shared phones or computers.

Write down the product, quantity, grade, final price, currency, collection or delivery date, transport responsibility and what happens if the goods do not match. Ask both parties to confirm the final terms and keep receipts, photos and inspection evidence.

For an accepted trade, the buyer generates a six-digit Handover confirmation PIN, valid for 45 minutes. Share only after inspection and at handover. Never share early by WhatsApp or phone. The buyer can reveal it in person or explicitly release it in FarmOffer after confirming inspection, quantity/quality, current handover and that FarmOffer does not verify payment. Only the matched seller/supplier may view an in-app release and must deliberately confirm completion. This is the buyer’s digital release, not proof of payment, quality, ownership or physical delivery. Never confuse it with a bank, mobile-money or login PIN.

Stop the trade if something feels wrong. Do not confront a person where that could place you at risk. Use the Report button on the listing, request or negotiation so the FarmOffer administrator receives the relevant item and facts. You can also hide and block the account while the concern is reviewed, or email info@farmoffer.africa.

For theft, threats, violence, fraud or an immediate danger, contact the appropriate local police, emergency service, consumer authority or agricultural regulator. FarmOffer cannot provide emergency assistance.

Agricultural goods can be subject to customs, phytosanitary, veterinary, food-safety and transport controls. Before moving products across an African border, both parties should confirm the exact permits, certificates, duties, prohibited products and inspection requirements with the relevant authorities.