How to Avoid Scammers When Buying Glass Art

Scamming has always been a problem on the internet, and it can be especially easy to get scammed when buying glass. When buying a piece of glass art, one of the biggest questions is, “Will my glass get to me safely, if at all?” But, you don't have to be a victim – this article will help you avoid scams on Instagram & other social apps by providing 5 key tips and tactics to keep yourself safe. Beyond just scamming, there have also been countless disputes over who has responsibility for the piece while in transit. In order to safely navigate social media for glass, you must maintain safe buying practices. The easiest way to protect yourself from scammers on social media is to use the secure glass marketplace app, GlassPass, available now!

Here are the best ways to avoid IG scammers:

1. Check Their Profile

Though seemingly obvious, this is one of the easiest ways to tell if the account reaching out to you is attempting to scam or not. Here are a few things to look for:

1) Low activity on profile

The biggest sign is if they haven’t been very active on their profile.. People can create unlimited new accounts, and can have completely different identities than who they really are. If a page has no posts and/or little interaction with other community members, they may be scamming.

2) Brand new profile

Some easy things to check are the profile picture, having multiple posts that date back at least 2+ months, and a group of followers that seems to correlate with their positioning in the community. If an account is new, a safe practice is to ask for pictures of the piece with a name and date to prove the account’s ownership of the piece. Also, using a safe payment service helps.

2. Choose a Safe Payment Method

One of the most important things when buying glass online is to protect your money. Using GlassPass to mediate your transaction is one of the safest ways to protect yourself. GlassPass has escrow on all transactions, meaning the money you pay is held safely by GlassPass until the item has arrived as described. Once you verify it is safe, your payment is sent out to the seller.

3. Communication is Key

The best way to make sure that a piece gets to you as safely as possible is to inform the seller of your shipping preferences, and ensure they pack the item safely. You can read our other blog post on best shipping practices here. Making sure that the seller is shipping as securely as possible and using the carrier you prefer will help make the process less stressful for both you and the seller.

4. Get a Reference Check!

Another simple way to put your mind to rest and feel confident about a purchase is to ask the seller for a “Ref Check”. This allows them to put you in contact with those that have done business with them in the past and vouch for their good service. This can also be done by reaching out to us at GlassPass and asking us to post a reference check for the seller in order to allow previous buyers to respond.

5. Use GlassPass!

These are just a few tips that we follow when purchasing glass on social media. Though these steps don’t guarantee a safe transaction, we think that if you follow them closely the odds are in your favor. As always, if you need help buying or selling your glass, don’t hesitate to reach out to us on Instagram or our website and secure glass marketplace app!