Platform-Specific Advisory

Tips for transacting safely on TikTok Shop

*Includes scams reported across TikTok (i.e. including TikTok Shop)

No of Scam Reports:
2023: 75

Identity Verification on TikTok Shop


 

Identity Verification on TikTok Shop

TikTok Shop verifies government-issued documents before a seller is allowed to list products on the platform. The type of documentation required for each seller differs by their business type.

  • Corporate Sellers: Business registration documents (e.g. Complete version of ACRA BizFile) are required for Corporate Sellers. The company representative is also required to verify their identity via SingPass or with a valid government-issued ID.

  • Individual Sellers: TikTok Shop encourages the use of Singpass by individual sellers for identity verification. However, other forms of government-issued identification (e.g. NRIC) may be submitted together with a selfie as an alternative verification method.

Following the initial verification, TikTok Shop also reaches out to sellers periodically to update their credentials.

Use of in-platform secure payment solutions 

Secure Payment Options
TikTok Shop provides an in-platform secure payment solution for all transactions. Payment is withheld by the platform and released to Sellers following a stipulated settlement period to ensure that customers will have recourse if they face any issues.
 
To safeguard transactions, sellers and customers should only transact within the platform. TikTok Shop strictly prohibits Sellers and Creators from redirecting customers off the platform. Sellers and Creators who are found to violate this policy will have enforcement actions taken against their accounts. Repeat offenses will lead to heavier enforcement actions. While we monitor content on the platform for violations of this policy, we also encourage users to report violative content.
 
You can safeguard your transactions by making sure they only occur on TikTok Shop, and do your part by reporting sellers who request to transact off-platform.


Additional Resources

 

Maintenance of transaction records and user data

TikTok Shop maintains records of all transactions and communications performed within the platform. Sellers are prohibited from directing customers off the platform, and may receive enforcement actions for doing so. You can do your part by keeping all transactions and communications within TikTok Shop. This ensures all relevant transaction records are available to facilitate subsequent investigation and dispute resolution should the need arise.

 

Reporting and dispute resolution mechanism

Report Suspicious Listings

You may report suspicious listings found on TikTok Shop via the "Report" function in the app.

  • Click on "..." in the top right corner of the listing, and select "Report". You can select a reason from the options provided, and share more details before submitting the report.

    •   

      

You may also make a report through the in-app direct messaging platform.

 

Return & Refund Requests

  • You may submit a return & refund request within 6-15 days of order delivery depending on order type.
  • If you still wish to submit a complaint after the stipulated period, you can either communicate directly with the seller, or contact TikTok Shop customer service through the in-app Help Center.
  • If your request was declined by the seller, you may file an appeal to TikTok Shop for further investigation. This can be done by tapping View Refund Details on the Order Details page

 

  • You may escalate most aftersale issues (such as product quality or safety issues) to the platform up to 14 days after delivery of the product.


Other features

Tools for making an informed purchasing decision

 

 

How can you protect yourself on TikTok Shop?

 TikTok Shop regularly shares useful resources through social media posts to help customers identify and avoid potential scams. Please look out for resources like the following anti-scam advisory:

 

  • You may also participate in the ShopSafe program to take an active role in enhancing platform safety and security. Under this program, TikTok users can submit reports on any discovered platform vulnerabilities, and receive rewards worth up to USD$1,000 per valid report.

 

  • We strongly recommend you set up 2-step verification (2-SV) to further protect your TikTok account via SMS, email, password, or authenticator apps (e.g. Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator). When a log-in attempt is made on an unrecognised device, you will be prompted to enter a verification code sent via the selected 2-SV method to verify your identity. If the verification code is not entered or entered incorrectly, the login will be blocked, providing your account with another layer of protection.

 

 

 

 

carousell

No of Scam Reports:
2022: 1,834
2021: 1, 344

Tips for transacting safely on Amazon.sg
Verification of seller identity

All Carousell users (buyers and sellers) can create an account with an email address. Users are allowed to list items for sale only after a local mobile number verification.

Users who have completed myInfo verification are differentiated from other users through a blue tick verified badge. 

verified

You can protect yourself by looking out for the “Verified Badge” when transacting on Carousell. When transacting with sellers without the badge, you should exercise greater caution by referring to seller reviews, and/or request to use Carousell Protection, an in-platform secure payment service offered by Carousell. Alternatively, you can consider opting for in-person transactions and perform payment after receiving the items in-person. For in-person transactions, always meet in well-lit, public places and don’t bring large sums of money with you.

-

Sell to Carousell
Carousell has launched various Sell to Carousell programmes to reduce the risk for casual sellers for high value items like luxury bags, mobile phones and cars by allowing them to sell directly to Carousell for instant cash. For example, Sell to Carousell Mobiles uses a proprietary diagnostic tool to ascertain the phone condition and provide a competitive and objective offer price. For Cars and Luxury Bags, Carousell has certified inspectors and authentication experts respectively to inspect and offer competitive prices based on market rate.

-

Carousell's Certified programme for luxury, mobiles and cars You can buy secondhand luxury bags, mobile phones and cars under Carousell's Certified programme, with the peace of mind that the item has been thoroughly checked for quality and authenticity. All Certified Luxury Bags and Certified Mobiles listings have money-back guarantee, and Certified Mobiles and Certified Cars listings also come with warranty. Certified listings are either from Carousell Official Stores managed directly by Carousell, or from authorised Carousell Certified Partners. You can easily identify Carousell Certified listings in the Cars, Mobiles, and Luxury categories by looking for the 'Certified' tag.

Tips for transacting safely on Amazon.sg
Use of in-platform secure payment solutions

Carousell provides consumers with the option to use Carousell’s on-platform secure payment solution for transactions. 

If you make payment through Carousell’s on-platform payment system, your payment is safely held by Carousell until the item is confirmed to be received as listed.

For a safe and secure buying experience, you are strongly encouraged to use Carousell’s on-platform payment system when transacting, especially with new sellers with no seller reviews.

Carousell will be tightening platform policies to protect users even further. By end 2023, Carousell will require users who do not do meet-ups to make payment and delivery only via Carousell’s on-platform secure payment solution.

Tips for transacting safely on Amazon.sg
Maintenance of transaction records and user data

Carousell maintains records of transactions and communications performed within the platform.

You can do your part by keeping all transactions and communications within the platform. This ensures all relevant transaction records are available to facilitate subsequent investigation and dispute resolution should the need arise.

Where appropriate, information may be made available to regulators, law enforcement or others who are investigating. 

Tips for transacting safely on Amazon.sg
Reporting and dispute resolution mechanism

Users can report a suspicious user or listing easily through the Carousell App and website for Carousell’s investigation. When faced with an issue with any transactions (i.e. item not received, item not as described), you should promptly report to Carousell via the Carousell Help Centre: https://support.carousell.com/hc/en-us

report

For transactions done through Carousell’s on-platform payment system, when you make the report to Carousell, your payment will be held by us until your issue has been resolved. Carousell will help to reach out to sellers and take the appropriate follow-up action. Hence, Carousell strongly encourages the use of Carousell’s on-platform payment system..

Tips for transacting safely on Amazon.sg
Other features

Carousell takes an active stance in addressing the safety of its marketplace. Scams are a global challenge across all industries, and constantly shapeshift and evolve in their modus operandi. For open marketplaces with peer-to-peer transactions, there is a need to balance strict policies for trust and safety without compromising on providing a conducive selling and buying experience for anyone.

As a community-focused marketplace, continuous user education is a key piece to ensuring that users transact safely on Carousell. As a marketplace where anyone can sell anything at every second, moderation is pivotal to marketplace safety. Users are encouraged to refer to Carousell’s Trust & Safety Centre from time to time to be kept updated on the latest scam trends and patterns: https://support.carousell.com/hc/en-us/articles/8235468238873-Local-Trends-And-Safety-Advisories-Singapore-

Carousell engages in a third-party service, an all-in-one integrated tool to detect fraud trends using their extensive network of fraud data and real time machine learning models.

If a seller is under investigation for any unresolved transaction, Carousell alerts prospective buyers by enabling a dispute banner. This is why Carousell strongly encourages users to deal within Carousell instead of bringing the conversation outside of Carousell, so that prospective buyers remain alerted of any issues relating to the seller they are chatting with.

For more information on how Carousell works to keep users safe, please visit Carousell’s Trust and Safety centre.