I still remember the adrenaline rush—and mild terror—of my first OfferUp meetup. It was 2019. I had found a West Elm mid-century desk listed for $40. In the store, it was $400. I messaged the seller, "Mike," who had a profile picture of a golden retriever and zero ratings.
I drove to a Starbucks parking lot at 8 PM, convinced I was either getting a steal or getting carjacked. When Mike rolled up in a minivan, apologized for being late, and helped me load the desk, I realized two things: 1) The deals are real. 2) The fear is real too.
OfferUp has effectively killed Craigslist. It’s slicker, faster, and has pictures that aren't blurry thumbnails from 2004. But as it has grown to millions of users, it has attracted a new breed of sophisticated scammers. If you are scrolling through listings for a PS5 or a used Honda and asking is offerup legit, the answer is complicated. It’s not a store; it’s a meeting place. And like any public meeting place, you have to watch your back.
The Platform Reality: It's Just the Introducer
When people search for offerup reviews, they often see 1-star ratings screaming about "scams." It’s important to understand what OfferUp is. They are a venue. They provide the table and chairs. They do not cook the food. If you buy a "Rolex" for $50 and it turns out to be plastic, OfferUp didn't scam you; a user did.
Opinion Statement: I honestly believe OfferUp is the best local sourcing app currently available, beating Facebook Marketplace in user interface and beating Craigslist in safety features. But you have to treat it like a "digital dark alley" until proven otherwise.
"Premium Early Access Only OfferUp": Scam or Feature?
Here's where it gets interesting... you might see listings or notifications about "Premium Early Access." Is this a scam? No. It is a paid subscription feature called OfferUp Premium.
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The Feature: Users who pay (approx. $19.99/month) get to see new listings 30 minutes before free users.
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Why it matters: In the flipping game, the best deals sell in 5 minutes. If a mom lists a bucket of Lego for $10, the Premium users see it first. By the time you see it, it’s likely "Pending."
Limitation: I tried the Premium subscription for a month. Unless you are a full-time reseller refreshing the feed every minute, it is largely a waste of money. The "Early Access" only helps if you are fast enough to act on it.
The Shipping Scams: Why I Only Buy Local
OfferUp pushed hard to compete with eBay by adding nationwide shipping. This is where 90% of the offerup shipping scams happen.
The "Empty Box" Nightmare
On eBay, the buyer is god. On OfferUp, the protections are... stickier.
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The Scam: You buy a camera. The seller ships a box. You get it. It contains a brick.
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The Problem: You have 2 days (48 hours) from delivery to inspect and report. If you are out of town or forget to open the box, the transaction auto-closes, and the seller gets paid. You are out of luck.
The "Off-App" Lure
If a seller ever says: "My OfferUp account is acting up, can you Zelle/Venmo me and I'll ship it?" Run. Once you pay off-app, OfferUp cannot help you. You have voluntarily given cash to a stranger.
My Honest Failure: I almost fell for a "Free Shipping" scam on a drone. The seller sent me a convincing invoice via email that looked like OfferUp. I hovered over the "Pay Now" button and noticed the URL was offerup-payment-secure.com, not offerup.com. It was a phishing site designed to steal my credit card info.
How to Know If OfferUp Seller Is Legit (The "TruYou" Check)
You can't trust the face, but you can trust the badge. How to know if offerup seller is legit comes down to three signals.
1. The TruYou Badge
OfferUp has a feature called TruYou.
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How it works: The user scans their driver's license and takes a selfie. The app verifies they match.
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The Verdict: If a seller has the TruYou badge, they are likely a real person. Scammers rarely use their real ID.
2. The "Created" Date
Click on the profile.
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Red Flag: "Joined September 2025" (or whatever the current month is) + Selling a high-value item (PS5, iPhone 15) + Zero ratings.
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Green Flag: "Joined 2018" + 45 stars + Selling a mix of random garage stuff.
3. The Ratings
Don't just look at the star count. Read the text.
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Good: "Easy transaction," "On time."
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Bad: "Sold me a broken phone," "Stopped responding."
OfferUp Bots: The "Is This Still Available?" Plague
If you are selling, you will encounter the bots. You post an item. Within 3 seconds, you get 5 messages: "Is this still available?" "Is this still available?"
What are they doing? Some are just lazy humans hitting the auto-reply button. But many are offerup bots farming for active phone numbers.
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The Trap: You reply "Yes." They reply, "Great, I want to buy it. I need to send you a 6-digit code to verify you are real."
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The Scam: This is the Google Voice Scam. They are trying to use your phone number to set up a Google Voice account to scam others. Never, ever give a 6-digit code to anyone on OfferUp.
I use Closo to automate cross-listing my inventory to Poshmark and Mercari – saves me about 3 hours weekly – but I specifically avoid auto-reply tools on OfferUp because interacting with bots hurts your response time metrics if you don't engage correctly.
How Do You Know If Someone Is Legit on OfferUp? (The Meetup Test)
The ultimate legitimacy test is the meetup. Scammers don't like to show their faces.
The "Police Station" Rule
When arranging a meet:
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You: "Can we meet at the Police Station on Main St? They have a designated E-Commerce Exchange Zone."
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Scammer: "Oh, I can't do that, I'm busy. Can you come to my apartment complex at 10 PM?"
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You: Block.
Real sellers love meeting at police stations. It makes everyone feel safe. If they refuse a public, safe location, they are hiding something (either the condition of the item or their intent).
People always ask me...
"Is it safe to give my address on OfferUp?"
Common question I see. As a buyer? No. Meet in public. As a seller? Only if you are selling something too big to move (like a fridge). Even then, try to move the item to the garage or driveway so strangers don't enter your home.
"Can I get my money back if I get scammed?"
If you paid through the app (shipped item) and filed a claim within 48 hours, yes, OfferUp Purchase Protection covers you. If you paid cash in person and the item breaks an hour later? No. Cash sales are "As-Is." OfferUp will not refund you for a bad cash deal.
"Why do sellers ask for my phone number?"
People always ask me... "Can I text you?" 99% of the time, this is a scam setup. They want to text you a phishing link or a fake payment confirmation. Keep all chat in the app. If they can't message you on OfferUp, they aren't a serious buyer.
Conclusion
So, is offerup legit? Yes. It is a powerful tool to turn clutter into cash or find incredible deals. I have furnished half my apartment through OfferUp.
But you cannot use it on autopilot. You have to be a detective. Check the TruYou badge. Ignore the "Zero Rating" accounts selling MacBooks. And never, ever pay outside the app.
If you treat every user as a potential flake until they prove otherwise, you’ll do fine.
If you are looking to sell specifically clothing, check out our comparison of OfferUp vs. Facebook Marketplace to see which audience pays more. And if you are tired of the meetup hassle, read our guide on how to ship safely on OfferUp to expand your reach nationwide.
FAQ Page
Here's something everyone wants to know: Does OfferUp charge fees?
For local cash sales, OfferUp is completely free (no listing fee, no final value fee). However, for shipped items paid through the app, OfferUp charges the seller a service fee of 12.9% of the sale price (minimum $1.99).
Common question I see: What is TruYou on OfferUp?
TruYou is OfferUp's identity verification system. Users submit a government-issued ID (like a driver's license) and a selfie. The app uses technology to confirm the ID is real and matches the face. It is highly recommended to only trade with TruYou verified users for high-value items.
People always ask me: Can I get scammed on OfferUp shipping?
Yes. The most common shipping scam involves sellers asking for payment via Venmo/Zelle instead of the app, or sending a box with incorrect items. Always pay through the "Buy Now" button in the app to be covered by OfferUp's 2-Day Buyer Protection.
