Help & FAQ Centre

Pakstoor is a protected marketplace for private sales in South Africa. BUY SMART. SELL SAFE. The buyer pays into TradeSafe escrow, not to the seller. With courier delivery, the seller ships with The Courier Guy, and the money is released after the buyer accepts the item or the 72 hour inspection window ends without a Formal Protected Review. At an in-person handover, the buyer checks the item on the spot and the money is released only when buyer and seller have both confirmed.

Pakstoor is not the seller, the buyer, the courier or an insurer, and does not physically inspect goods. It protects the integrity of the transaction: the payment, the courier record and an evidence-led Formal Protected Review if something goes wrong.

On open classifieds sites, buyer and seller usually arrange payment and delivery themselves. On Pakstoor every sale runs through one protected process:

• The payment waits in TradeSafe escrow instead of going straight to a stranger.
• Courier delivery is booked and tracked inside the deal, and the buyer gets a 72 hour inspection window after delivery. If you meet in person instead, the money is released only when you both confirm on the handover screen.
• Questions and messages stay on Pakstoor, which makes the usual off-platform scam routes harder.
• If something goes wrong, the money does not move while Pakstoor reviews the evidence: a Formal Protected Review on a courier deal, or a handover problem report when you meet in person.

Choose Sign up. Enter your email and a password (at least 10 characters with a number or a symbol), then your name, mobile number and date of birth, and accept the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You can also choose Sign up with Google.

Pakstoor then emails you a confirmation link. It works once and expires after 30 minutes; use Resend on the banner if it expired. You need a confirmed email before you can list items or make offers. Google sign-ups are confirmed automatically.

During the pre-launch period, some pages are only visible after you sign in and a new account may wait for approval before it becomes active. You will be told by email.

You must be at least 18 years old. Each person may have one account, linked to one mobile number. You are responsible for everything done under your account, so keep your sign-in details private.

No. Joining and standard listings are free, and sellers currently pay no Pakstoor commission (0%). When an item sells, the buyer pays the Pakstoor Buyer Protection Fee (2.5% of the item price), TradeSafe’s payment fee and any courier delivery. Sellers can pay for an optional boost to get more visibility.

See the buyer fee and boosts.

Local Businesses (business storefronts): Your own branded storefront in Local Businesses: R199 per year. Listing items in the main Pakstoor marketplace stays free. See Local Businesses storefronts.

Yes. Use the EN / AF language switch at the top of the page. Your choice is remembered on that device.

Tap the heart at the top right of a listing photo to save it. Your saved listings are under Saved in the top bar or account menu. Recently viewed items are also listed on your account so you can find them again.

Choose Sell an item on any page. The steps take you through photos (up to 15, resized automatically), title, category, condition, any defects, price, delivery options and the packed parcel size, then the rules you accept. Publishing confirms that acknowledgement and your listing goes live.

You need a confirmed email address to publish. Add your bank details on the Banking page before your first sale, so your money can be paid out.

• Use clear, sharp photos of the actual item, including any damage. Blurry photos may be refused.
• Choose the honest condition and disclose every defect, missing part, repair or non-original component.
• For phones and laptops, record the serial or IMEI number when asked.
• Declare the packed parcel size accurately; a bigger parcel can cost you a courier shortfall.

A Formal Protected Review compares the item with your listing, so an accurate listing is your best protection. Sellers are responsible for the accuracy of every listing.

Go to My listings and choose Edit on the listing to change its details, price or boost. To take a listing off sale, choose Archive; you can Restore it later. There is no separate pause option.

A listing with an active deal cannot be edited, archived or deleted. A listing with no offers, questions or edits for 45 days gets one reminder email and is archived 7 days later unless you update it.

Strictly prohibited, among others: drugs, counterfeit or replica goods, stolen property, firearms, ammunition and replica weapons, explosives and fireworks, hazardous or flammable materials and gas containers, live animals and wildlife, cash and loaded prepaid cards, prescription medicines, damaged or swollen batteries, cloned or signal-jamming devices, and tobacco, vapes and alcohol. Anything that may not legally be shipped by courier in South Africa is not allowed either.

Some goods are restricted or high-risk and need extra care. Listings that break the rules are removed and repeat offenders lose their account. See the full lists in the Terms of Service, Articles 8 and 9.

No. Seller commission is currently 0%. If your item sells for R1,000, R1,000 goes to your TradeSafe wallet, subject to the payout rules. Any change to commission would be shown before you list.

See How much of the selling price do I receive?

A boost is an optional paid upgrade that shows your listing higher up. Current options on the Boost step:

• Basic: R50 for 8 days. Shown above normal listings in search and its category, with a blue border and the line “Basic Listing Booster Active”.
• Premium: R89 for 15 days. Shown above Basic and normal listings across the marketplace and search, with a purple border and the line “Premium Listing Booster Active”.
• Pro: R159 for 30 days. Shown first: top of the marketplace and search, and first in the featured row on the home page and Explore, with an orange border and the line “Pro Listing Booster Active”.
• Pro x2: R299 for 60 days.

In search, categories and the listing grids, boosted listings are shown above normal listings: Pro first, then Premium, then Basic, newest first in each group. The featured row on the home page and Explore takes turns showing them. Your listing is published straight away and the boost starts when your payment clears. To boost a live listing, go to My listings, choose Edit and open the Boost step; an upgrade charges only the difference.

Boosts are paid to Pakstoor directly with SnapScan (scan the QR code on the payment step) or Ozow Instant EFT. A boost is a Pakstoor service, not a purchase from another person, so it does not go through TradeSafe escrow and has no Buyer Protection Fee.

Boosts are not refundable once paid: a boost is a service that starts as soon as your payment is confirmed. If a payment went through but the boost was not applied, you are told that Pakstoor is checking it: do not pay again. Pakstoor applies the boost or refunds the payment and confirms by email.

While seats last, the launch offer gives early sellers one free Pro, Premium or Basic boost on one of their live listings. Each person can claim one free boost across all launch offers, you need a confirmed email address, and once a seat is claimed it is gone. A boost is never stacked on a listing that already has the same or a higher boost.

• Also allow in-person collection: tick this on a courier listing so a buyer can choose to collect in person and pay into escrow at the handover.
• Sell direct to someone: on the sell page choose Protected deal (Private buyer) to protect a deal you already agreed. Invite the buyer by email, a private code (valid 7 days) or a protected deal link (valid 14 days), and choose courier delivery or an in-person handover.

Either way the payment goes through TradeSafe escrow. Using your own courier outside Pakstoor’s booking is not part of the protected process. See in-person handovers.

Yes. A seller who sells in the ordinary course of business is a supplier under the Consumer Protection Act, and the Act (including its quality and disclosure rights) and, for online sales, the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act still apply to those sales. Business sellers are responsible for complying with them and for any invoice for the item.

A business sells from a normal account and can also open a storefront in Local Businesses with its own branding (see Local Businesses storefronts). Businesses that buy can have purchases invoiced to them (see business invoices).

Every member has a Trust Level from 1 to 5, shown on listings and in Messages. It grows as you confirm your details (email, phone, payout details) and complete transactions well. See your progress under Trust Progress in the account menu.

After a deal completes, buyer and seller can leave a 1 to 5 star rating with an optional comment. Ratings appear on the seller’s profile. Fake ratings get an account suspended.

Before the buyer pays, use Cancel order on the deal page; a warning is added to your account. After payment, if you can no longer supply the item and it has not gone to the courier: for a My Store order or a listing with several units, use I cannot fulfil this order on the deal page; for a single private item, tell the buyer in Messages and mark it Sold elsewhere in My listings. Either way the buyer is refunded through TradeSafe and your account receives strikes. An On order item has its own option on the deal page instead. If you simply do not ship by the ship-by date, the buyer can cancel and get a refund, and that also counts against your account. Repeated strikes are reviewed by Pakstoor.

On an in-person handover, only the seller can cancel after payment (the buyer is refunded).

Coming soon. Vehicle sales are not open yet, so you cannot list or buy a car, bakkie, motorcycle, boat, jet ski, caravan or trailer on Pakstoor today.

When vehicle sales open, every vehicle will be sold through a dedicated in-person transfer with TradeSafe escrow, never by courier. Pakstoor will explain how it works and announce it when vehicle sales open.

Hiring a trailer or equipment from a Local Business is a rental, not a vehicle sale: see Can I rent or hire something on Pakstoor?

Browse or search on Explore, open a listing and check the photos, condition, defects and the seller’s trust level. Then choose Buy at asking price or Make an offer. Buy at asking price creates your order straight away: check the delivery address and total, pick a payment method and pay on TradeSafe’s secure page. With an offer, the deal page opens when the seller accepts: choose Pay now, pick a payment method and pay on TradeSafe’s secure page.

Your money is held in TradeSafe escrow, not paid to the seller, until delivery and inspection are done. Always pay through the deal page, never by direct transfer.

Choose Make an offer on a listing. The seller can accept, decline or counter, and either of you can counter again in Messages. You can withdraw your own offer with Cancel offer. An offer that nobody answers expires after 7 days. Offers cannot be above the asking price or far below it, and a seller can set rules so very low offers are declined or good offers accepted automatically.

Once an offer is accepted, you have 72 hours to pay before the order lapses. You need a confirmed email address to make offers.

At checkout the buyer pays two fees, each shown as its own line:

• Pakstoor Buyer Protection Fee: currently 2.5% of the agreed item price. It pays for Pakstoor’s buyer-protection process, transaction management, evidence-led Formal Protected Review and secure handover workflows. It is not insurance and does not guarantee a refund or outcome. If a paid deal is cancelled before dispatch, you see exactly what is refunded before you confirm; if a return or a Formal Protected Review ends in a refund, it is refunded with the item price.
• TradeSafe Escrow Transaction Fee: charged by TradeSafe for the payment method you choose, plus VAT.

Example: a R1,000 item has a Buyer Protection Fee of R25. You see every line and the final total before you pay. Your Payment receipt (PKS-ORD) adds the two fees together as one Buyer fee line.

No. The Pakstoor Buyer Protection Fee is worked out on the agreed item price only, never on courier delivery or on TradeSafe’s fee. Pakstoor also adds no markup to the courier price.

TradeSafe’s own fee is a percentage of the full amount paid into escrow (the item, the Buyer Protection Fee and any courier delivery).

TradeSafe charges a different fee for each payment method, so the TradeSafe part of the buyer fee changes with your choice. The Pakstoor Buyer Protection Fee stays the same. The chooser shows each method’s fee and total, and TradeSafe’s page offers only the method you picked and shows the amount again before you approve it.

You pay on TradeSafe’s secure checkout, straight into escrow. TradeSafe’s current fees (plus VAT):

• Manual EFT: 0.75%. No upper limit. Confirmed when the bank transfer clears, which can take 1 to 2 working days.
• Instant EFT (Ozow): 1.50%. Up to R2 million. Confirmed in minutes.
• Debit or credit card (Visa, Mastercard): 2.50%. Up to R25,000.
• Diners Club: 2.50%. Up to R25,000.
• RCS card: 2.75%. Up to R25,000.
• SnapScan: 3.50%. Up to R25,000.

The minimum protected payment is R50. Only methods that allow your total are shown. PayJustNow and paying from a TradeSafe wallet are not offered.

Manual EFT has TradeSafe’s lowest fee (0.75% plus VAT), but it is confirmed only once the transfer clears, which can take 1 to 2 working days. The chooser lists the methods from cheapest to most expensive for your exact total.

You have 72 hours from when the order is accepted. The deal page counts down and warns you when the window is closing. If it closes without a payment, the order is cancelled and the item becomes available again. An order is never cancelled while a payment you made is still clearing.

First open the deal page and check its status. If it says Payment submitted, TradeSafe has your payment and is confirming it: do not pay again. If it still shows Pay now or Resume payment, nothing was taken and you can try again, with the same or another method, within the 72 hour window.

Card declined? Your bank may block online or larger payments: check with your bank or choose another method. If money left your account but the deal does not show it, email support@pakstoor.co.za with your deal reference.

• Payment pending: a Manual EFT can take up to 2 working days to clear. The deal shows Payment submitted meanwhile: do not pay again. Need TradeSafe’s EFT details again? Use Need the EFT bank details again? on the deal page.
• Paid twice by mistake: email support with the deal reference and proof of both payments. Pakstoor checks it with TradeSafe.
• Payment failed: see My payment failed.
• Refund not received: refunds are issued through TradeSafe, and the time to reach you depends on your payment method and bank. The deal page shows when the refund was issued, and a Refund notice appears under Documents.

See also How do refunds work? Still unsure? Email support@pakstoor.co.za with the deal reference.

Yes. Until you pay, nothing has been charged. You can withdraw a pending offer with Cancel offer, and cancel an accepted order with Cancel order on the deal page, with no penalty to you. An accepted order that is not paid within 72 hours is cancelled anyway.

After you have paid, see Can I return something because I changed my mind?

Save your addresses under Settings, Delivery addresses and mark one as default. When you buy at the asking price you choose Deliver to my address or Pick up at courier point; an offer uses your saved address. The address is fixed on the deal when it is created and the courier is booked to it, so check it carefully before you confirm.

These labels show on a listing:

• Under Offer: the seller accepted an offer and is waiting for the buyer to pay. If the payment does not come through, the item becomes available again.
• Sale in Progress: the buyer has paid, and delivery, inspection or a review is still under way.
• Sold: the sale is finished.
• Out of stock: a Local Businesses product with no units left, or one the business has marked out of stock. While it is out of stock it is not in the main marketplace, Explore or search results. You can still find it on the business’s storefront, the seller’s page and through a saved or shared link, with Out of stock where NEW usually shows and a slightly blurred photo, and its card does not open. You cannot buy it or make an offer until the business adds stock or marks it back in stock. Save it with the heart to find it again. A private listing that sells more than one of the same item does not show Out of stock: while the last ones are held for buyers it shows Under Offer or Sale in Progress, and when the last one sells, the listing is removed.

A new offer does not change the label: the item stays available until the seller accepts an offer.

When the buyer pays, the money goes to TradeSafe, an independent escrow provider, not to the seller and not to Pakstoor. TradeSafe holds it while the item is shipped, delivered and inspected, or until both of you confirm an in-person handover.

Every courier deal has a 72 hour inspection window that starts when the courier confirms delivery. Pakstoor may change the default for future transactions and will always show the window on your deal page. If the buyer accepts the item, or the window ends without a Formal Protected Review, Pakstoor instructs TradeSafe to release the money to the seller. If a review is opened in time, the funds remain protected while Pakstoor reviews the evidence.

An in-person handover has no inspection window: the buyer checks the item at the meeting, and the money is released only when buyer and seller have both confirmed and TradeSafe confirms the release. See Courier delivery or in-person handover.

Every TradeSafe transaction has three parties:

• BUYER: pays into escrow and inspects the item.
• SELLER: ships the item and receives the money when it is released.
• AGENT (Pakstoor): runs the transaction, coordinates the courier, reviews problems and instructs TradeSafe when to release or refund. Pakstoor’s own fee is paid to it as the agent.

Pakstoor is not the buyer, the seller or the courier, and does not hold the money itself.

On Pakstoor a screenshot, SMS, WhatsApp message, email or the buyer’s own screen is never proof of payment. The only proof is your own Pakstoor deal page showing Payment secured.

• Never ship or hand over the item before your deal page shows Payment secured.
• Be wary of "I overpaid, please refund the difference" messages and emails that look like they come from TradeSafe or Pakstoor.
• Pakstoor never asks you to ship before payment is secured.

Say no. A payment made by direct EFT, cash deposit, payment link or any other route outside your Pakstoor deal page is not protected: there is no escrow, no inspection window and no Formal Protected Review. Requests to move to WhatsApp or pay directly are a common scam pattern.

Keep the conversation in Pakstoor Messages and report the user (see How do I report a scammer?).

Pakstoor will never ask for your password, sign-in or recovery codes, card details or OTPs, never ask you to pay outside your deal page, and never ask you to ship before your deal page shows Payment secured. Pakstoor emails come from an @pakstoor.co.za address and links go to pakstoor.co.za.

If in doubt, do not click: type pakstoor.co.za yourself and check your deal page. Forward suspicious messages to security@pakstoor.co.za.

Warning signs: a price far below market value, copied photos, a seller who pushes you to pay quickly or outside Pakstoor, or a story about why the item cannot be shipped. Do not pay, and report it: on the listing page choose the report link, pick a reason (for example Fraudulent listing, Stolen property or Counterfeit) and choose Send report.

You can also email abuse@pakstoor.co.za with the listing link.

• A seller: choose Report seller on their listing, pick a reason (for example Scam attempt or Impersonation or fake account) and send it. You are then offered the option to block them too.
• Someone in Messages: use the Report button in the conversation.
• Anything else: email abuse@pakstoor.co.za with the profile link, the reason and the deal reference if there is one.

Your identity is not shared with the person you report unless the law requires it. Reports made in bad faith may be flagged on the reporter’s account.

A Pakstoor team member reads every report, decides how serious it is and reviews the evidence. Depending on what they find, Pakstoor can remove a listing, suspend or close an account, freeze a deal so the funds remain protected, start a Formal Protected Review or refer the matter to the police. You are told the outcome by email, although some details about another person’s account stay private.

• Stop: do not send more money, codes or items, and stop contact outside Pakstoor.
• Keep evidence: screenshots of messages, the listing, payment records and any phone numbers.
• If you paid through your Pakstoor deal page: the money is in TradeSafe escrow. Do not complete the transaction; open a Formal Protected Review (Report a problem on the deal in Messages), and the funds remain protected while Pakstoor reviews it.
• If you paid outside Pakstoor: Pakstoor cannot recover that money. Contact your bank immediately and open a case at your nearest police station (SAPS).
• Report it to security@pakstoor.co.za with your deal reference.
• Account access at risk? Reset your password straight away.

Before you pay: ask the seller questions on the listing. Pick a question from the list, or choose Other to write a short question that Pakstoor checks before the seller sees it. The answers show on the listing, so other buyers see them too. Offers and counter-offers also go through Pakstoor.

After payment: as part of the protected order, buyer and seller may also have order messages: short written messages about that order, kept with it as a record. Where they are available, phone numbers, email addresses, links, messaging-app handles and requests to pay outside Pakstoor are blocked, messages cannot be edited or deleted, and either of you can report a message.

Never move the conversation to WhatsApp, SMS or email. That is where most scams start, and nothing outside Pakstoor is protected.

Deadlines keep the transaction moving, so nobody can hold your money hostage:

• A seller who does not ship by the ship-by date gives the buyer the option to cancel and get a refund.
• A buyer who does nothing after delivery: the money is released when the inspection window ends without a review.
• A seller who does not answer a return request within 48 hours: Pakstoor reviews the request.
• A party who goes quiet during a Formal Protected Review: Pakstoor decides on the evidence it has.

A refund is not automatic: it depends on the situation and, where there is a dispute, on evidence review and a qualifying release condition (for example the seller missed the ship-by date and you chose Cancel and refund, a review was decided in your favour, or a return was received and accepted).

Refunds are paid back through TradeSafe; how long it takes to reach you depends on your payment method and bank. When a paid deal is cancelled before dispatch, you see exactly what is refunded before you confirm: at least the item price, the courier fee and the Pakstoor Buyer Protection Fee come back. TradeSafe’s own payment fee is refunded or kept by TradeSafe under its rules. When a return or a Formal Protected Review ends in a refund, the Buyer Protection Fee is refunded with the item price. The exact amounts are shown again when the refund is issued.

Not at the moment. Pakstoor can currently hold the funds, release them in full to the seller, or refund the buyer in full, depending on the outcome. Partial settlements are not carried out through escrow yet. If the buyer and seller agree on something different, Pakstoor records it but can only act within what TradeSafe supports.

When a sale completes, TradeSafe releases your money into your TradeSafe wallet, held by TradeSafe in your name. You see it under Banking, Wallet: Available balance is cleared money you can withdraw, and Pending in escrow is money from sales that have not completed yet.

Moving money from the wallet to your bank account is a separate step that you start yourself: see How do I withdraw to my bank?

TradeSafe releases the money to your wallet when the buyer completes the transaction, or when the inspection window ends without an open Formal Protected Review. The window is 72 hours from the courier’s confirmed delivery, and the deal page shows it. On an in-person handover the release happens once you both confirm.

The deal page shows "Funds released to the seller" only after TradeSafe confirms the release. You then withdraw to your bank when you are ready.

Sellers currently pay no Pakstoor commission (0%), so you receive the agreed selling price. Example: if your item sells for R1,000, R1,000 is released to your TradeSafe wallet. The buyer pays the Buyer Protection Fee, TradeSafe’s payment fee and any courier delivery; none of it comes out of your payout.

Payout rules still apply: the release follows the inspection and review rules, withdrawals to your bank carry TradeSafe’s bank payout fee, and an unpaid courier shortfall is settled first. The deal page shows your exact figures.

Go to Banking, Bank details, fill in your SA ID number, mobile number, bank, account type, account number and branch code, and choose Save payout details. TradeSafe, our escrow partner, needs your ID number to set up payouts and must accept your bank details before you can withdraw; this usually takes a few minutes. Add your details before your first sale.

The status shows Accepted by TradeSafe, Pending or Not accepted. If it shows Not accepted, choose Re-enter bank details and check every field. Buyers do not need to do this. Pakstoor shows only the last 4 digits of your account number and never asks for ID documents by ordinary email.

You can change banks under Change bank details, but not while a sale is in progress or money is in your wallet, and at most 3 times in 30 days.

Go to Banking, Wallet, enter an amount under Withdraw to bank and continue. Before anything is sent, a confirmation shows TradeSafe’s fee and the amount you will receive. Choose Withdraw now to confirm, or Cancel.

• Minimum R50 per withdrawal; a single withdrawal is capped at R500,000.
• Standard payouts go by EFT, usually the next business day. Real-time clearing (RTC) is faster where your bank supports it and carries a further TradeSafe fee.
• For your security, Pakstoor may ask you to confirm it is you before a withdrawal.

Your history is under Banking, Withdrawals.

TradeSafe charges a bank payout fee on each withdrawal, deducted from the amount you withdraw. Pakstoor adds nothing. The confirmation screen shows the exact fee, including VAT, and what you will receive before you confirm; RTC costs more.

Because the fee is charged per withdrawal, fewer, larger withdrawals cost less in fees than many small ones.

Not at the moment. Today you withdraw from your TradeSafe wallet to your bank yourself, whenever you choose, and the fee is shown before you confirm. Automatic monthly payouts are not available yet. If Pakstoor introduces them, the Banking page and this answer will say so first.

Paying for purchases from your wallet balance is also not available yet.

• Standard EFT usually arrives the next business day; weekends and public holidays add time.
• "TradeSafe declined this withdrawal. Nothing was sent." Check your bank details and their status on the Banking page, then try again.
• A withdrawal is being checked or the outcome could not be confirmed: do not withdraw again. Check your bank and your Withdrawals history first; Pakstoor checks it with TradeSafe and will contact you.

Nothing arrived after 2 business days? Email support@pakstoor.co.za with the withdrawal date and amount.

• The inspection window is still running, or the courier has not yet confirmed delivery.
• The buyer opened a Formal Protected Review: funds remain protected until the review is decided.
• A return is in progress.
• There is an outstanding courier shortfall on the deal (see courier shortfall).
• Pakstoor is checking the transaction for your protection.

The deal page shows the current step. Money never moves just because a timer ran out while a review is open.

If The Courier Guy measures or weighs your parcel and it is bigger or heavier than the size you declared, the courier charges Pakstoor more than the quote. That difference is the seller’s responsibility; it is never charged to the buyer. A small difference is absorbed.

The deal page shows the amount and lets you pay it through Pakstoor’s SnapScan. Your payout is released once the outstanding courier amount has been paid. Declare the packed size accurately to avoid it.

Pakstoor books The Courier Guy for every courier sale; you do not need your own account. Once the buyer’s payment is secured, open the deal page and, under Ready to ship?, choose Generate waybill (Messages has the same button).

You can first add optional shipping evidence photos (recommended), then choose Courier collects from my address or I’ll drop at a courier point. The waybill is created automatically; you cannot type in your own waybill number.

Normal items: generate the waybill within 2 business days after the buyer’s payment is secured (weekends and South African public holidays do not count). You get a reminder the day before and on the day. Collection is usually planned for the next business day, and the courier must collect within 5 business days of the booking.

Sellers cannot request a deadline extension. The deadline shown on the deal stays in place. If you cannot fulfil the order, review the cancellation options on the deal or contact support. If the deadline is missed, the buyer can choose Cancel and refund, and a paid order with no waybill after 14 calendar days is cancelled and refunded.

On order products (Local Businesses): confirm within 1 business day that you can supply the item and book the courier by business day 9. The buyer expects delivery 7 to 14 business days after paying, and a paid On order deal with no waybill after 20 business days is cancelled and refunded. See What does On order mean?

The courier collects from the pickup address on your listing (set in the Location step) or, if there is none, your default saved address. That address is fixed on the deal when the sale is made, so later changes to your profile do not change an active booking.

Keep your pickup address up to date before you sell. If the address on an active deal is wrong, choose the courier-point drop-off option if it suits you, or email support with the deal reference before you generate the waybill.

The courier price is a live quote from The Courier Guy for the parcel size the seller declared and the route between the two addresses. Pakstoor passes it on without a markup. The buyer pays it as Courier delivery, shown before payment. Large but light parcels can still cost more, because couriers charge for size as well as weight.

Choose the size of the packed parcel, not the item. Standard sizes run from XS (20 x 15 x 10 cm, up to 1 kg) to XXL (100 x 70 x 60 cm, up to 40 kg). Pakstoor Heavy adds four larger bands: HEAVY, SUPER HEAVY, ULTRA HEAVY and TITAN, for big items the courier can accept. The sell page shows each size and a guide with common items.

Large sizes are only available when the courier returns a live price. A supported size does not make an item allowed. If the parcel is bigger or heavier than declared, you pay the difference (see courier shortfall).

After you generate it, the deal page shows the courier waybill number, the PST code and a Download PDF button. It is also under Documents as Courier waybill (PDF). Print it and stick it firmly on the outside of the parcel where it can be scanned.

Only the seller can download the waybill, because it shows the seller’s address. Buyers follow the tracking on the deal page.

• Use safe, dry and tamper-evident packaging: a sturdy box, padding around the item and strong tape.
• Take photos of the item, any serial number, the packaging, the sealed parcel and the waybill before handover. The shipping evidence step can store them on the deal.
• The Courier Guy does not collect parcels with any oil or liquid, including engines, engine parts and gearboxes; such parcels are returned to the sender.
• Make sure the packed size and weight match what you declared.

The deal page and Messages show the progress strip: Paid, Waybill, Handed over, then the courier steps Collected, At hub, In transit, Out for delivery and Delivered, lit only from The Courier Guy’s own scans. You can also use Track a parcel.

A PST code (Pakstoor Secure Tracking, for example PST00012345) is Pakstoor’s reference for the parcel. It sits next to The Courier Guy waybill number and ties the parcel to the deal. Quote it when you contact support about a delivery.

Sellers: check the collection address and that someone was available, keep the waybill on the parcel, and use the courier-point drop-off option if collection keeps failing. Tell the buyer in Messages and check the progress on the deal. Email support with the PST code if the courier does not come back.

Buyers: if the courier has not collected within 5 business days of the booking, you can choose Cancel and refund on the deal. It is a choice, not automatic: you may also keep waiting.

First check the tracking on the deal page. Deliveries can take longer over weekends, public holidays and peak season.

If it still has not arrived, tap I have not received it on the deal page. It becomes available 12 days after the parcel was handed to the courier, or straight away if the courier reports a failed delivery or a return to the sender. This opens a Courier & Insurance Review: the funds remain protected while Pakstoor checks the courier record.

Check with neighbours, security or reception, and any courier point named in the tracking. If it is not there, open a Formal Protected Review straight away, inside the inspection window, and choose Parcel late, lost or damaged. Do not complete the transaction. The case goes to Courier & Insurance Review and the funds remain protected while Pakstoor checks the courier’s proof of delivery.

See How do I open a Formal Protected Review?

Lost or damaged parcels go to a Courier & Insurance Review. Buyers: photograph the parcel before and after opening, keep all packaging and do not complete the transaction; open the review in the inspection window (or use I have not received it for a lost parcel). Sellers: your shipping evidence photos help show how the parcel left you.

Funds remain protected during the review. Pakstoor decides on the evidence and the courier record; a courier claim is not automatic and is subject to The Courier Guy’s terms and liability limits.

Pakstoor does not currently provide shipping insurance. Deliveries are subject to The Courier Guy’s standard terms and liability limitations. TradeSafe escrow protects payments according to Pakstoor’s transaction and dispute rules, but does not insure goods against physical loss or damage. The seller is responsible for insuring the item until The Courier Guy confirms delivery.

The courier’s standard liability is limited and may not cover the value of the goods. If you want cover for a high-value item, arrange it with your own insurer. Pakstoor does not arrange or charge for shipping insurance.

No. Pakstoor books The Courier Guy for every courier sale, so the tracking, delivery confirmation and inspection window all work inside the deal. Self-arranged delivery is not available. If you do not want to ship, offer in-person collection instead.

Do not complete the transaction. Photograph the parcel, the waybill and what you received, and keep everything as it arrived. Then open a Formal Protected Review in the inspection window and choose Wrong item. If the parcel is clearly addressed to someone else, also tell support with the PST code.

They follow different rules:

• Change of mind (wrong size, does not fit, no longer wanted): not a valid reason for a Formal Protected Review. You may ask for a return, the seller may decline it, and if the seller agrees you pay the return courier.
• Seller fault (wrong item, not as described, hidden defect, missing parts, counterfeit): request a return or open a review; the seller pays the return courier.
• Courier damage or loss: a Courier & Insurance Review based on the courier record.
• Suspected fraud (empty parcel, swapped item, fake evidence): Fraud Escalation.
• A refund is the possible result of one of these, never automatic: it needs a qualifying release condition.

Your rights under the Consumer Protection Act, where it applies, are not affected.

Every courier deal has a 72 hour inspection window that starts when the courier confirms delivery. Pakstoor may change the default for future transactions and will always show the window on your deal page. You get a reminder when 24 hours are left.

Open the parcel straight away. Report a problem (a return request or a Formal Protected Review) before the window on your deal page ends; do not wait until the last hours.

An in-person handover has no inspection window. Check the item before you confirm: see What should I check before I confirm?

Tapping Complete Transaction (Confirm receipt on the reminder banner) asks you to confirm with Complete Transaction Now, or go back with Continue Inspection. Completing tells Pakstoor you accept the item, and the money is released to the seller once TradeSafe confirms it.

Completing is final: after it you can no longer request a return or open a review. Only complete once you have checked the item.

If no return request or Formal Protected Review is open when the window ends, the transaction completes and Pakstoor instructs TradeSafe to release the money to the seller. That release is final.

If you discover a problem later, contact support with the deal reference. Pakstoor cannot reverse a release, but your rights under South African law are not affected.

• Do not complete the transaction. Keep the item and all packaging exactly as they arrived.
• Photograph everything: the parcel outside, the waybill, the packaging, then close-ups of the damage. An unboxing video helps for high-value items.
• Open a Formal Protected Review before the inspection window ends and choose Arrived damaged.

Funds remain protected while Pakstoor reviews the evidence and the courier record. Opening a review does not mean a refund is approved. See How do I open a review?

These are seller-fault problems. Do not complete the transaction. Photograph the item next to the listing details (and any serial number), then either:

• Request return with the reason Wrong item received, Item not as described or Missing parts or accessories; or
• open a Formal Protected Review and choose Wrong item, Not as described, Hidden defect, Missing parts or Counterfeit / fake.

If Pakstoor authorises a return for a seller fault, the seller pays the return courier.

Pakstoor handles private sales, so change of mind, wrong size, does not fit and preference are not valid reasons for a Formal Protected Review. You can still ask: choose Request return with a reason such as Changed my mind. The seller may decline. If the seller approves, you pay the return courier, and the refund needs Pakstoor’s Refund Approval once the item is back.

If the seller declines, your inspection window resumes with at least 24 hours left. If the seller sells in the ordinary course of business, your rights under the Consumer Protection Act still apply.

On a delivered deal, before you complete it, choose Request return (on the deal page under Need to return this item?, or in Messages). Pick the reason, explain the problem (needed for wrong, not as described, damaged or missing items), confirm the two packing and condition ticks and choose Submit return request. One return request per deal.

The seller has 48 hours to approve or decline. If the seller does not answer, Pakstoor reviews the request. Return Authorization means the item goes back for inspection: it is not a refund approval.

• Buyer pays: Changed my mind, Ordered by mistake, Item not suitable or Other.
• Seller pays: Wrong item received, Item not as described, Item arrived damaged, Missing parts or accessories, or any return Pakstoor authorises after finding a seller fault.
• Courier damage or loss is handled in a Courier & Insurance Review.

Pakstoor does not pay the return courier. The person responsible has 72 hours to pay it.

The return courier is a separate Pakstoor service charge, paid on the deal page with Pay with SnapScan through Pakstoor’s own payment gateway (currently SnapScan). It is not a second TradeSafe escrow, it is never taken from the escrow, and no Buyer Protection Fee or VAT is added.

The return waybill is created automatically once the payment is confirmed. The buyer then packs the item safely and hands it to the courier within 48 hours.

Yes, while it is still waiting for the seller: choose Withdraw request. Once the seller has approved the return, it cannot be cancelled from the deal page; contact support with the deal reference if your situation has changed.

• Seller-fault return: when the seller confirms the return was received, or 72 hours after the courier delivers the return if the seller stays silent.
• Change-of-mind return: only after Pakstoor gives Refund Approval; never automatically.
• Sellers: if the return is empty, wrong, damaged or incomplete, use Report a problem with the return before the 72 hours pass.

Open the deal’s conversation in Messages and choose Report a problem (or Open protected review). You can also use Report a problem on the reminder banner, or I have not received it on the deal page for a missing parcel. Then:

• choose what is wrong (for example Arrived damaged, Wrong item, Not as described, Missing parts, Counterfeit / fake, Empty parcel, Parcel late, lost or damaged);
• describe what happened (no phone numbers or email addresses);
• add up to 8 photos, tick the confirmation and choose Open review.

Opening a review freezes the funds and starts an evidence review. It does not approve a refund or a return automatically. One review per deal.

• The parcel outside and the waybill, before you open it further.
• The opened parcel and packaging.
• The item, close-ups of the problem, and the serial or IMEI number where applicable.
• A clear written explanation of what is wrong compared with the listing.
• Sellers: your shipping evidence photos (item, serial, packaging, sealed parcel, waybill).

Upload evidence inside Pakstoor so it stays timestamped and linked to the transaction. Never send ID documents by ordinary email.

The other party is told and asked to respond with their own evidence; disagreeing does not stop the review. Pakstoor reviews the evidence from both sides on working days and may ask either of you for more (you then have 72 hours to add it). Possible outcomes include: the review is denied and the money released to the seller, a return is authorised, a refund is approved, the case is routed to Courier & Insurance Review or Direct Party Resolution, or it is escalated for fraud.

Money moves only when a qualifying release condition is met and TradeSafe executes the instruction. See the full review rules.

There is no separate appeal step inside Pakstoor. If you have new evidence that was not available during the review, email support@pakstoor.co.za with the deal reference. Released or refunded money cannot be reversed.

If you remain dissatisfied, you can still use any external process available under South African law, such as the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud, the National Consumer Commission or a court. The Formal Protected Review does not replace those rights.

For a normal item the seller must generate a waybill within 2 business days after your payment. If they do not, or the courier has not collected within 5 business days of the booking, Cancel and refund appears on your deal. It is your choice: confirm with Yes, cancel and refund, or choose Keep waiting if you want to wait. This does not extend the deadline shown on the deal. If there is still no waybill after 14 calendar days, the deal is cancelled and refunded.

You get back at least the item price and the courier fee; TradeSafe’s own payment fee is refunded or kept by TradeSafe under its rules. You see exactly what is refunded, including whether the Buyer Protection Fee is refunded, before you confirm and when the refund is issued.

On order products have a longer timeline: the business books the courier by business day 9, and with no waybill after 20 business days the order is cancelled and refunded. See What does On order mean?

Both are paid into TradeSafe escrow, so the seller never receives the money directly. What happens next depends on how the item reaches the buyer.

Courier delivery

• Payment: the buyer pays on the deal page within 72 hours after the order is accepted. The seller ships only once the deal page shows Payment secured.
• Delivery: the seller books The Courier Guy through Pakstoor, and every courier scan shows on the deal page.
• Inspection: the 72 hour inspection window starts when the courier confirms delivery. The deal page shows when it ends.
• Confirmation: the buyer taps Complete Transaction to accept the item, or reports a problem (a return request or a Formal Protected Review) before the window ends.
• Funds release: TradeSafe releases the money to the seller when the buyer accepts the item, or when the window ends with no return request or review open. While a review is open, the funds remain protected.

In-person handover

• Payment: the buyer pays on the handover screen while you are together, and the money waits in TradeSafe escrow. The seller hands over the item only once their own screen shows Payment secured. An EFT can take a day or more to clear.
• Inspection: the buyer checks the item at the meeting, before confirming. There is no 72 hour inspection window, courier tracking or item-condition review afterwards.
• Confirmation: each of you confirms on your own phone. The buyer types the 4-digit code shown on the seller’s screen, and each confirmation needs your fingerprint, face, screen lock or Pakstoor password.
• Funds release: only when both of you have confirmed and TradeSafe confirms the release, never because time has passed. If something is wrong before then, Report a handover problem keeps the money frozen while Pakstoor support reviews it.

There are two ways. A seller using Sell direct to someone can choose In-person handover, and a seller on any courier listing can tick Also allow in-person collection, so a buyer can choose Collect in person instead on the listing page. A collection request reserves the item: arrange where and when to meet in Messages. Both accounts must be at least 7 days old, and the maximum value depends on both people’s trust levels.

When you are together, the buyer pays through Pakstoor and the money waits in TradeSafe escrow. You both see the same live handover screen: the buyer inspects the item, then each of you confirms in your own account. The money is released only when both have confirmed and TradeSafe confirms the release. Only leave once both screens show the transaction is complete.

Custom (personalised) products cannot be handed over in person, and services and rentals are booked with the business instead (booking is coming soon). Vehicles will use their own in-person transfer when vehicle sales open: see Can I buy or sell a vehicle on Pakstoor?

In-person handovers open at Trust Level 2, and both accounts must be at least 7 days old. At Level 1 you can still list an item with in-person handover or collection, but you cannot buy or sell in person until you reach Level 2.

The highest price per item follows the lower Trust Level of the two of you:

• Level 1: no in-person handovers
• Level 2: up to R3 000
• Level 3: up to R7 500
• Level 4: up to R20 000
• Level 5: up to R50 000

Pakstoor may change these limits. Items above the limit need courier delivery.

To reach Level 2, confirm your mobile number, turn on a passkey or authenticator app and add a profile photo. Higher levels come with payout details and completed deals: see the Trust Ladder.

There are no courier fees. The seller currently pays no Pakstoor commission (0%). The buyer pays the Pakstoor Buyer Protection Fee (2.5% of the item price, the same as on a courier deal) plus TradeSafe’s fee for the payment method, each shown as its own line before paying.

Released money goes to the seller’s TradeSafe wallet first; moving it to a bank account is a separate withdrawal.

Your confirmation releases the money and it cannot be reversed, even if the item later turns out to be faulty, fake or stolen. Before you confirm:

• Have the item in your hands and test it properly (switch it on, check serial or IMEI numbers, parts and accessories).
• Compare it with the listing photos and description.
• Never confirm under pressure or because the seller is in a hurry.
• Do not pay if the seller says Pakstoor will collect or deliver the item later.

There is no 72 hour inspection window, courier tracking or Pakstoor item-condition review after an in-person handover is complete.

Before payment, either of you can cancel. Once the buyer has paid, only the seller can cancel: the buyer is refunded through TradeSafe (at least the item price; the handover page shows exactly what is refunded, and TradeSafe’s own payment fee is refunded or kept by TradeSafe under its rules). A buyer who changes their mind asks the seller to cancel, or reports a handover problem.

Nothing is ever released just because time passed.

Before both confirmations, use Report a handover problem on the handover screen. The money stays frozen while Pakstoor support reviews it and decides whether to hold, resume, refund or release it.

After completion you can still report it to Pakstoor (contact support and quote the reference). If you were defrauded, open a case at your nearest police station (SAPS) and give them the deal reference; Pakstoor gives the other person’s details to the investigating officer when SAPS requests them for your case number. Your rights under South African law are not affected.

• Meet in a busy public place in daylight, never at a private home.
• Bring someone with you and tell a friend where you are going.
• Pay only through the handover screen. Never pay in cash, by direct EFT or with a payment link someone sends you.
• Keep the conversation in Pakstoor Messages so there is a record.

Pakstoor cannot check the item or the meeting for you and does not insure or guarantee the item. See the Terms of Service, Article 7A.

Open the deal: My purchases (buyers) or My listings and Messages (sellers), then the deal page. Scroll to the Documents section and choose Download next to the document. A document that is not ready yet shows Pending with the moment it becomes available.

The Documents section appears once the deal has moved past the payment stage.

Your Payment receipt (reference starting PKS-ORD) is issued once your payment is confirmed. It lists the item price, courier delivery, the buyer fee and the total you paid, and is your proof of purchase through Pakstoor.

It is a receipt for your payment, not an invoice for the item: the seller sold you the item, not Pakstoor.

Pakstoor invoices you for its own charge only: the Pakstoor Buyer Protection Fee (2.5% of the item price). The invoice (reference starting PKS-BSF) is issued when the transaction completes and appears in the Documents section on the deal page. Pakstoor keeps a copy in its accounting system (Zoho Books).

Courier delivery and TradeSafe’s payment fee are not Pakstoor charges, so they are not on this invoice. If the purchase is cancelled or refunded, the fee is refunded with it and no invoice is issued.

Pakstoor is not VAT registered, so its invoices are not VAT tax invoices and Pakstoor charges no VAT on its own fee. TradeSafe’s payment fee is shown with VAT because TradeSafe charges it.

Ask your accountant how to treat these documents for your own tax affairs.

Pakstoor does not sell or invoice the item. The seller is responsible for any invoice for the item. A seller who sells in the ordinary course of business must give whatever documents the law requires them to give.

Your Payment receipt (PKS-ORD) shows what you paid through Pakstoor and can serve as proof of the purchase.

First add your business once under Settings, Billing details: turn on Invoice to a business, enter the company name, registration number (optional), VAT number (if registered), billing email and billing address, and choose Save billing details.

Then, when you choose how to pay, pick Invoice to my business instead of Invoice to me. Every purchase starts on Invoice to me, so you choose per purchase. Sellers never see your billing details.

You can switch between Invoice to me and Invoice to my business until your payment is submitted. After that the choice is locked, and the purchase keeps the details you chose as part of its financial record, even if you later change or remove your billing details in Settings.

Changes in Settings apply to future purchases only. If a detail on an issued document is wrong, email support@pakstoor.co.za with the reference.

No. Invoice to me is the default, and your receipt and Buyer Protection Fee invoice use your own name. You only need Billing details if you want some purchases invoiced to a business.

• Courier waybill (PDF): to print and stick on the parcel, available once the waybill is generated.
• Settlement statement: what was paid out for the sale, available once the transaction completes.
• Commission invoice: not issued while sellers pay 0% commission; the deal page says so.

All of them are in the Documents section of the deal page.

Yes. When a refund is issued, a Refund notice appears in the Documents section of the deal page. It shows what was refunded and what was not, including whether the Pakstoor Buyer Protection Fee was refunded. No Buyer Protection Fee invoice is issued for a cancelled or refunded purchase.

Work through these steps in order:

• Check that your email address is spelled correctly and that Caps Lock is off.
• If you registered with Google, use Continue with Google. A Google account has no Pakstoor password unless you set one.
• If you added a passkey, tap Sign in with a passkey on the log in page.
• Forgot your password? Use Forgot? next to the password field to get a reset link by email.
• After too many wrong attempts, sign-in pauses for a while. Wait for the time shown and try again.

Still stuck? Email support@pakstoor.co.za from the address on your account. Pakstoor support will never ask for your password, a sign-in code or a recovery code.

On the log in page, tap Forgot?, enter your email and choose Send reset link. If the address belongs to an active Pakstoor account, you get a secure link by email. It expires after 30 minutes and works once.

Choosing a new password signs you out on every device and removes your saved passkeys, so add them again afterwards under Settings, Security. You also get an email confirming the change.

• Wait a few minutes, then check your spam, junk and promotions folders.
• Make sure you typed the same address you registered with. For your privacy, Pakstoor does not say whether an address has an account.
• Request a new link. Each new link replaces the older ones, so always use the latest email. Reset and verification links expire after 30 minutes.
• For a verification email, use Resend on the yellow banner once you are signed in.
• If you asked many times, wait a while: requests are limited per hour to protect accounts.

Still nothing after an hour? Email support@pakstoor.co.za from that address.

Go to Settings, Profile, Change password. Enter your current password, then the new one twice, and choose Save changes. Use at least 10 characters with a number and a symbol.

You stay signed in on this device, but every other device is signed out and your passkeys are removed for your security. If you sign in with Google only, there is no Pakstoor password: use Forgot password on the log in page if you want one as well.

A passkey lets you sign in with your phone or computer’s screen lock (face, fingerprint or PIN) instead of typing a password. It is tied to Pakstoor’s website, so it cannot be phished on a fake site, and there is nothing to remember or reuse.

To use it, tap Sign in with a passkey on the log in page. A passkey signs you in on its own, without your password or an authenticator code.

Sign in on the device you want to use, then go to Settings, Security, Passkeys and choose Add passkey. To confirm it is you, Pakstoor first asks for your current password (or an authenticator code if you sign in with Google only).

For a second phone, laptop or security key, repeat this on that device. You can add as many as you like. A Google-only account must turn on an authenticator app first before it can add a passkey.

Under Settings, Security, Passkeys you see each passkey with the date it was added and last used. Use Rename to give it a name you recognise, or Remove to delete it. Remove any passkey on a device you no longer have.

Changing or resetting your password removes all passkeys automatically.

Your account is not tied to one phone. Use whichever of these you have:

• Password: sign in with your email and password on any device.
• Google: if you registered with Google, use Continue with Google.
• Forgot password: a reset link by email gets you back in and removes all old passkeys.
• Two-factor: if your authenticator was on the lost phone, see the answer on a lost authenticator.

Once you are in, remove the old phone’s passkey and add one on your new phone. If the phone was stolen, also change your password.

See also: I lost my authenticator app.

Two-factor adds a 6-digit code from an authenticator app (such as Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator) after your password. Pakstoor does not send sign-in codes by SMS.

Turn it on under Settings, Security, Two-factor authentication, Set up 2FA: scan the QR code, save your 8 recovery codes, then confirm with a code. Each recovery code works once; Pakstoor shows them only once, so download or print them and keep them safe. You can generate fresh codes later with a current code.

At sign-in, enter the code from your app, or choose Use a recovery code instead.

• Have a recovery code? On the code screen choose Use a recovery code instead. Then set up two-factor again on your new phone.
• Have a passkey? Sign in with the passkey instead.
• Neither? Type your email on the log in form, sign in with your password, then on the code screen choose Lost your device? Pakstoor emails a link (valid for 24 hours). Open it and enter your account password to turn two-factor off, then set it up again once you are in.

For your security, two-factor cannot be turned off this way within 24 hours of a password reset. If you sign in with Google only, the email explains your options. Support can only help after verifying that the request really comes from you, and will never ask for your codes.

If you can still sign in: go to Settings, Profile, Change email address, enter the new address and your current password, and choose Send confirmation link. Nothing changes until you open the link in the new inbox (valid 24 hours). Your old address is told and can undo the change for 7 days.

If you cannot sign in and cannot reach the inbox: email support@pakstoor.co.za. Support must verify your identity before changing anything, so access cannot be restored on request alone.

Accounts that sign in with Google change their email through Google.

• Name and mobile number: Settings, Profile, then Save changes. A new number must be confirmed with a 6-digit PIN sent by SMS (from your Account page).
• Delivery addresses: Settings, Delivery addresses, then Add address. An address used by an open offer cannot be deleted until that offer ends.
• Date of birth cannot be changed in Settings. Contact support if it is wrong.
• Bank details are on the Banking page.

Pakstoor emails you when your password is changed or reset, when your email address is changed, when Google is linked and when two-factor is turned on or off. Watch for:

• one of those emails when you did not make the change;
• listings, offers or messages you did not create;
• changed bank details or an unexpected withdrawal;
• a passkey in Settings, Security that you do not recognise.

If you see any of these, follow the steps in My account may be compromised.

• Reset your password straight away (Forgot? on the log in page). This signs out every device and removes all passkeys. The "Your password was changed" email also has a Wasn’t me, reset password button.
• Turn on two-factor or add a passkey once you are back in.
• Check your bank details, listings and open deals.
• Report it to security@pakstoor.co.za (or support@pakstoor.co.za) with your account email and what you noticed.
• If you also use that password elsewhere, change it there too.

Go to Settings, Account, Delete account, enter your password and choose Yes, delete my account. This cannot be undone. There is no temporary deactivation option.

You cannot delete your account while a transaction is in progress, an accepted order awaits payment, money is still in your TradeSafe wallet (withdraw it first) or a courier balance is outstanding. Your personal details are removed; listings and transaction records are kept as the law requires (see the Privacy Policy). Google-only accounts email privacy@pakstoor.co.za from the account address.

Go to Settings, Privacy, Export my data and choose Download. You get a file with your profile, listings, offers, deals and other account records; ID and bank numbers are masked.

For anything the file does not include, or to correct information, email privacy@pakstoor.co.za. See the Privacy Policy and POPIA pages.

When you report a user, Pakstoor offers Yes, also block. A blocked person cannot send you offers or counter-offers, and they are not told that you blocked them. Manage the list under Settings, Blocked users.

Blocking does not cancel a deal that is already running: that deal continues under the normal rules, and you can still report a problem on it.

If Pakstoor suspends or closes an account, it sends an email to the account address. Pakstoor will tell you the reason and give you a chance to respond: reply to that email or write to support@pakstoor.co.za and a person will look at it.

While suspended you cannot sign in. Open transactions follow the normal rules and stay protected. See the Terms of Service.

• Check your spam and promotions folders and add pakstoor.co.za to your safe senders.
• Check Settings, Notifications: Transactional SMS, Offers on your listings and Listing reminders can be switched on or off there. Security and transaction emails are always sent.
• Confirm your mobile number with the SMS PIN on your Account page.
• Pakstoor does not send an email for every new message: check Messages for anything waiting on you.

• Refresh the page, or close the tab and open it again.
• Update your browser and try another one if the problem stays.
• Check the STATUS link at the top of every page to see whether Pakstoor reports a problem.
• Signed out unexpectedly? Sessions end after 12 hours without activity and after 7 days in total. Sign in again.
• Do not pay twice if a payment page fails: see My payment failed first.

Still broken? Signed-in users can use Report a bug, or email support@pakstoor.co.za with the page address and a screenshot.

Need help? Contact our support team at support@pakstoor.co.za. We aim to respond as quickly as possible. Quote your deal reference if it is about a transaction.

• Problems with an item you received: open a Formal Protected Review instead (Report a problem on the deal in Messages), so your funds remain protected.
• Security issues and suspected fraud: security@pakstoor.co.za.
• Privacy and POPIA requests: privacy@pakstoor.co.za.

Pakstoor never asks for your password, codes or card details, and never asks you to pay outside Pakstoor.

An On order product comes from a Local Businesses storefront that makes the item, or orders it in from a supplier, after you pay, so it may not be in stock today. The listing shows On order and Delivery: 7 to 14 business days. Ordering On order products on Pakstoor opens soon; until then they cannot be bought.

• You pay through TradeSafe and the money waits in escrow, as with any purchase.
• The business confirms within 1 business day that it can supply the item, and books the courier by business day 9.
• Delivery is 7 to 14 business days after your payment; the deal page shows the expected dates.
• If the business cannot supply the item, the order is cancelled and refunded. No waybill by business day 9: you can choose Cancel and refund. No waybill after 20 business days: the order is cancelled and refunded.

Once the courier confirms delivery, the usual 72 hour inspection window applies. Sellers: if you cannot supply an On order item, say so on the deal page. The buyer is refunded, it does not count as a strike against you, and the product is marked Out of stock. If you miss the dispatch date instead, the buyer can cancel and be refunded, and your account receives 2 strikes.

A custom product is an On order product made for you from details you give on the listing, such as a name, a size, a choice or a photo. The listing shows Customisable. Custom products open together with On order ordering, which is coming soon.

• Fill in the required details, then buy at the asking price. Custom products cannot be bought with an offer, a protected deal link or an in-person handover.
• You can change your details until you pay. After payment they are locked, and the business works from them.
• Some businesses send a proof first: approve it, or ask for changes with a short note, on the deal page. The business sends the item only after you approve.
• Delivery is 7 to 14 business days after your payment, production included.

Because a custom product is made to your specifications, you cannot return it because you changed your mind. If it arrives faulty, damaged or not made as you ordered, report a problem before the inspection window ends. Your rights under the Consumer Protection Act still apply.

Local Businesses (Local is Lekker) gives a local business one branded storefront per account: its name, logo, colours, opening hours, area and its listings. Every product in a storefront also shows on the main Pakstoor marketplace (it is the same listing); services and rentals show only in Local Businesses. When you create it you choose Business or Sole Proprietor (Eenmansaak). A Business gives its CIPC Business Registration Number and is shown as “Registered Business”; it shows “CIPC Verified” only after Pakstoor has checked the number. A Sole Proprietor needs no CIPC number.

Your own branded storefront in Local Businesses: R199 per year. Listing items in the main Pakstoor marketplace stays free.

You can set up your storefront and add listings for free. Your storefront goes public once it is published, its year is paid (R199 for 12 months) and Pakstoor has not hidden it, and its card joins the Local Businesses directory once it has at least one active listing. You pay Pakstoor directly with SnapScan or Ozow Instant EFT, like a boost: it is not a TradeSafe transaction, and no VAT is added. We remind you before your year ends, and paying early adds the new year to the end of the current one.

An active storefront can list In stock products, services and rentals. Booking and paying for services and rentals on Pakstoor is coming soon, and On order products (including custom products) open soon too. See How do I set up My Store?

Open My Store from your account menu. Each account can have one storefront, and setting it up is free. A short guided set-up asks for:

• Your business type: Sole Proprietor or Registered Business (see which one to choose).
• The basics: your business name, what the business does, a short tagline and a description. Saving this step creates your storefront as a private draft, so you can finish later on any device.
• Your location: your town or city, the areas you serve (up to 30 places or whole provinces), and optional addresses for a shop, collection point or service base, which stay private unless you tick Show on my storefront.
• Contact details: business phone, email, legal or trading name and business address, with your consent to show them on your storefront (ECTA section 43 requires online sellers to show them). You need these to publish, not to save.
• Branding (optional): a square logo, a wide cover picture and your colours.
• Your storefront web address (pakstoor.co.za/local-businesses/your-name), then Publish my storefront or Save, publish later.

Do not put phone numbers, email addresses or links in your descriptions or pictures: customers contact you through Pakstoor Messages. You can add listings before or after you publish. Local Businesses is opening in stages: if you do not see My Store or Local Businesses yet, it is not open for your account yet.

Choose the one that fits how your business is set up. It decides the label customers see on your storefront.

• Sole Proprietor (Eenmansaak): you trade in your own name or a trading name, for example from home or at a market. No CIPC number and no CIPC check. Customers see Sole Proprietor.
• Registered Business: a company or close corporation registered with CIPC, for example a (Pty) Ltd, CC or Inc. Add your CIPC registration number (it looks like 2019/123456/07). Customers see Registered Business, and CIPC Verified once Pakstoor has checked the number.

For a Sole Proprietor the legal name is your own name or trading name (for example Thandi Mokoena t/a Mama Thandi Bakes); for a Registered Business it is the name registered with CIPC. Not sure? Choose Sole Proprietor: you can change it later under Edit storefront. A new number, or a new legal name on a checked storefront, starts a new CIPC check.

A Pakstoor admin checks the official CIPC register by hand. Pakstoor does not connect to CIPC, and a correctly formatted number on its own is never shown as verified.

• Your storefront: a Registered Business enters its CIPC registration number in My Store. Until the check passes, customers see Registered Business; after it, CIPC Verified. If it does not pass, My Store tells you: check the number under Edit storefront and Pakstoor checks it again. A Sole Proprietor has no CIPC check.
• Selling as a business on the main marketplace: in Settings, Billing details, use Sell as a business. Give the company type, its registration number, its registered name and, if it has them, its trading name and VAT number, and confirm that you may act for the business. You can add a CIPC registration certificate (CoR 14.3, CK1 or CK2) or disclosure certificate to help the check: PDF or picture, up to 10 MB, at most 3 files, never an ID document.

You hear back when the check is done: approved, more information needed, or not passed, with the reason. A passed check means that on that date the number belonged to your company and the company was not deregistered or being wound up. It is not a guarantee of the goods or the seller.

While Pakstoor requires it, On order and custom products, stock counts, services and rentals open in your storefront only once your business details are approved. My Store tells you if anything is still needed.

Setting up your storefront and adding listings is free. Customers can open your storefront once it is published, its year is paid (R199 for 12 months) and Pakstoor has not hidden it. Its card appears in the Local Businesses directory once it also has at least one active listing. You pay Pakstoor directly in My Store with SnapScan or Ozow Instant EFT, like a boost: it is not a TradeSafe escrow payment, and no VAT is added because Pakstoor is not VAT registered.

• Your year starts once SnapScan or Ozow confirms your payment to Pakstoor, not when you close the payment page.
• You can renew from 60 days before your year ends. Paying early adds 12 months to your current end date, so you lose no days.
• Pakstoor reminds you by email and in the app 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before your year ends, and when it ends.
• When your year ends, your storefront and its directory card stop being public until you pay again. You can still see and manage everything in My Store.

On order and custom products, stock counts, services and rentals need a live storefront with a paid year.

Choose Publish in My Store. No approval is needed, but these must be filled in first: business name, web address, town or city, province, business category, legal or trading name, business phone, business email, business address, and your consent to show the business details on your storefront. A Registered Business also needs its CIPC registration number.

Customers can open your storefront once it is published, the year is paid (R199) and Pakstoor has not hidden it. Until then My Store shows Published, not public yet, and only you can see it. It appears in the Local Businesses directory once it has at least one active listing. Products in your storefront also show on the main Pakstoor marketplace; services and rentals show only in Local Businesses.

Unpublish takes your storefront offline: customers can no longer open it, and your listings stay on Pakstoor. Delete storefront removes the storefront and its listings, and is not possible while a sale, handover, return or offer is still open.

Not yet: booking a service on Pakstoor is coming soon. Some Local Businesses already list services, such as cleaning, repairs or a lesson, marked Booking: Select a date and time, and the Book service button shows Coming soon.

• Available now: read what the business offers on the listing and its storefront, and ask the business a question in Messages.
• Coming soon: choosing a date and time, sending a booking request, the business confirming it, and paying through Pakstoor. See how booking requests will work.

A service has no courier delivery. Until booking opens, nothing for a service can be paid on Pakstoor, and any arrangement or payment made outside Pakstoor is not protected by Pakstoor.

Available now: the listing shows how the business has set the service up:

• where it is done: at the business, at your place, or by leaving an item with the business (for example laundry, repairs or alterations);
• the price: a fixed price, or a rate per hour or per day;
• how long it takes and, for work at your place, the areas it covers;
• the business’s own cancellation and rescheduling terms, if it added them.

Coming soon: seeing open dates and times and picking one. Until then, ask the business in Messages whether a date suits them. Nothing you arrange outside Pakstoor is protected by Pakstoor.

Coming soon. When booking opens, you will choose a date and time on the service listing and send a booking request through Pakstoor. How the business confirms, changes or declines a request will be shown on the listing before you can book.

Businesses can already set how bookings will work for each service: an appointment of a set length, a length the customer chooses, a date range, or no set time (agreed with the customer), and the minimum notice they need. Until booking opens, a business cannot accept bookings or payments for a service on Pakstoor.

Coming soon. Paying for a service through Pakstoor opens together with booking. Until then nothing for a service can be paid on Pakstoor, and Pakstoor takes no deposits for services.

Cancelling: a service listing can show the business’s own cancellation and rescheduling terms. They add to Pakstoor’s Terms and cannot take away your rights. Pakstoor’s own cancellation and refund rules for bookings will be shown before booking opens. For purchases you can already make, see Can I cancel before I have paid?

In My Store, choose Add Listing and then Service. Only the options that fit your service are shown:

• where the service is done: at your business, at the customer’s place, or the customer leaves an item with you;
• how it is priced: a fixed price, per hour or per day;
• whether customers book a date or time, the booking format (set length, the customer chooses the length, a date range or no set time) and the minimum notice;
• optional: the duration in words, where you travel to, and your cancellation and rescheduling terms (up to 500 characters, no contact details).

Services need a live storefront with a paid year and, while Pakstoor requires it, approved business details. A service has no courier and cannot be boosted yet. Customers see Book service marked Coming soon until bookings open, so you cannot take bookings or payments on Pakstoor yet. Your terms add to Pakstoor’s Terms and cannot remove a customer’s rights.

Not yet: hiring through Pakstoor is coming soon. Some Local Businesses already list items for hire, such as trailers, tools or equipment, marked Rental: Select your dates, and the Book rental button shows Coming soon.

• Available now: see the rate, hire periods, pickup and return times and the business’s terms on the listing, and ask the business a question in Messages.
• Coming soon: choosing your dates, booking and paying through Pakstoor, recording the collection and return, and reporting a problem with a hire.

A rental has no courier delivery. Until booking opens, nothing for a hire can be paid on Pakstoor, and any arrangement or payment made outside Pakstoor is not protected by Pakstoor.

Available now: the listing price is the business’s rate for one day or one hour, shown as per day or per hour. The listing also shows the shortest and longest hire the business allows, in days or hours.

A deposit note is text from the business only: Pakstoor does not charge or hold a separate deposit. Late return and damage terms are also the business’s own text. Your rights under South African law are not affected.

Coming soon: the total for your dates, and how it is paid, will be shown before you book once booking opens.

Available now: the listing shows the days and times the business hands items out (pickup times) and takes them back (return times), and where to collect the item if the business has added a collection point. A rental is never sent by courier.

Coming soon: recording the collection and the return in Pakstoor. Until booking opens, a hire cannot be booked, paid or recorded on Pakstoor.

Coming soon. Pakstoor has no hire agreement or rental problem process yet. Before booking opens, Pakstoor will show on the listing how payment, cancellation, return and problems work for a hire.

Available now: the business’s own deposit, late return and damage terms are shown on the listing. Your rights under South African law are not affected. A hire arranged or paid outside Pakstoor is not covered by escrow or a Formal Protected Review.

In My Store, choose Add Listing and then Rental. You set:

• your rate per day or per hour (the price on the Price step), and the minimum and maximum hire period;
• pickup times and return times (days and hours);
• optional: an availability note (for example not available in December), a deposit note, late return terms and damage terms.

A deposit note is text only: Pakstoor does not charge or hold a separate deposit. Rentals need a live storefront with a paid year and, while Pakstoor requires it, approved business details. A rental has no courier and cannot be boosted yet. Customers see Book rental marked Coming soon until bookings open, so you cannot take bookings or payments on Pakstoor yet.