Classified Ads
Remember: Do not deal with people you cannot meet in person and never send money. Be wary of rental scams. More tips can be found below.
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Avoid Scams
You can sidestep would-be scammers by following these common-sense rules whenever using DecorahNow.com:
- DEAL LOCALLY WITH FOLKS YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON – follow this one rule and avoid 99% of scam attempts.
- NEVER SHIP ANYTHING and NEVER SEND A CHECK OR WIRE FUNDS VIA WESTERN UNION, ETC
- FAKE CASHIER CHECKS & MONEY ORDERS ARE COMMON, and BANKS WILL CASH THEM AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE
- DECORAHNOW IS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY TRANSACTION
- NEVER GIVE OUT FINANCIAL INFORMATION (bank account number, social security number, eBay/PayPal info, etc.)
- AVOID DEALS INVOLVING SHIPPING OR ESCROW SERVICES and know that ONLY A SCAMMER WILL “GUARANTEE” YOUR TRANSACTION.
- DO NOT RENT HOUSING WITHOUT SEEING THE INTERIOR, OR PURCHASE EXPENSIVE ITEMS SIGHT-UNSEEN
- DO NOT SUBMIT TO CREDIT CHECKS OR BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR A JOB OR FOR HOUSING UNTIL YOU HAVE MET THE INTERVIEWER OR LANDLORD/AGENT IN PERSON.
Prohibited Items
Here is a partial list of items that are prohibited:
- puppies, dogs, and ads related to dog breeding. Around 2013 we stopped publishing dog and puppy ads on DecorahNow because among the legitimate ads, we were getting ads that some of our readers perceived as “puppy mills”. It was both tough and time consuming for us to tell the difference (so we would forward them to a few readers to get their opinion as well), and eventually it became clear that the easiest action was to add puppies and dog breeding ads in general to our list of prohibited ads.
- pet sales (re-homing with small adoption fee ok), animal parts, stud service
- weapons; firearms/guns and components; BB/pellet, stun, and spear guns; etc
- homes for rent that are also for sale through a realtor’s website;
- ammunition, clips, cartridges, reloading materials, gunpowder, fireworks, explosives
- recalled items; hazardous materials; body parts/fluids; unsanitized bedding/clothing
- prescription drugs, medical devices; controlled substances and related items
- alcohol or tobacco; unpackaged or adulterated food or cosmetics
- endangered, imperiled and/or protected species and any parts thereof, e.g. ivory
- false, misleading, deceptive, or fraudulent content; bait and switch; keyword spam
- offensive, obscene, defamatory, threatening, or malicious postings or email
- anyone’s personal, identifying, confidential or proprietary information
- food stamps, WIC vouchers, SNAP or WIC goods, governmental assistance
- stolen property, property with serial number removed/altered, burglary tools, etc
- – ID cards, licenses, police insignia, government documents, birth certificates, etc
- – US military items not demilitarized in accord with Defense Department policy
- counterfeit, replica, or pirated items; tickets or gift cards that restrict transfer
- lottery or raffle tickets, sweepstakes entries, slot machines, gambling items
- spam; miscategorized, overposted, cross-posted, or nonlocal content
- postings or email the primary purpose of which is to drive traffic to a website
- postings or email offering, promoting, or linking to unsolicited products or services
- affiliate marketing; network, or multi-level marketing; pyramid schemes
- any good, service, or content that violates the law or legal rights of others
Users must comply with all applicable laws, the Terms of Use, and all posted site rules.