Safe trading at Monti

The vast majority of trades go smoothly. People meet, look at the item, agree, and make a good deal. But unfortunately there are some who want to exploit that trust — so we have gathered the most important advice in one place. Most of it is common sense, and that is exactly the best safeguard you have.

Monti is a meeting place: we connect buyer and seller, but we do not handle money and are not a party to the transaction itself. You manage the dialogue and the agreement directly with the other party. That gives you full control — and a little extra responsibility for making the smart choices along the way.

The golden rules — in brief

Do this:

✅ Meet in a public place in daylight. A shopping centre, a petrol station or an open square is safe. Feel free to bring a friend.
✅ Inspect the item before you pay. Look, touch, try it. Does it match the listing and the photos?
✅ Use traceable payment. A bank transfer gives you a receipt and a trail you can point to afterwards.
✅ Ask for a receipt for larger purchases, and keep the message dialogue.
✅ Trust your gut. If something feels wrong, walk away. There is always another listing.

Don't do this:

❌ Do not pay in advance to someone you don't know, and never for an item you haven't seen.
❌ Do not share online-banking credentials, passwords or one-time codes — with anyone. Ever. A serious buyer or seller never asks for these.
❌ Do not fall for offers that are too good to be true. If the price is suspiciously low, there is usually a reason.
❌ Do not let yourself be rushed. Pressure that you "must decide now" is a classic scam trick.
❌ Do not move the conversation quickly over to WhatsApp, email or unknown links. Keep the dialogue on Monti for as long as you can — our messaging also keeps your phone number and email address private until you choose to share them.

Payment — how to stay safe

Traceable payment is your best friend. An ordinary bank transfer gives you a receipt and a trail showing who received the money and when. Cash can be fine for small purchases face to face, but provides no documentation.

Be extra alert when someone:

asks for an advance payment or a "deposit" before you have seen the item
wants you to pay via a link they send you
asks you to provide online-banking credentials, card numbers, passwords or one-time codes — this is always fraud
sends an "overpayment" and asks you to refund the difference

Remember: no serious counterparty needs your login or your one-time codes. Those belong only to you and your bank.

Buying and selling a car

A car is often the biggest transaction people make between themselves. A little extra diligence pays off.

Before buying:

Check the car's history and documentation — the registration certificate (logbook), service records and roadworthiness (VRT) history.
Ask to see the service booklet and any workshop history.
Take a test drive, and consider an independent condition inspection at a workshop for more expensive cars.

The deal itself:

Write a purchase contract with names, the car's registration number, mileage, price, date and signatures from both parties. Keep a copy each.
Complete the ownership transfer with Transport Malta, so the registered ownership matches reality — it gives both parties peace of mind.
Make sure insurance is in place before the new owner starts using the car.
Pay with traceable payment, and confirm that the ownership transfer is in order before the money is transferred.

Buying and selling a home

A home is a large and regulated transaction. Here it is common — and wise — to use professionals.

Go to the viewing and see the home with your own eyes. Photos don't tell you everything.
Ask for available documentation about the property's condition and read it carefully — it says a lot about what you are actually buying.
Use a notary and, where appropriate, a lawyer for the contract and settlement — property transactions in Malta are completed before a notary, which protects both parties.
Be sceptical of "landlords" who demand a deposit or first month's rent before you have seen the home, or who cannot meet you. This is a very common scam in the rental market.

Buying from a business? Know your rights

When the seller is a registered business rather than a private person, Maltese and EU consumer law is on your side: the item must match the description and be of satisfactory quality (Consumer Affairs Act, Cap. 378), and if you bought entirely at a distance you generally have a 14-day right of withdrawal. Keep the listing, the dialogue and the receipt. If something goes wrong and the trader won't fix it, the MCCAA (mccaa.org.mt) can guide and conciliate, and smaller claims can go to the Consumer Claims Tribunal. Between two private individuals these rules do not apply — which is exactly why the advice on this page matters.

Report a suspicious listing

See something that doesn't add up? It only takes a moment to speak up, and you help the whole marketplace.

Open the listing you are reacting to.
Click Report listing (you'll find the link at the bottom of the listing).
Choose a short reason — for example fraud, misleading content or an inappropriate item.
Feel free to write a few words about what you reacted to, and send.

We review all reports and remove listings that break the rules. If you suspect you have been the victim of fraud and lost money, you should also contact your bank and report the matter to the police (in Malta: pulizija.gov.mt, or 112 in an emergency).

We work continuously to keep the marketplace tidy — but together with your common sense it becomes truly safe.