'It'll save you hassle': P.E.I. online seller advises others to use new safe exchange zone

A P.E.I. woman is advising people who buy and sell items online to use the new safe zone in front of the Charlottetown police station after her negative experience meeting a buyer last weekend.

• E-Watch provides safe location for private online transactions

The E-Watch Safe Exchange Zone is for people buying and selling items online to carry out exchanges - there's a parking space with a sign and 24-hour video surveillance.

Cherie Sullivan went to her friend's house to sell what she said was a lightly-used digital camera and the sale seemed to go fine, but then she said the buyer began sending her messages, complaining.

Dispute might have been prevented

"I get a text from her saying, 'You sold me a bad item, bad camera, this isn't what you told me, I want a refund,'" Sullivan said.

"I said, 'I'm not a store, you purchased this, you knew what you were purchasing, you were OK with it when you were at the place,'" Sullivan explained.

Sullivan said the buyer followed her in her car after the transaction, continuing a barrage of complaints and threatening to come by Sullivan's friend's home.

Sullivan eventually told the buyer she was prepared to call the police to sort out the dispute then, the buyer stopped messaging.

"If you have any hesitation if there was a miscommunication if you do not know this person go to this spot. It'll save you hassle," she said. That way, the police can review the video footage if there is any dispute, she added.

Sullivan plans to use the safe exchange zone for all of her future transactions, she said.

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