Honest answer: buying on TikTok is riskier than it feels — not because the products aren't real, but because of who you're buying from. You found the seller on your For You page minutes ago. You have no history with them, no friend who's bought before, nothing but a good video. Here's where the real risk is, and how to take it off the table.

Why buying on TikTok feels safer than it is

TikTok is brilliant at one thing: making you want something. A clip shows the product in use, the comments are full of "where can I get this," and before you've thought about it you're in someone's DMs asking the price. The video did its job. But the account behind it is a complete stranger — one the algorithm handed you, not one you chose. There's no follower relationship, no track record, no real way to know if the page will still exist next week. Then the deal moves to a DM or a WhatsApp number, you're asked to pay first, and you're back to the oldest gamble on the internet: send the money and hope.

Signs a TikTok seller might be a scam

Before you pay, look for these:

• The account is new, or has only a handful of videos and little real engagement.
• Comments are turned off — often a sign they're hiding complaints.
• They push you off TikTok fast and rush you to pay a deposit to "reserve" it.
• They won't send a fresh, live video of the actual item.
• The price is far below everyone else's.
• The only way to pay is straight to a personal number, with no Till or Paybill.

For the full version of this checklist, see how to avoid getting scammed buying online in Kenya.

Why the usual advice isn't enough

Check the page. Ask for proof. Start with something small. It's all sensible — and it's all just guessing whether a stranger will keep their word. On TikTok that guess is harder than anywhere else, because you have nothing to go on but a clip the algorithm chose for you. A patient scammer can fake every signal on that list. You shouldn't have to play detective to buy something you saw in a video.

The safer way: your money is only released after you receive

The fix isn't better guessing. It's a structure where your money simply can't reach the seller until the order is in your hands. That's what a delivery identity does.

You claim a handle — like amina@pickspot.world — and share that instead of your money and your address. The seller sends the order to your handle. You approve it and authorize payment, but the seller doesn't get a shilling yet. A vetted rider brings it to you. You open it, you check it, and only when you're satisfied do you confirm with a one-time code. That code is the one thing that releases your payment. If it's wrong, or it never shows, you say no — and you're refunded. The seller never even sees your address.

So it no longer matters that the seller is a stranger you found ten minutes ago. They can't take your money and disappear, because your money was never theirs until you were holding what you paid for.

Buy from anyone — even an account you just found

That's the point. TikTok is the best place there is to discover things you'd never have found otherwise. The only thing stopping you from buying freely is the gamble — and the gamble is exactly what this removes. You don't have to vet the seller, recognise the page, or trust the person at all. The structure does it for you.

Next time a video sells you on something, don't talk yourself out of it and don't talk yourself into a risky payment. Claim your free handle at pickspot.world, share it instead of your money, and buy from anyone — worry-free.