Safety
Safe pickups, start to finish.
Most swaps on Porchly are simple: someone leaves a thing on the porch, someone else collects it. These tips help keep it that way. Every safety feature in Porchly is free, and always will be.
Before you meet
Keep it in the app
Talk inside the request until the pickup is done. You don’t need to swap phone numbers, and messages in Porchly can be reported if something goes wrong.
Free means free
Nobody should ask you for money, a deposit, a delivery fee or a “verification code”. If they do, stop and report them. Porchly never asks for payment for an item.
Be wary of links
Don’t open links from someone you don’t know, and never enter your sign-in code anywhere except the Porchly app.
Share only what’s needed
Givers: pickup details go only to the person you reserve for. Leave out your door code, your full name or when you’re away from home.
At pickup
Porch pickups are the easy option
Leave the item outside at a set time and you never have to meet. Bring anything valuable inside afterwards.
Meet somewhere public if you can
For meet-ups, choose a busy, well-lit spot in daylight, like a store’s parking lot or a café.
Don’t go in alone
If someone is coming into your home to collect something heavy, have another person there. Keep the item near the door and the visit short.
Tell someone
Let a friend know where you’re going and when you expect to be back.
Check before you take it
Look the item over before you leave. You’re not obliged to take something that isn’t as described.
Trust your instincts
If anything feels off, cancel. You can say “I can’t make it” in the app without giving a reason.
Check the item
Baby and kids’ gear
Check recalls before you give or take cribs, car seats, high chairs and strollers. Drop-side cribs and car seats past their expiry date can’t be listed on Porchly.
Electricals
Look for frayed cables, scorch marks and missing parts. Test it where you can.
Furniture
Check for damage, loose fixings and bed bugs on upholstered items before bringing them home.
Something wrong?
Tap Report on the listing, the person’s profile or the message. That sends us the context we need, and the other person isn’t told who reported them. You can also Block someone: they won’t be able to ask for your items or message you.
Not in the app? Email kowais915@gmail.com with “Safety” in the subject and we’ll look at it first.
If you’re in danger, contact your local emergency services first.
Porchly is for adults 18 and over. Read the terms for the full rules, including what can’t be given away, and our child safety standards.