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SMA Market

Stay safe when buying

Shops on SMA are independent businesses and you pay them directly. These simple habits protect you when you buy from a seller for the first time.

Choose the shop carefully#

  • Look for the verified badge. SMA staff have checked the identity and business details of verified shops.
  • Read reviews. Product reviews on SMA can only be written by customers whose order the shop confirmed, so they come from real buyers.
  • Check the shop’s page. A real business usually shows a phone number, a location and a description. Be careful with shops that have none.
  • Be wary of prices that seem too good to be true, such as new phones or electronics far below their usual price.

Pay safely#

  • Avoid paying in full in advance to a shop you do not know. Cash on delivery, or paying when you collect, is safest.
  • If you must pay first, pay a deposit rather than the full amount, use mobile money in the shop’s registered business name where possible, and keep the transaction ID.
  • SMA never collects payment for products. Anyone who asks you to pay “SMA”, an “SMA agent” or an “escrow account” for a product is trying to scam you.
  • Never share your mobile money PIN, card PIN, one-time codes or SMA sign-in codes with anyone, including people claiming to be from SMA or a shop.
  • Watch for fake payment messages. If you are selling something back or receiving a refund, check your actual balance; do not rely on a text message or screenshot.

Meet safely and inspect before you pay#

  • If you collect in person, meet in a busy public place during the day, such as a shopping mall or a bank entrance, and take someone with you if you can.
  • Inspect the item carefully before paying: switch on electronics, check serial numbers and IMEIs, try on clothes, and check expiry dates on food and cosmetics.
  • Check that what you receive matches the photos and description. If it does not, you can refuse it.
  • For vehicles and high-value items, check the documents and ownership, and consider bringing someone knowledgeable.

Keep conversations and records#

  • Order through SMA, so that you and the shop both have a record of what was ordered and at what price.
  • Keep your order number, messages with the shop and payment receipts until the item has arrived and you are happy with it.
  • Be careful with links sent to you in messages. SMA pages are on sma.rovidgh.com, a shop’s address ending in .sma.rovidgh.com, or the shop’s own domain.

Warning signs#

Stop and think before you pay if a seller:

  • pressures you to pay immediately, or says many other buyers are waiting;
  • refuses to let you see the item or meet in a public place;
  • asks for payment to a personal account in a different name, or through a third party;
  • asks you to pay extra “customs”, “clearing” or “delivery release” fees after you have paid; or
  • asks for your PIN, codes or personal documents.

Report a problem#

If something looks wrong, tell us, with a link to the shop or product and what happened. We review every report, and we suspend shops that defraud or endanger shoppers. If you have lost money to fraud, also report it to the Ghana Police Service, and to your mobile money provider straight away so it can try to stop the transfer.

See also our returns and refunds policy and the help centre.