Before any money moves
Buy and sell race bibs safely
Bibready puts you in touch with the other person, but the two of you close the deal. Nobody checks on your behalf that the bib exists or that the seller is who they say they are. That part is on you.
What Bibready does and doesn't do
- We publish the race bibs people put up for sale.
- We give you a chat so you can talk to the other person before committing to anything.
- We take listings down and block accounts when you report abuse.
- We don't verify the identity of buyers or sellers.
- We don't check that a bib exists, is genuine, or can be transferred.
- We don't review listings before they go live.
- We don't handle or hold payments. Money never passes through Bibready.
- We don't mediate in the transaction and we can't refund you.
We're building user verification, but it isn't available yet. Until it is, treat every listing for what it is: a stranger on the internet offering you something.
If you're buying
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01
Check first whether the race allows transfers
Many events have an official change-of-name process, with a deadline and sometimes a fee. If the organiser doesn't allow it, you'll have paid for a bib that still runs in somebody else's name.
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02
Use the official transfer channel wherever one exists
It's the only way the bib ends up in your name. Ask to do it at the same time as the payment, and don't treat it as done until the organiser confirms the change to you rather than to the seller.
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03
Make sure the person is who they say they are
Talk to them in the chat first. A short video call or a screenshot of their registration costs them very little, and anyone who refuses every check usually has a reason.
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04
Don't pay up front for nothing in return
A bank transfer or a phone payment between individuals can't be cancelled. Before you send anything, ask for something you can verify, such as the organiser having started the transfer.
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05
Get everything you agree in writing
Price, who covers the transfer fee, timings, and what happens if the race is cancelled. Keep the conversation and the receipts in case you end up making a claim.
If you're selling
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01
Don't transfer the bib until the money has landed
Check your account, not a screenshot. Fake payment confirmations are easy to make.
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02
Do the official transfer and keep the confirmation
It protects you as much as the buyer: it's your record that the bib no longer runs in your name and that you held up your end.
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03
Share only what's strictly needed
A transfer doesn't require your ID document or your home address. If someone asks without a clear reason, stop.
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04
Be suspicious of anyone who overpays
Offering more than you asked and requesting the difference back is an old scam. The original payment gets reversed and the money you send back comes out of your own pocket.
Warning signs
None of these proves a scam on its own. Several of them together should stop you.
- Heavy rush or pressure to close the deal today.
- Pushing to leave the Bibready chat from the very first message.
- A price far below what the bib is worth.
- Refusing to do the official transfer, or brushing it off.
- Only accepting payment methods you can't dispute.
- Answers that don't add up or change between conversations.
If something goes wrong
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01
Contact your bank straight away
The sooner you act, the better the odds of blocking or disputing the payment. Do this before anything else.
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02
Report it if you think you've been defrauded
Fraud is a crime and should be reported to the police. Take the conversation, the receipts and the listing details with you.
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03
Tell us about it
Send us the listing link and what happened.
We can't recover your money or mediate between the two of you, but we can close the account of whoever tried to defraud you so they can't try it on anyone else.
Get in touch