> Looking at this article it seems the police themselves advise you only to conduct these sorts of sales in a public place That's not my reading, which is just that if you are meeting in a public place, the police recommend that it be a safe busy area. You mentioned being messaged. I'd distinguish mobile phone messages from forum PMs. Someone using an unknown mobile phone number I'd count as being potentially untraceable by anybody. Someone's PM'ing does at least potentially provide you with a track record, and a link to forum, ISP, etc. records that the police could access if they thought it necessary. Similarly so, if you've communicated via their private landline phone. I'd count the existence of either of those traceables as goodish predictors of my own safety, in the absence of any evidence to the contrary. Personally, I think I'd be unlikely to buy any valuable consumer item (particularly an as-new one) without evidence of ownership, without believing that the seller would be subsequently findable if need be. An address or receipt would do; I don't think corner seat, Caff? Nero, would.