Held safely until verified, so far: $0 across 2 deals
Pay strangers
like you trust them.
PayPal holds the money. AI checks the item in the buyer's hands. The seller is paid the moment it's the real thing, and never if it isn't.
For Marketplace, Craigslist and Reddit deals, local meetups and gear rentals. Browse verified listings
For sale · Lagos, Ikeja
OPPO A58, 128 GB
$250.00
Verified in the seller's hands · IMEI on file
$262.50
held by PayPal, not charged
- Price
- $250.00
- Buyer protection
- $12.50
- Paid to seller
- $0.00
Meet up. The seller is paid when the item checks out.
Reading IMEI
▍
The AI transcribes. It is never told what to expect.
IMEI ···· 7518 = listed ···· 7518
$250.00
released to Uzoechi
PayPal captureCompleted
Payout to sellerSent
Nobody had to trust anybody.
The problem
Buying from a stranger still runs on cash, hope and screenshots.
0%
of Facebook Marketplace listings a UK bank's fraud team contacted turned out to be fraudulent. TSB, 2023
$0.0B
reported lost to fraud in the US in 2024. Online shopping was the second most reported category. FTC
0
protection for either side with cash or instant transfers. Sellers fear “empty box” claims; buyers fear swapped or locked devices.
How it works
Money moves when the thing does. Not before, and not on anyone's word.
Prove you have it
A one-time code on paper, photographed with the item. Fake listings can't produce it.
E7HX
Code read · matches
Held, not charged
The buyer approves in PayPal. The money waits in a hold until the item checks out.
$262.50
- Price
- $250.00
- Buyer protection
- $12.50
- Guaranteed hold
- 3 days, renewable to 29
The switch gets caught
At the meetup the buyer scans the item. A different device, or a locked one, and nothing is charged.
Matched · $250.00 released
The rule
The AI reads. Plain rules decide.
The model transcribes serials and marks with a confidence. It never calls PayPal, never sees a price, and is never told what to expect. Tested code decides every capture.
Beyond the handoff
One engine for every handoff. Sales, rentals, disputes, and the agents that shop for us.
Deposits settle themselves
Only damage from a price list both sides saw up front can be charged. The rest goes back automatically.
- Kept Missing charger
- $25.00
- Released
- $275.00
Your proof, already filed
If a buyer disputes later, Avowly sends PayPal the record: possession photo, match, and the payment timeline.
Avowly handoff record
Sent to PayPal · Disputes API
Agents commit. People approve.
AI shopping agents can find verified listings and start a purchase over MCP. Only the human can approve the hold.
› search_verified_listings { query: "camera", location: "Lagos" }
‹ 3 verified listings Sony A7 III · $45/day · deposit $300
› start_protected_purchase { listing_id: "y7d7hnzm8gxw" }
‹ awaiting_human_approval approve_in_paypal → paypal.com/checkoutnow?…
Built for both sides of the meetup.
Buyers
Never pay for a fake listing, a swapped device or a locked phone. You're charged only after the item in your hands checks out.
Sellers
Paid at the handoff, in full, not "after it clears". If a buyer later claims you sent the wrong thing, your proof is already filed.
Renters & owners
Deposits come back on their own. Only damage from a price list both sides saw up front can ever be charged.
0
Deals protected
$0
Held until verified
0
Wrong items stopped
Free tool
Not sure about a listing? Check it first.
Paste any listing or the seller's messages. Avowly looks for the warning signs of a scam and compares the price with live retail offers. No sign-up, nothing stored.
Questions, answered plainly.
All questions →What is Avowly?+
Avowly is a way to buy, sell or rent things from strangers without either side having to trust the other. The buyer's money is held by PayPal, not charged, and released to the seller only when the item in the buyer's hands is proven to be the item that was listed.
What does it cost?+
Listing is free and sellers receive their full asking price. Buyers pay a small buyer protection fee (5%, minimum $1) on top, shown before they approve. If a deal is cancelled before the handoff, nothing is charged at all.
When am I actually charged?+
Only when you tap Release at the meetup, after the item you're holding has matched the listing. Until then PayPal holds the amount on your account; it isn't sent to anyone.
Can the AI take my money?+
No. The AI only reads photos and reports what it sees, with a confidence score. It never calls PayPal, never sees a price it could change, and isn't told which serial number to expect. Plain, tested rules decide every capture and release.
Your next deal with a stranger, proven.
List in two minutes. Free for sellers. The buyer pays into a PayPal hold that only the real item can release.