Leftover connects people. The deal is yours to keep safe.
We're a noticeboard, not a middleman. We don't hold your money, handle the material, or turn up to the pickup — which keeps Leftover simple and free to use, and means a few sensible habits are what keep you safe. Here's how to trade well.
Leftover is a platform that connects buyers and sellers — that's all we are. We're not part of the deal: we don't touch the material, the money, or the handover, and the trade is entirely between you and the other party.
Know who you're dealing with
Open the seller's profile before you commit. Look at their other listings and how long they've been around. A brand-new account with one expensive load of plant and no track record isn't proof of anything wrong — but it's a reason to ask more questions. Leftover doesn't vet or verify anyone, so this is on you.
Talk to them properly. A few photos of the actual stack, taken today, with something beside it for scale, tell you more than any number of messages. For tools and plant, ask for a video of it running with the serial or asset number visible. If someone keeps dodging simple questions, take the hint.
Count it before you pay
Wherever you can, go and look before any money changes hands. Count the sheets, check the lengths, look at how it has been stored — timber that has sat out in the weather and plasterboard that has got damp are both worth a lot less than the listing suggests. On tools and plant, check the serial or asset number matches and run it up.
History is worth asking for: which job it came off, how long ago, and how it has been stored since. Ask if it isn't in the listing, and be wary of a seller who can't tell you anything about material they supposedly have in their yard.
Pay in a way you can trace
Never send money for material you haven't seen. Pay by a method that leaves a record, and get a receipt with both names, what was bought, the quantity, any serial or asset number, and the price. Listed prices already include GST; if the seller is registered, ask for the GST shown separately on the receipt so you can claim it.
Be very wary of anyone who wants payment in gift cards, cryptocurrency, or a bank transfer to a name that doesn't match theirs. A “deposit” to hold a load you haven't seen is one of the oldest tricks there is.
Pickup
Most of this gets collected from a site, a yard or a driveway, so meet in daylight and bring someone if you can. Tell a mate where you're going and when you expect to be back. If it's an active site, ask about access and whether you need boots and a hard hat before you turn up.
Work out how you're loading it before you go — a pack of framing or a pallet of blocks is not a car job, and neither of you wants to find that out on the day. And trust your gut: if something feels off when you get there, you're allowed to walk away.
Red flags
Any one of these on its own is worth a pause. Two or more, and you should probably walk.
- A price well below everything else, with a reason you're meant to feel lucky about.
- Pressure to decide now — another buyer is supposedly waiting.
- Won't let you look at it first, or won't send a photo taken today.
- Only wants to pay, or be paid, by untraceable methods.
- Pushes to take the deal off Leftover before you know anything about them.
- A story that keeps changing, or details that don't line up with the listing.
Report anything that isn't right
If a listing or a member looks wrong — a likely scam, material that looks like it came off someone else's site, someone behaving badly — report it to us. We review what's flagged and we can take a listing down or remove an account.
Be clear on what we can and can't do, though: we're not a party to your deal, we don't hold the money, and we can't claw a payment back or settle a dispute between two people. That's exactly why the checks above matter — they're your real protection, not us.
Trade smart, look after yourself, and keep it out of the skip.