On this page
Before the trade
- Check the seller. Look at feedback, account age and earlier listings. A new account with no feedback selling very valuable cards is a reason to be careful.
- Read the whole listing. Check the photos, condition, language, edition and shipping costs. Ask for more photos: corners, edges, surface, the slab label, or a photo showing today's date or your username.
- Do not bid more than you are prepared to pay. A bid is binding.
- Be wary if the price is too good. A price clearly below market value is often a warning sign.
- Stay in the Service. Ask questions and agree things through the Service. A seller who immediately wants to move off the platform may be trying to scam you.
Graded cards and cert numbers
You should always verify the cert number yourself on the grading company's own website. Compare the details in the result (card, set, grade) with the listing and the photo of the slab. Do not rely on a link or screenshot sent by the seller. See the guide: Grading guide.
Warning signs:
- the cert number cannot be found or belongs to a different card;
- the slab label looks uneven or the font looks odd;
- the slab looks as if it has been opened, or no photos are available;
- the seller refuses to photograph the slab front and back.
Counterfeits and proxies
A counterfeit is a card that poses as a genuine card and is meant to deceive. A proxy is a copy made for playing; selling a proxy as genuine is prohibited. Counterfeits are especially common for valuable and popular cards.
Spotting a counterfeit:
- Feel and thickness. Wrong thickness, a surface that is too glossy or too matte, stiffness or flexibility that differs from a genuine card.
- Print. Under a loupe a genuine card shows a regular print pattern; a counterfeit may have uneven, pixelated or too blurry colour.
- Colours and font. Colour shades, the text font, the set symbol, the card number and the copyright text differ from a genuine card. Compare with a known genuine card.
- Holo and foil pattern. Genuine cards' holo patterns look a certain way. On counterfeits the pattern is often wrong or the surface too flat.
- Light test and edges. On some card types the layered structure and the edge colour give away a counterfeit. Compare the look of the edges with a genuine card.
- Price. An overwhelmingly low price and photos that were clearly taken elsewhere.
If you suspect a counterfeit, do not buy, and report the listing. If you have already bought, contact the seller and us. Selling a counterfeit card as genuine can be a crime.
Paying safely
On KorttiMarket you pay the seller directly. Once a payment is made, you usually cannot get it back, so:
- Pay only to the account or number the seller gave and only to the person or company that is selling the card. Ask for an explanation if the account holder is someone else.
- Use a traceable payment method: bank transfer, MobilePay or cash on pickup.
- Do not use "Friends & Family" type payments. Payment methods meant for gifts or money transfers between friends (for example PayPal's gift or friends and family option) usually carry no buyer protection. A seller asking you to pay this way is a warning sign.
- Do not pay with gift cards, cryptocurrency or quick money transfers (such as Western Union). They are used in scams because they cannot be reversed.
- Do not prepay to a foreign account unless you know the seller and the deal is reasonable.
- Sellers: Check that the payment has arrived in your own bank. Do not rely on a screenshot or a "payment is on its way" message alone. Also beware of the overpayment scam, in which the buyer "accidentally" pays too much and asks you to refund the difference.
Shipping and receiving
- Valuable cards tracked. Always send an expensive card tracked and insured according to its value. A plain letter without tracking is not suitable for valuable cards. See Shipping.
- Keep evidence. Sellers: the postage receipt, tracking code and photos of the packed card. Buyers: photos of the parcel and the unboxing. It is worth filming the unboxing of a valuable parcel.
- Check right away. Compare the card with the listing and contact the seller immediately if there is a problem.
- Pickup. Arrange to meet in a public place during daylight and bring another person. Check the card before paying. Cash is safe only once the item is in your hands.
Scams and phishing
- We never ask for your password. KorttiMarket does not ask for passwords, bank credentials or payment card details by email or message. The address must be korttimarket.fi. Check the address before logging in.
- Do not click suspicious links. Scammers send messages claiming to be from Posti, your bank or KorttiMarket. Always open the Service yourself in your browser.
- Beware of time pressure. "Pay now or lose the card" is a typical scam.
- Account takeover. A strong, unique password protects your account. Do not use the same password on other services.
- Third-party payment links. Do not pay through a link sent by the seller or an unknown person unless you recognise the service.
- Deviations from what was agreed. If a buyer wants the card sent to a different address than you were given, or a seller asks you to pay to a different account, stop and ask.
If you have been scammed, contact your bank immediately and file a criminal report with the police (poliisi.fi). Scam messages can also be reported to the National Cyber Security Centre Finland (kyberturvallisuuskeskus.fi). Tell us too: [email protected].
Report anything suspicious
If you notice a suspicious listing, user or message:
- Use the Report function on the listing or user, or tell us as instructed on Report content.
- Say what is suspicious and attach screenshots and links.
- We handle the report, remove the content where needed and may close the account. We tell you the decision and its reasons.
When you report, you help the whole community. Honest trading benefits everyone.
Quick checklist
- I checked the seller's feedback and account age.
- I verified the grading cert number on the company's site.
- The price is reasonable.
- I pay only to the account the seller gave, not as a gift or "friends and family" payment.
- The valuable card is shipped tracked and insured.
- I do not give my password to anyone.