Trust & Safety

Safe trading at sea starts ashore.

Five rules that prevent most vessel-deal fraud. They take minutes to follow and can save you the entire purchase.

The Rules

Five rules we stand behind

Check the seller in an official company register

Every legitimate business is registered somewhere you can verify for free: brreg.no in Norway, virk.dk in Denmark, or the equivalent register in the seller's country. No register entry, no deal.

Never pay directly in advance

For any significant amount, use an escrow provider that is supervised by a financial authority, and look them up yourself in the official register, such as the FCA register in the UK. If a seller insists on a direct bank transfer up front, that is your answer.

Inspect before you buy

Commission an independent survey. A surveyor you appoint and pay yourself, never one arranged by the seller.

Use standard contracts

Industry-standard agreements such as BIMCO's sale and charter forms exist precisely so you don't have to trust a document the other side wrote. For large transactions, have a maritime lawyer review before signing.

Walk away at red flags

No single deal is worth ignoring the warning signs below. There will always be another vessel.

Warning Signs

Walk away if you see any of these.

These patterns show up in nearly every vessel scam we know of.

Pressure to act fast "Another buyer is ready" is the oldest trick in the book. Real sellers accept that surveys and escrow take time.

Payment by crypto, gift cards or private accounts only Legitimate businesses accept traceable payment through regulated channels.

A seller you can't place in the real world No verifiable address, no register entry, phone numbers that never answer, documents that can't be cross-checked.

Prices far below market You know what vessels cost. A deal that looks too good to be true is the bait, not the bargain.

Refusal of survey or escrow An honest seller has nothing to lose from an inspection or a neutral payment setup. A dishonest one has everything to lose.

Our Role

What we do, and what we don't

We do

Check every vendor before their first listing goes live
Gate seller contact behind tokens, so sellers only hear from serious buyers
Remove listings and accounts when we find fraud, and act on reports fast

We do not

Handle the payment between buyer and seller, the deal is made directly between you
Inspect vessels or guarantee the accuracy of any listing
Provide legal, financial or insurance advice

Unsure about a listing or a seller? Ask us before you commit. We would much rather answer a question than investigate a fraud report.

This guide is general guidance, not legal advice. Rules and regulators vary by country.