Munara connects you with a neighbor you've never met, so the same common-sense habits that make any in-person exchange safe apply here too. None of this is complicated, but it's worth reading once before your first handover — and revisiting if something about a specific exchange feels off. If a listing, a message, or a meeting request doesn't sit right with you, trust that instinct and step back; you're never obligated to complete an exchange that makes you uncomfortable.

Photo by Philipp Hubert on Unsplash

What to share, and what to keep private

Coordinating a handover only requires a little information: a general neighborhood so you can agree on a meeting point, and a phone number or in-app message so you can reach each other if plans change. That's it. You should never need to share full card numbers, ID or social security numbers, bank details, or your account password with another user — Munara never asks for these either, so any message requesting them is a red flag on its own, regardless of how it's phrased.

Choosing where to meet

Public, well-lit, reasonably busy places work best for a first meeting with someone you don't know — a café, a shopping center entrance, or the lobby of your local police station are all sensible defaults, and meeting during daylight or normal evening hours beats a late-night handover every time. It's fine to decline a meeting point that feels wrong, and it's fine to suggest a different one instead. For a first exchange with a new contact, we'd generally steer away from meeting at either person's home — once you've built some trust with a repeat neighbor, that changes, but there's no reason to rush it on exchange one.

Handling the item itself

If you're donating, give the item an honest look before anyone arrives: clean it if that's reasonable, mention any flaws or damage upfront rather than letting the claimer discover them on handover day, and don't offer anything that's actually unsafe to pass on — mold, broken glass, exposed wiring, or anything you wouldn't want in your own home. If you're claiming, take a moment to look the item over before you accept it, plug in electronics if you can to confirm they actually power on, and ask about its history if anything's unclear. You're free to walk away from an item that looks meaningfully different from its photos or that you simply don't feel good about taking.

Recognizing a scam

Munara exchanges don't involve money changing hands for the item itself, which makes most classic marketplace scams less relevant here — but a few patterns are still worth knowing. Anyone asking you to pay them outside the app, "accidentally" overpaying and asking for a refund of the difference, or pushing you to act immediately before you have time to think, is running a scam, full stop. So is anyone emailing you asking to "confirm your login" outside Munara's own site — we'll never ask for your password by email or message. If a listing's photos look suspiciously professional or generic for what's supposedly a used household item, that's worth a second look too.

Keeping your account secure

A strong, unique password and two-factor authentication (if you've set it up) go a long way, and it's worth logging out of your account on any shared or public device once you're done. Don't share your login with anyone, including someone claiming to be Munara support — we'll never ask for it.

If something goes wrong

Report a suspicious listing, a scam attempt, harassment, or an uncomfortable meeting request through the in-app report button, or email us directly at support@munara.eu — either way, a real person reviews it, and we can suspend accounts or remove listings when the report checks out. If you're ever in a genuine emergency, call 112, Portugal's national emergency number, same as you would for any other emergency. For a non-urgent police matter, Portugal doesn't have a single national non-emergency line — you'd contact your nearest PSP station if you're in a city, or GNR if you're in a smaller town or rural area, both of which you can look up directly. When you do report something to us, it helps to include the other user's name or ID, which listing was involved, what happened, and screenshots of any messages, if you have them.

Getting there and back safely

For anything heavy, bring a vehicle that can actually fit it, use a dolly or straps if you have them, and don't hesitate to bring a friend for anything genuinely large — better to ask for help than to hurt yourself or damage the item in transit. For your own safety on the trip, it costs nothing to tell someone where you're headed and roughly when you expect to be back, and to keep your phone charged in case plans change.

Your rights on Munara

You can decline any exchange, end any conversation, and block any user, no explanation required — feeling safe using the platform isn't optional, it's the baseline. On our side, we investigate every report that comes in, remove users who violate these norms, and cooperate with authorities when a situation genuinely calls for it.

Something feel off about an exchange? Trust that instinct, report it, and reach out to support@munara.eu — we'd rather hear about a false alarm than miss a real problem.

Safety Tips for Donors and Claimers