Buyer protection
Why paying a stranger on the internet is safe here.
How it works, step by step
M-Pesa takes the money and it lands with LiveSoko, not the seller.
The seller can see the order and pack it, but cannot touch the money.
Open it. Check it is what was described before you confirm anything.
Only then is the seller paid. If it never came, or it is wrong, you are refunded.
What is covered
- It never arrived
- It arrived damaged
- It is not what was described, or not what was shown on camera
- The wrong item came
- It is counterfeit
What is not
- You changed your mind after the 3-day window closed
- Damage caused after it reached you
- Anything paid for outside LiveSoko — if a seller asks you to send money directly, that money is gone and we cannot get it back
If something goes wrong
Open a return from your order. The seller has 48 hours to respond. If they do not, or you cannot agree, LiveSoko decides — and your money stays held the entire time, so there is never a point where you are chasing a stranger for a refund.
Refunds go back to the M-Pesa number the order was paid from, usually within 24 hours of approval.
Why we do it this way
Most people buying here have never met the seller and have never heard of the shop. Asking them to send money to a stranger and hope is how online marketplaces in this region earned their reputation. Holding the money until the parcel lands removes that question entirely — the buyer risks nothing, and an honest seller is paid a few days later than they otherwise would have been.