This section explains the services offered.

Buyers often lack confidence in listings, as photos don't tell the whole history, and meeting up puts added pressure to both buyer and seller. Rich@TheRink will provide added assurance to buyers, by suppling text alongside your listing giving an honest appraisal of:

• The items serviceable life
• Who the items would be suitable for (e.g. the level of skater)
• Fairness of the asking price

Nothing is published until you've reviewed it, though you will not be able to change the text. If you're unhappy with the appraisal you can either downgrade to listing only, or update your own text/price to be in line with Rich@TheRink recommendation.

An escrow service if offered for payment and hand over, ensuring that boots are only handed over to the buyer on successful payment. You can alternatively take just half of the escrow service, either having the buyer pay you direct, or holding the skates and handing over to the buyer yourself.

This service is included in Brokered Listing, and is an optional extra for Assured Listing.

Items sold on the marketplace are listed:

• In the Community Marketplace section of TheRink Shop
• Available on the kiosk tablet located in the Cambridge Ice Arena Skate Hire
• For Brokered Listing, Rich@TheRink will actively market your item to customers looking to buy items

When selling items, remember that although items are 'sold as seen', you must never mislead a buyer in the suitability of the items. For example, stating that skates that have broken down are "ok for jumps" opens you to potential legal issues should the boots fail and cause the skater an injury. "Sold as seen" applies only to the buyer visually inspecting the items and making the decision for themselves; as soon as you offer assurances you may be held accountable.

If you don't know the buyer and are unlikely to see them again, arrange for a cash payment in an exchange to take place in a public location. Allow the buyer time to look over the item, and don't pressure them to buy if they change their mind on inspecting the item.

If you plan on shipping the item to the seller, be aware that the majority of buyer/seller scams rely on non-face to face (distance) selling. Reversed payments or claims that the items were never sent are common tactics.

Seek advice from your local skate technician or coach as to the suitability of different types of skate. Many people buying second hand fall into two common traps, easily avoided with a bit of knowledge:

• Buying the incorrect boot for the level of skating
• Buying boots that have broken down beyond the point that it's advisable to use for the level of skating already

In particular, always look for

• Visible creasing around the ankle line - this is the easiest and most obvious sign the boot may not be suitable
• Rust on the side of the blade, particularly at the bottom (by the skating edges) - this cannot be fixed and if severe will result in a rough skating edge
• The shape and life left in the blade - previous sharpening will gradually alter the shape (unless re-profiled), and this is unavoidable. Rich@TheRink uses tools and technology to minimise this, but many sharpeners, especially table-top automated sharpening machines, can flatten profiles and round the tail (both reduce the life of the blade, even though often repairable with re-profiling)