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SALT LAKE CITY — For some, participating in online commerce can be an easy way to cash in on old belongings that aren't needed anymore or score a new item that they've been eyeing for a while.
For others, online commerce can be a full-on headache due to one major deterrent: Scammers.
KSL Marketplace is taking steps to reduce these scammer-induced headaches, launching its new Messages feature this week, allowing KSL Marketplace members with verified email addresses to correspond about listings in a user's KSL account without sharing personal contact information.
"Previously when you used KSL, even the app, if you wanted to communicate with a seller or a buyer, it was all done via email or text which kind of lifted it out of the KSL environment. If you're like most people, you want to avoid sharing your personal information with anybody," said Kirk Koenen, director of marketing at Deseret Digital Media.
With Messages, you won't have to share a phone number or email with a potential buyer or seller, preventing spam and fraud before it has the chance to occur.
Users with verified email addresses will be able to use Messages to inquire about listings on any section of KSL Marketplace: Classifieds, Cars, Homes and Jobs.
Additionally, the Messages feature will strengthen KSL's security against fraudulent users.
"If someone said something that you think might be fraud ... you can hit report (and) it'll automatically go to our customer support team," Koenen said.
If the customer support team determines an individual using Messages on KSL Marketplace is likely fraudulent, they will alert other users who have been corresponding with this person so they can stop conversations or transactions.
"Messages, over time, will get smarter and smarter, where if someone even tries to send a (fraudulent) message, the likelihood is (that) it won't even go through. You as the seller likely won't ever get that message because our software will be able to recognize it."
While the feature will be available across all platforms and browser types, Koenen said that the best environment to utilize Messages will be within the KSL Classifieds app.
Additionally, KSL is celebrating this new feature with a contest offering anyone who creates a listing with Messages enabled on KSL Classifieds or KSL Cars during the month of September an opportunity to win cash or prizes.
Users can add as many listings as they like and one entry is awarded per KSL.com account each week (for a total of up to four entries). Once a listing is live, the user is automatically entered to win.
Read more about the Messages feature here.
