5miles's Response to COVID-19

The safety and wellbeing of our community is our top priority, especially during this special period due to COVID-19.

Here’s what we’re doing in response to the outbreak of COVID-19 to help protect not only the buyers and sellers like you on our marketplace, but our own team around the world.

Getting involved with Care.org

Noticed the banners for care.org in our app? We’ve been donating space in our marketplace to help CARE promote their global efforts to fight COVID-19. Tap on an ad for CARE to learn more about how you can help provide much-needed supplies to people who need them, and visit them online right here.

General Safety tips:

Whether you’re buying or selling, these tips will help you do it safely:

• Ask questions about what you’re buying ahead of time. You can avoid surprises later by using 5miles’s in-app chat about an item’s age and condition, or anything else you want to know.
• Check out other users' profiles, ratings and reviews to see if they are trustworthy, learn more about reviews can determine if he/she is a trustworthy 5miles user
• Be careful if you receive messages from someone who is not local to your area (especially if they claim to be overseas).
• Stick to cash. Don’t accept or attempt to pay with wire transfers, cashier’s checks, personal checks, money orders, or prepaid debit/gift cards, never give out personal financial information. (especially for deal of cell phone, computer, air pod, video games, house for sale and other items in high value), learn more about Tips to Avoid Scammers
• Stick to meetup, busy public places like coffee shops and bank lobbies are safe, convenient meeting spots. Beware of offers that involve shipping the item. (especially if someone asks for deposit in advance before shipping), learn more about Am I Safe Meeting Up with Buyer/Seller? Use S.E.A.L.
• Please familiarize yourself with your local government’s current restrictions, and take the proper precautions to protect yourself and others. For safety, and if local restrictions allow, we recommend meeting in a public place during the day. Learn more about familiarize yourself with the CDC’s full set of recommendations.
• Bring a friend with you, especially if the item you’ve arranged to purchase or sell is high in value or too large for one person to carry (especially If someone insists you come alone, changes the meeting place at the last minute, or refuses to meet in a public space, simply find another deal, there are literally millions of others to choose from!)
• Inspect carefully. Inspect item before paying/Inspect the money while you are at the meetup, learn more about How To Inspect Your Item? And How to Inspect a Used iPhone
• Block and report any users in the app who behave inappropriately, learn more about How Do I Block / Unblock / Report / Review Another Member?

Prohibiting sales of high-demand supplies with a high price.

It’s more important than ever for everyone to have equal access to the things they need, we do not allow the sale of supplies like medical face masks, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, and toilet paper with a high price than market. We’re also prohibiting listings that mention the coronavirus (COVID-19) and promise prevention or a cure.

We’re actively monitoring our marketplace to remove items like this, and encourage our community to report any such listings they may see.

Advice from the CDC

Planning to meet a buyer or seller in your area? Authorities across the country recommend limiting social interaction to only what is necessary. Please familiarize yourself with your local government’s current restrictions, and if you plan to meet, please take the proper precautions to protect yourself and others.

Keep these tips from the CDC in mind:

- Clean any items with an EPA-registered household disinfectant or a bleach solution (4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water)
- Practice good hygiene such as washing your hands with soap and water after you’ve been in a public place, and avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick, and if you are sick, stay home unless seeking medical care

You can familiarize yourself with the CDC’s full set of recommendations here.

Work from home for our team

We know that members of our buying and selling community rely on 5miles, and we’re keeping our operations running smoothly and safely to ensure you continue receiving the level of support you deserve and expect.

Our team is currently working from home, so we can support our community without disruption while prioritizing everyone’s safety and wellbeing.

Donate KN95 Masks to Catalyst Health Network

5miles donated 1000 KN95 Masks to Catalyst Health Network to help health professionals in urgent need of protective equipment.

The battle between humanity and virus has always been a journey of hardships and grits. Doctors are on the frontline defending the health and survival for all of us, risking their own lives. We are doing our best in contributing to the COVID-19 prevention efforts, hoping that these masks will help various medical staff in this combat.

We are in this together. And we will win this battle.

Thank you for helping us protect the 5miles community.

We’ll continue to share updates as they become available - and in the meantime, we appreciate and encourage everyone’s efforts to prioritize the wellbeing of themselves and their neighbors.