Verifying Your Identity

This page is about general ID Verification for any user on Pets4Homes.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

• (Sellers) ID Verification for Pet Payments
• Why have I been asked to verify my identity?
• What are the benefits of being ID Verified user?
• How do I start the ID verification process?
• What are the steps to complete ID verification?
• What if I do not have any valid ID documents?
• Is my data secure?

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Why have I been asked to verify my identity?

Pets4Homes is always striving to create a more trusted and safe environment for our users. ID verification is another step in ensuring that as a prospective pet owner you can have peace of mind that the users you are interacting with are who they say they are. Equally, the ID verification procedures gives responsible breeders the opportunity to distinguish themselves by transparently showing that they have had their ID verified by Pets4Homes.

If you are a new user to our website uploading an advert for sale in pet categories, our Trust & Safety Team might request you to verify your identity. The identity checks is part of our stringent safeguarding practices to ensure that we fulfill our promise of a zero tolerance approach to fraud, the unethical sale of animals, and puppy farming.

While we understand that it may be an inconvenience to go through an identity check, we would like to highlight that the identity verification is a free service which provides you with extra credibility in the eyes of the user you are communicating with. We are proud to be the website of choice for respectable breeders which comply to our strict enforcement of our listing rules to ensure that animal welfare standards are met.

Examples of situations where we may ask for proof of identity:

• When your account has the same details as another that is already registered on our system. For monitoring and welfare purposes duplicate and multiple accounts are not permitted.
• If you are advertising in a listing category or breed which has a high-risk for fraud and scams.
• If we have received a concerning report about your listing or activity from other users.
• If there is any doubt that the seller is the legal owner of the pet being advertised. The name and address details on the documents provided must match the account details and should also be the legal registered owner of the pet.

IMPORTANT: We will NEVER send you a text message asking you to follow a link to enter your personal details or bank details. If you receive a text message with a link to a website which looks like Pets4Homes, please report this to us immediately. We will, however, sometimes ask you to confirm your identity by sending proof of identity / address to our support team through email. Please always check the email address of the sender when you receive a suspicious email.

There are four ways:

• Our moderation team might request that you verify your identification if you upload an advert in a category where we enforce high trust & safety requirements, e.g. pets for sale. In this case, you will receive an email with the link to the ID verification application.
• If you are uploading an advert, there will be an optional step where you can choose to voluntarily verify your identity.
• You can verify your identity under the my account section. There is a button under your user details where you can initiate the process.
• You have received a Pet Payment request and would like to accept it!

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What are the steps to complete ID verification?

You will be asked to provide some details and a photo of your ID document, either with your phone or by uploading one (scans or screenshots are not accepted).

You will need one of the following forms of ID:

• Passport
• Driver’s license
• Identity card 
• Residence permit 

Note: We recommend that you do this step and subsequent steps on your mobile phone.

If you start on another device and want to continue you on your mobile phone:

• You will be asked to follow a secure link (QR code, text message, or link) on your phone
• Open the link to complete the tasks
• Switch back to your original device to finish the submission process

Note: Please make sure to start and finish the process on the same device, and remember to confirm your submission before leaving the submission page!

1. Upload your ID

You will be asked to upload a photo of the FRONT and then of the BACK of your identity card, driver's licence or residence permit or the front of your passport photo page.

You will also be asked to submit a photo of yourself (a selfie).

2. Submit your application

Switch back to the device you started on and submit your verification (see picture below). When you have completed the process you will see this screen:

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What if I do not have any valid ID documents?

If you do not have any ID documents which are accepted by our verifications provider), please reach out to our customer support team.

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Is my data secure?

Your data is stored by our identity verification partner, Onfido. Onfido is recognized by the UK government as a responsible organisation, you can read more about the UK government's assessment here. Onfido have several protection measures in place to keep your data secure, which you can read more about here. 

Pets4Homes only uses your data for verification purposes and will not use it for any other purpose. We will not sell or share your data with other third parties.