How to Safely Buy or Sell a Race Bib — Avoiding Scams

How bib transfer scams work

Most bib scams follow a predictable pattern. Understanding it is the single most effective way to protect yourself — because once you recognise the shape of it, every variation becomes obvious.

The typical scam goes like this: someone posts a listing in a Facebook group for a popular, oversubscribed event — Gold Coast Marathon, Melbourne Marathon, a triathlon with a waitlist. The price is attractive, maybe below what you'd expect. They're friendly and responsive. They explain they can't race due to injury or a work trip. They ask for payment upfront — PayID, bank transfer, sometimes PayPal Friends and Family — before initiating any official transfer. Once paid, they disappear. There is no entry. There never was.

The variations include fake entry confirmation emails, partial scams where a small deposit is paid and the seller disappears, and impersonation scams where someone pretends to be a legitimate seller whose profile you recognise from the running community.

Red flags — what to watch for

These patterns appear in almost every bib scam. If you see more than one of them in a single transaction, treat it as a serious warning.

How to verify an entry is real

Step one: Ask to see the entry confirmation. Any legitimate seller can immediately share their original confirmation email — the one sent by the event organiser at the time of registration. It should show their full name, the event name, distance, date, and a registration reference number. A screenshot is fine. If they hesitate, stall, or send something that looks altered, stop.

Step two: Initiate the official transfer and watch what happens. The cleanest verification is simply starting the transfer process on the official portal — Update My Entry, Race Roster, or ACTIVE Network depending on the event. A genuine entry will appear in the system immediately when the seller initiates the transfer and you receive your invitation email. If the seller delays, makes excuses, or claims the portal isn't working, that tells you everything you need to know.

Step three: Check the seller's identity. A real runner in the Australian running community usually has a digital footprint — Strava, a club membership page, race results on RunningHero or similar. Five minutes of searching for their name alongside the event or their club is often enough to confirm they're a real person with a real running history.

Safe payment methods

The payment method you choose is your last line of defence if something goes wrong. Here's the honest picture:

The safe transfer process — step by step

This sequence protects both buyer and seller and should be followed regardless of how trustworthy the other person seems:

What to do if something goes wrong

If you've been scammed — or suspect you have — act quickly. Time matters with both payment disputes and police reports.

• PayPal dispute: If you paid via PayPal Goods & Services, open a dispute immediately through PayPal's Resolution Centre. Do this within 180 days of payment. Provide all communication records, screenshots of the listing, and confirmation that the entry was never transferred. PayPal's buyer protection is genuine — this is recoverable in many cases.
• Bank transfer / PayID: Contact your bank immediately and explain you've been the victim of a scam transfer. Banks have fraud teams specifically for this and can sometimes recall payments, particularly if reported within 24–48 hours. Report to Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au) — Australian authorities track these patterns.
• Report on the platform: If the listing was on BibBuddy, use the report button on the listing. If it was in a Facebook group, report the post and the user to the group admin and to Facebook directly.
• Warn the community: A post in the relevant running group warning others about the specific account protects the next person. Include the username, the platform, and the nature of the scam — without this, scammers simply move on and repeat the same approach.
• Police report: For significant amounts, file a report with your state police. This creates a paper trail that's useful for bank disputes and contributes to any broader investigation if the scammer is targeting multiple people.

The complete safety checklist

Use this before every bib transfer — as buyer or seller. Click each item to mark it done.

Frequently asked questions

Is it legal to sell a race bib in Australia?

Peer-to-peer bib transfers are permitted by most Australian road races and handled through official portals. What's generally prohibited — by event terms — is running under someone else's name without completing the official transfer. Selling an entry through the official process is fine. Selling an entry so someone can run under your name is against most event rules.

Can I charge more than I paid for my entry?

There's no law preventing it for most events, but the running community strongly discourages profiting on entry transfers. Events are not concerts — the culture is built on access and fairness, not resale value. Pricing at or below your original registration fee is the community norm and asking significantly more is a reliable way to be reported and blocked.

What if the buyer backs out after I've initiated the transfer?

If the transfer is initiated but not yet accepted by the buyer, it typically times out within a set period (check the specific portal's terms) and the entry reverts to you. If you've already received payment via PayPal G&S and the buyer disputes the charge without cause, you have the transaction record as evidence. Document all communication.

Does BibBuddy guarantee transfers?

BibBuddy provides verified profiles, community trust badges, and a structured chat environment that significantly reduces scam risk. We don't process payments or guarantee transactions — that's handled between runners via PayPal and the official event portals. Our role is to make the right connections with the right information to make safe transfers the easy default.