No child is ever named, photographed, or located on Zibbo.
Not in a listing. Not in a profile. Not in a chat. Not in a search result. The safety story isn’t a feature of Zibbo. It is Zibbo.
What we never store or show
- A child’s real name or initials
- A child’s date of birth (we use age bands only, e.g. “7 to 9 yrs”)
- A photo of a child’s face, body, or uniform
- A street address on a public listing
- A school name, postcode in full, or geolocation
- A kid to kid direct message
What we do hold, and why
- Your email — for login and order notifications
- Your postcode district (e.g. GU2) — to show listings near buyers and compute delivery eligibility
- A handle your kid picked (e.g. ScooterKid42) — the only “identity” on the platform
- Listing photos — items only, never people
- Your Stripe payout details — held by Stripe, not by us
The privacy architecture, piece by piece
Each layer below is independently necessary. Together they make it architecturally impossible for a stranger to identify, contact or locate any child on Zibbo.
Handles, not names
Your kid picks a playful handle at signup. Real names, nicknames and initials are blocked by a filter and a moderator review. The same handle carries across their listings, so a buyer sees a consistent seller without ever seeing an identity.
Item photos only
Zibbo’s photo upload runs a face detection check on device, in your kid’s app. Any photo containing a detected face is rejected before it leaves the app, with a gentle nudge to retake on a plain background. You get a second look at approval time.
Postcode district, never full address
We capture your full postcode once, at signup, only because Stripe needs it for KYC. Zibbo itself only ever shows the district (the first half, e.g. GU2). The full address is released privately to the buyer’s guardian only after payment clears, and only if you enabled Collection.
Guardian is the gatekeeper
Your kid writes the listing, but can’t publish without your approval. Can’t accept offers. Can’t enter an address. Can’t raise a dispute. Can’t withdraw money. The guardian app is the only path between your kid and the world.
No kid to kid messaging
Zibbo has no DMs, no group chats, no follow graph, no public comments. The only conversation surface is the offer thread between two guardians about a specific item, and even that uses preset prompts with free text limited.
Zibbo has two apps: the kid app (list, browse, save, see status) and the guardian app (approve, message, pay, dispute). The two never blur.
Stripe holds the money
Payments go through Stripe Connect. Zibbo never touches the cash. When a buyer pays, the funds are held by Stripe for 72 hours (or 48 hours after a tracked delivery is marked “Delivered”). You tap Received & happy to release, or raise a dispute and the money freezes.
Dispute & chargeback safety net
If an item arrives broken, not as described, or never shows up, you tap Raise an issue. The money is frozen, evidence is uploaded, a threaded chat opens between both guardians, and Zibbo can mediate. Stripe’s own 14 day chargeback window sits behind us as a last resort.
One tap account deletion
You can leave Zibbo at any time, from a single screen in the guardian app. Your account, your kid’s listings, your email and every listing photo are removed within 30 days. Stripe keeps payment records because UK tax law requires it; that’s separate and legally required.
The plain English version
If a stranger opens Zibbo, all they can see is a picture of a scooter, a price, a postcode district, and a handle like ScooterKid42. They can’t message the kid. They can’t find the kid. They can’t pay the kid directly. The only way they can interact with a Zibbo family is by tapping Buy, which sends their offer to you, the guardian, and goes nowhere unless you agree.
Zibbo lives on your phone.
Download Zibbo on iPhone or Android. One app for your kid, one for you — both free.
No trackers. No ads. No account until you download.