What is MarketForTheBlind.com and who is it for?

Market For The Blind is an accessibility-first online marketplace built specifically for blind and disabled users. It is a community platform where approved members can post items and services for sale, trade, or giveaway. Think of it as a small, safe, moderated alternative to large general marketplaces, designed from the ground up to work fully with screen readers and keyboard-only navigation. All users are manually reviewed and approved before gaining access, which helps keep the community safe and accountable.

How do I create an account?

Visit the Apply for an Account page and complete the application form. You will need to provide your full name, desired username, email address, state or province, country, phone number, a short bio, and a brief description of how you intend to use the site. All fields are required. Once submitted, your application is reviewed by a staff member, which typically takes up to 24 hours. You will receive an email once a decision has been made.

How do I log in? There is no password field.

Market For The Blind uses a passwordless login system. To log in, visit the Log In page and enter your registered email address. A secure one-time login link is sent to that address. Click the link and you are logged in automatically. The link expires after 15 minutes. If you do not receive it within a few minutes, check your spam or junk folder. If you still have not received it, contact us for help.

Where is my password? What is my password?

There is no password. Market For The Blind deliberately does not use passwords at all.

Instead of a password, you log in by entering your email address on the Log In page. The site sends a secure one-time link to that address, and clicking it logs you in immediately. The link expires after 15 minutes, after which you can simply request a new one.

Why no password? Passwords are one of the most common causes of account lockouts and security problems. People forget them, reuse them across sites, or choose ones that are easy to guess. A one-time email link is actually more secure — it proves you have access to the registered email address right now, which is harder to fake than guessing a password. It also means there is nothing to forget, nothing to reset, and nothing that can be stolen in a data breach.

The only thing you need to log in is access to the email address you registered with. If you lose access to that email address, contact staff and we can update your address after verifying your identity.

How do I post a listing?

You must be logged in with an approved account to post a listing. Once logged in, click Create a Listing in the navigation. Fill in the title, description, price, condition, and select at least one category. You may optionally upload up to three files (images, audio, video, text, or RTF files up to 10MB each) and include an external link. A $1.00 listing fee is required, processed through PayPal. If you have a coupon code, you can enter it to waive the fee. After payment your listing enters a review queue and a staff member will approve or reject it within 24 hours.

Can I list multiple items in one listing?

Each listing should represent a single item, or a small set of items that naturally belong together as one unit — for example, a braille display along with its case, charger, and manual, or a set of three identical kitchen scales sold as a lot.

If you have several separate, unrelated items to sell, please create a separate listing for each one. This keeps things clear for buyers, ensures each item shows up in the right category, and lets buyers make offers on exactly what they want. Listings that bundle many unrelated items together may be returned for revision during review.

Why is there a $1.00 listing fee?

The small listing fee helps cover the cost of running and maintaining the platform, including hosting, moderation, and email services. It also helps keep listings genuine, since users are less likely to post spam or low-quality content when there is a small cost involved. The fee is $1.00 per listing. Listing fees are generally non-refundable. Refund requests for rejected listings are considered on a case-by-case basis at the sole discretion of staff — no refund is guaranteed. If you have received a coupon code from staff, you may enter it when creating your listing to waive the fee entirely.

How do I use a coupon code?

Coupon codes waive the $1.00 listing fee for one listing. To use one, go to the Create a Listing page and fill in your listing details as normal. Near the bottom of the form, you will find a field labelled Coupon Code (optional). Enter your code there exactly as you received it — it is case-insensitive. When you submit the listing, the fee will be waived and you will not be redirected to PayPal.

Each coupon code is valid for one listing only and has an expiration date. Expired codes cannot be used. If a code is not working, double-check that you have entered it correctly and that it has not expired. For further help, contact us.

How long does listing approval take?

All listings are reviewed manually by a staff member before becoming visible on the site. This typically takes up to 24 hours. You will receive an email once your listing has been reviewed. If it has been more than 24 hours and you have not heard anything, please check your spam folder first. If you still have not received a response, contact us with your username and listing title.

How long does a listing stay active?

Listings remain active for 30 days from the date of approval. You will receive an email reminder every seven days asking whether your item has sold. If it has, you can click a link in the email to remove the listing. If not, simply ignore the reminder and the listing will remain active for the rest of its 30-day period. Expired and completed listings are permanently deleted from the site after 90 days, though log records are kept permanently for accountability purposes.

Why am I not able to post a listing?

There are several possible reasons you may be unable to post a listing. Your account may not yet be approved — only approved accounts can post listings. Your listing may contain content that does not meet the site's guidelines; listings for illegal items, services, controlled substances, or anything prohibited by law will be rejected. You may have accumulated three strikes on your account, which results in suspension of posting privileges. You may also have a pending rating to submit after a previous transaction — the site requires both parties to leave ratings before either can continue interacting with other users. Finally, if you have a pending payment that was not completed, your listing will not enter the review queue until payment is confirmed. If none of these apply and you are still unable to post, please review the Terms of Service or contact us at contact staff.

How do I purchase an item or contact a seller?

Purchasing on Market For The Blind works through a simple offer process. Here is how it works from start to finish:

Step 1 — Find a listing. Browse the home page, search by keyword, or select a category. Click the listing title to open the full listing page, where you will see the item description, price, condition, and any attachments the seller included.

Step 2 — Make an offer. On the listing page, click the Make an Offer button. You must be logged in with an approved account to do this. Enter your offer amount, an optional message to the seller, and your preferred contact method. Check the acknowledgment box and submit. Your offer is sent privately to the seller — it is not visible to other users.

Step 3 — Wait for the seller's response. The seller will receive an email notifying them of your offer. They can accept or decline. You will be notified by email either way. If they decline, you can make another offer or move on. If they accept, you move to the next step.

Step 4 — Complete the transaction. Once the seller accepts, both of you receive each other's contact details by private email. From that point, you arrange payment and delivery directly between yourselves. Market For The Blind is not involved in this part — it happens entirely between buyer and seller. We strongly recommend using PayPal Goods and Services for payment, which provides buyer and seller protection. Avoid sending cash, gift cards, or wire transfers.

Step 5 — Confirm and leave feedback. Once the transaction is complete, both parties confirm it on the site and leave a rating for each other. This is mandatory and keeps the community accountable.

You must be a logged-in approved member to make offers or contact sellers. If you do not yet have an account, apply for one here.

How do transactions work? Does the site handle payments between users?

Market For The Blind does not process, hold, or guarantee payments between buyers and sellers. We are a platform that connects people — all actual transactions happen directly between the two parties. You are responsible for choosing a safe and reputable payment method such as PayPal Goods and Services, which offers buyer and seller protection. We strongly advise against sending cash, gift cards, or wire transfers. Always keep records of your communications and any payment confirmations. Once a transaction is complete, both the buyer and seller are asked to confirm it on the site and leave a rating for each other. Market For The Blind cannot be held responsible for any outcome of a transaction. Please review our Terms of Service for the full liability policy.

How do ratings and reviews work?

After a transaction is completed, both the buyer and the seller must visit the site and confirm that the transaction took place. Once both parties confirm, each is required to submit a rating — Positive, Neutral, or Negative — along with an optional comment of up to 1000 characters. Ratings are tied to real transactions and help build each user's reputation over time. You will not be able to send messages or make offers on other listings until you have submitted your pending rating. You will receive email reminders every three days until the rating is submitted. Ratings are visible on each user's profile page.

Feedback must be honest and non-abusive. Retaliatory feedback, threats, defamatory statements, and abusive language in feedback comments are violations of the Terms of Service and may result in a strike. All feedback is permanently logged. If you believe feedback left for you is retaliatory or abusive, contact staff.

Reputation is one of the most important parts of how Market For The Blind works. For a full plain-language explanation of the entire feedback process, what the rating types mean, why reputation matters in this community, and answers to common questions new users have about it, visit the dedicated page:

How Feedback and Reputation Work — Full Explanation

How do I report a listing or user?

To report a listing, open the listing page and click the Report this Listing link near the bottom. To report a user, visit their profile page and click the Report this User link. You must be logged in to submit a report. You will be asked to select a reason — such as terms violation, suspicious activity, duplicate listing, or broken content — and you may include optional comments explaining the issue. A staff member will be notified by email and will review the report. Depending on the outcome, the reported user may receive a warning, a strike, or a ban. See the next two questions for more about strikes and complaint outcomes.

What are strikes?

Market For The Blind operates a three-strike policy. If a user violates the site's rules, a staff member may issue a formal warning or a strike. Strikes are recorded on the user's account along with the reason. Accumulating three strikes may result in a permanent ban from the platform. In cases of serious or obvious violations, staff may ban an account immediately without issuing prior strikes. All strike decisions are made at the sole discretion of staff and are final. For more information about what constitutes a violation, please review the Terms of Service.

What happens after I file a complaint?

Once you submit a report, a staff member is notified by email and your report is added to the admin review queue. Staff will review the report along with any relevant logs, messages, and listing history. Possible outcomes include: no action if the report is found to be unfounded; a formal warning sent to the reported user; a strike issued to the reported user's account; or an immediate ban if the violation is severe. You will not necessarily receive direct notification of the outcome, but the platform takes all reports seriously. If you believe a situation is urgent or you feel unsafe, contact us directly.

Can I be notified when new listings are posted?

Yes. You can opt in to receive email notifications whenever a new listing is approved and goes live on the site. To enable this, visit your profile page and select the option to be notified of new listings. You can turn this off at any time from your profile, or click the unsubscribe link included in every notification email. Notification emails come from news@marketfortheblind.com.

How do I delete my account?

At this time there is no self-service account deletion option on the site. To request that your account be removed, contact staff from the email address associated with your account. Please include your username in your message. A staff member will process your request as soon as possible. Please note that log data associated with your account activity is retained permanently for accountability and moderation purposes, even after an account is removed.

Can I change my username or email address?

Your username is set when your account is created and is not designed to be changed. It identifies you across the site — in listings, offers, feedback, and logs — so keeping it consistent is important for accountability and community trust. If you have a genuine reason to request a username change, you can contact staff and we will consider it, but changes are not guaranteed and are entirely at staff's discretion.

Your email address is your login credential — it is where your login links are sent. You cannot change it yourself through the site. If you need your email address updated, contact staff from your current registered address and a staff member can update it for you. Make sure you have access to the new address before requesting the change, since your login links will go there once it is updated.

You can update your bio, location, and phone number at any time from your profile page without contacting anyone.

What are wanted ads?

Wanted ads are a way for members to let the community know they are looking for a specific item. Instead of waiting and hoping something turns up, you can post a wanted ad describing exactly what you need — the item name, preferred condition, your budget if you have one, and any other relevant details. Sellers who have a matching item can then reach out to you directly through the site.

Wanted ads are free to post. They are reviewed by staff before appearing and expire automatically after 30 days. You may have one active wanted ad at a time. Approved wanted ads also appear in the Daily Flier email, which is one more great reason to subscribe to it.

To post or browse wanted ads, visit the Wanted Ads page. You can also search wanted ads specifically using the wanted ads search.

I have an item someone is looking for — how do I let them know?

Visit the Wanted Ads page and find the ad for the item you have. Each ad has an "I have this item" option that opens a contact form. You select which of your active listings matches what they are looking for and confirm that your contact is genuine. The site then sends them an email with a link to your listing so they can review it and decide whether it is a match.

If they are interested, they will initiate an offer from your listing page. Everything from that point — the offer, acceptance, contact exchange, transaction, and feedback — follows the same process as any other transaction on the site.

Important: you must have at least one active listing to use the contact feature. This is intentional — it ensures that contact through wanted ads is always attached to a real, approved listing rather than an unsolicited message. Misusing this feature to send irrelevant or harassing contact is a violation of site rules and may result in a strike or ban.

Is this site accessible with a screen reader?

Market For The Blind is built from the ground up with accessibility as the top priority. Every page uses proper semantic HTML, labeled form fields, skip navigation links, logical heading structure, and keyboard-only navigation support. The site is designed to work with VoiceOver on Apple devices, NVDA and JAWS on Windows, and other common screen readers. If you encounter any accessibility barriers or anything that does not work as expected with your assistive technology, please let us know at contact staff so we can fix it.

I still need help. What do I do?

Take another look through the sections above — most common questions are covered here. If you are experiencing a technical problem that is not addressed in the FAQ, you can reach staff through the contact page. Please include your username, a description of the issue, and any relevant details such as the listing title or the page you were on.