Intending to sell multiple devices directly to SellMyTech?
Here’s why we need a quick ID & address upload — and what happens to it.
1: What we’ll ask you for
| Upload | Accepted documents | Must be… |
|---|---|---|
| Photo ID | UK/EEA passport UK photocard driving licence |
In date, clear scan (both sides for a licence) |
| Proof of address | Utility bill, bank or tax statement | Issued within 90 days & shows the same name/address as the ID |
Time to complete: typically we’ll confirm within 1-2 business days.
Service used: Yoti Business Portal – a Government-certified Identity Service Provider (DIATF register).
2: Why we have to do this
| Legal duty | What it means in plain English |
|---|---|
| Sale of Goods Act 1979 §12 – “right to sell” | We must show we took reasonable steps to confirm you really own the device. |
| Theft Act 1968 §22 – handling-stolen-goods defence | Police will ask for the ID trail if a handset later turns out to be stolen. |
| Money-Laundering Regs 2017 (CDD & Reg 28(19)) | Even though we pay by bank transfer/PayPal, we must verify sellers through a “reliable, independent electronic source”. |
| UK GDPR – data-minimisation & security | We must collect only what’s needed, store it safely, and delete it when the retention window closes. |
Taking (and keeping) a clean, time-stamped ID pack is the industry-standard “due-diligence” defence endorsed in the Metropolitan Police Safe Seller Code of Practice.
3: How the upload works
- Click “Start secure upload” in the form below.
- Photograph or drag-and-drop your ID and proof-of-address.
- The system checks the security features and does a quick face-match (no credit search).
- You’ll see “Verified – Success”; we get a tamper-evident PDF and you’re done.
If anything is unclear, you can retry or speak to us live in under two minutes.
4: What happens to your documents afterwards
| Stage | Action | How long we keep it |
|---|---|---|
| Verification | Encrypted transfer to us; staff can see only redacted thumbnails. | Seconds |
| Storage | Full PDF stored in an encrypted vault, access logged and restricted to compliance staff. | 6 years (standard civil-claim window) or 10 years if law requires. |
| Deletion | Automatic wipe or irreversible anonymisation. | End of retention period |
We never share your ID outside SellMyTech except if required by:
- a lawful police request, or
- a court order.
5: Frequently asked (short) questions
Will this affect my credit score?
No. It is an ID-verification check only.
I don’t have a utility bill in my name – what then?
A bank statement, HMRC notice or local-authority letter issued within 90 days is fine. Screenshot PDFs are accepted.
Can I email the ID instead?
For security we only accept uploads via the portal; email gets auto-purged.
Why 6 years?
It matches the UK Limitation Act 1980 period for civil claims about ownership.
6: Need help?
Email contact@sellmytech.co.uk or call 01782 976280 (Mon–Fri 9-5).
We’ll walk you through the upload or discuss alternative proofs if you’re stuck.
Thanks for helping us keep the marketplace safe – and for choosing to recycle responsibly with SellMyTech
