Deposit Guardian is an independent deposit protection service for buying and selling heavy machinery, vehicles and equipment in Australia. We hold a buyer's deposit securely — via direct bank transfer or PayID — until the buyer confirms they're satisfied with the machine. If anything goes wrong, the deposit isn't released to the seller until the issue is resolved.

No. Deposit Guardian works with any transaction, no matter where you found the listing — Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, a classifieds site, a dealer, or even a private sale you heard about through word of mouth. We're not tied to any single marketplace.

You can, but it's risky. Once a direct bank transfer lands in someone else's account, it's gone — there's no built-in way to get it back if the machine doesn't show up or doesn't match the listing. Deposit Guardian holds your deposit in a dedicated account first, so the seller can see the funds are committed, but can't access them until you've confirmed everything checks out.

Once you and the seller agree on price and terms:

• You transfer the deposit via bank transfer or PayID using a unique reference number we provide
• We confirm receipt and notify the seller that the deposit is secured
• You inspect the machine during the agreed inspection period
• Once you confirm you're satisfied, we release the funds to the seller the same business day

The default inspection period is 5 business days from when the deposit is confirmed, though buyer and seller can agree to a different timeframe before the transaction begins. This gives you time to physically inspect the machine, check documentation, and confirm everything matches the listing before funds are released.

If the machine doesn't match what was described, you can raise a dispute before the inspection period ends. We'll review the details from both sides and make a decision on whether the deposit is refunded, released, or held pending further information. See our Refunds page for more detail.

Deposit Guardian protects against machines that don't match their listing or sellers who don't deliver — it isn't a general "change of mind" refund service. If there's no legitimate issue with the machine and you decide not to proceed for reasons unrelated to the listing, the deposit may be forfeited to the seller in line with our Terms and Conditions.

Once a release is confirmed — whether by your approval, the inspection period expiring without a dispute, or a dispute being resolved in the seller's favour — funds are paid out via bank transfer the same business day.

Our fee is based on the value of the transaction being protected, with no percentage taken from the sale price. See our Pricing page for the current fee schedule.

This can be agreed between the buyer and seller before the transaction starts. Many users choose to split it, while others have one party cover it as part of negotiating the final price. Check the Pricing page for the current default arrangement.

No. The fee shown on our Pricing page is the only cost for using the Safety Vault. We don't take a percentage of your sale price.

Yes. Deposit Guardian operates in line with Australian regulatory requirements for businesses that handle client funds as part of a transaction. We take our obligations seriously and continue to work with relevant regulators as our service grows.

Your deposit sits in a dedicated holding account and is not released to the seller until the conditions of the transaction are met — either your confirmation, the inspection period expiring, or a resolved dispute. Steve and the Deposit Guardian team do not use held funds for any other purpose.

Be cautious. A legitimate seller has no reason to avoid using a deposit protection service — if anything, it protects them too, since it proves the buyer is serious and the funds are real. A seller pushing hard for an unprotected direct transfer is one of the most common scam warning signs. See our Fraud Prevention guide for more red flags.

Never. We will never ask for your banking password, PIN, one-time codes, or remote access to your device or banking session. All transfers happen through your own bank's official app or website using the reference number we provide. If anyone contacts you claiming to be from Deposit Guardian and asks for these details, it is not us — please report it to support@depositguardian.com immediately.

Create an account, then once you and the seller have agreed on price and terms, set up the transaction in your dashboard. We'll provide a unique reference number for the deposit transfer and guide both parties through the rest of the process.

Yes, both parties need a Deposit Guardian account so we can verify identities, communicate transaction details, and manage the release of funds correctly.

No problem — reach out to our team directly at support@depositguardian.com or call 0421 992 122. We aim to respond within 1 business day.