Getting started
How to join your neighbourhood, sign in, and what to do if you get stuck.
1. Two kinds of account
To browse, message a seller and buy — just create an account. It's free, it takes a moment, and you don't need an invite. You don't even need an account to look: every listing is open to anyone, so you can share one straight into the neighbourhood Facebook group and it will actually open.
To post your own listings — you need an invite link from a neighbour or your
organizer. It looks like https://blackburne.bstlocal.com/join/… Everything on the shelf comes
from someone a neighbour vouched for, which is the part that keeps this a neighbourhood
and not a classifieds site.
Already have an account and just got an invite? Sign in first, then open the invite link — it switches posting on for the account you already have.
2. Fill in the form
Signing up to browse and buy — no invite needed:
Or, if you have an invite link and want to post as well:
Either way you fill in the same four things:
- Email — where messages about your listings go.
- Display name — what neighbours see. First name is fine.
- Password — at least 8 characters.
- Postal code — optional. It just shows neighbours roughly where you are. Leave it blank if you'd rather not.
Then press the button. You're in — no confirmation email to wait for.
3. Signing in after that
From then on, use the sign-in page with the email and password you chose:
If it isn't working
“Wrong email or password” — check the email is the one you joined with. If you're not sure, or you've forgotten the password, send us a message and we'll sort it out the same day.
“That email is already registered” — you already have an account. Sign in instead, or use forgot your password if you can't remember it. If you were opening an invite link, sign in first and then open the link again.
“You'll need an invite to post” — your account can browse, message and buy, but posting comes from an invite link. Ask a neighbour who already posts, or your organizer, and open their link while signed in.
“This invite link is invalid or has been turned off” — the link has been replaced. Ask your organizer for the current one.
Still stuck? send us a message. Tell us what you typed and what it said back, and we'll get you in. It goes to your neighbourhood organizer, and they'll reply to the email you give — you're not posting your address anywhere public.
Something on the site itself looks broken — a page that won't load, a photo that won't upload, a button that does nothing? That one isn't your organizer's to fix: tell us the site is broken and it comes straight to the people who built it.
BST Local — buy, sell and trade with the people who actually live near you.