Buyer Protection on every order
When you buy on Preloved Bazaar, your money is held safely by us — never sent straight to the seller. The seller is only paid once they’ve posted your item with tracking and a short protection window has passed, and if something goes wrong, you’re covered.
Your payment is held safely
Your payment goes into Preloved Bazaar’s secure account, not the seller’s. We hold it in escrow and only release it to the seller after they’ve posted your item with tracking — so your money is never in a stranger’s hands.
Sellers are paid only after they ship
A seller can’t get paid until they’ve added tracking and a short protection window has passed — 7 business days as standard, or 3 for trusted sellers. The window starts when tracking is added, not on delivery, so please report any problem as soon as your item arrives.
Automatic refund if it never ships
If a seller doesn’t add tracking, we nudge them on day 5 — and if there’s still no sign of postage by day 7, we automatically refund you and cancel the order. You don’t have to chase anyone.
Covered if it’s not as described
If your item arrives damaged, faulty or not as described, open a dispute from your order. The seller has 48 hours to respond: if they agree, you’re refunded straight away; if they disagree or don’t reply, our team reviews the evidence and decides. A refund cancels the seller’s held payout, or reverses it if it’s already been released — so a fair outcome doesn’t leave you out of pocket.
Refunds go back to you
Every refund is returned to your original payment method through our secure payments partner — the same card or wallet you paid with. No vouchers, no store credit.
Protected even before a seller’s set up
You can buy from any listing. If the seller hasn’t finished setting up their payouts yet, your money still sits safely with us — and if they don’t ship, you’re refunded automatically, just the same.
How it works
- 1
You pay
Your payment is held securely by Preloved Bazaar — not passed to the seller.
- 2
The seller ships
They post your item and add tracking so you can follow it to your door.
- 3
You receive & check
When your item arrives, check it straight away — if anything’s wrong, report a problem from your order as soon as you can.
- 4
The seller is paid
Once the protection window has passed (it runs from when tracking is added), we release the funds to the seller — unless you’ve reported a problem, in which case we hold them while it’s looked into and refund you if it’s due.
What is the Preloved Protection fee?
A small Preloved Protection fee is added at checkout: 0.50 in the listing’s currency (50p on UK listings) plus 5% of the item price. It’s what funds all of the above — secure held payments, refunds when things go wrong, and buyer–seller support — so every purchase is covered.
Your first order is free of this fee — it’s waived once per person, and you’re still fully covered.
Common questions
When does the seller actually get paid?
After they’ve added tracking and a protection window has passed — 7 business days as standard, or 3 for trusted sellers with a strong track record. Until then, your money stays with us.
What if my item never arrives?
If the seller hasn’t added tracking, we remind them on day 5. If there’s still no postage by day 7, we automatically refund you and cancel the order — no need to chase.
What if my item isn’t as described?
Open a dispute from your order. The seller has 48 hours to respond — if they agree, you’re refunded straight away. If they disagree or don’t reply, our team reviews the evidence and decides. Any refund goes back to your original payment method, and the seller’s held payout is cancelled (or reversed, if it had already been released).
How will I be refunded?
Always back to the original card or wallet you paid with, through our secure payments partner. For the full details of what’s covered and how refunds work, see our Refunds & Returns Policy.
