Returns and disputes: what buyer protection really covers
Parcel not received, item not as described, broken article: the three cases, their deadlines and what to do.
Buyer protection is not general insurance: it covers three specific situations, with deadlines that matter.
Parcel not received
A dispute can be opened from five working days after the estimated delivery date. The seller then has three days to provide proof of delivery. Without acceptable proof, a refund is granted.
Item not as described
Different colour, dimensions not matching the listing, a material other than stated. The window is fourteen days after receipt, with photos. The comparison is made against the product page as it stood at the time of purchase.
Damaged article
To be reported within forty-eight hours, with a photo of the outer packaging as well as the product. That photo is what separates transit damage from a manufacturing defect.
What is not covered
- Simply changing your mind, which falls under the right of withdrawal, not dispute.
- Normal wear after several weeks of use.
- Shade variation stated on a handmade piece.
The step not to skip
Contact the shop through internal messaging first. More than eight disputes in ten are settled at this stage in under forty-eight hours, and the written trail becomes the file if arbitration is needed.
This advice comes from the marketplace
Browse products from the shops our guides talk about.
