Returns & Buyer Protection Policy

Last updated: 31 August 2026

This policy explains what happens when you buy an item using Buy Now on Sell4Me.ie. Your rights depend on whether the seller is a business (trader) or a personal (private) seller. Business sellers must comply with Irish and EU consumer law. Personal sellers are not covered by those statutory returns rules, but Buy Now purchases from them are still protected by the buyer-protection process below.

1. When the business-seller returns policy applies

• The seller is a registered business account on Sell4Me.ie (shown with a Business or Verified business badge on the listing).
• You paid through the on-site Buy Now checkout — not cash on collection, bank transfer or any other off-platform payment.
• You are buying as a consumer, not for resale or business use.

If all three apply, sections 2–7 below give you statutory returns rights. If the seller is a personal (standard) account, section 8 applies instead.

2. 14-day cooling-off period (change of mind)

• You may cancel a Buy Now order from a business seller for any reason within 14 days of the day you (or someone you nominate) receive the item.
• Tell the seller in writing within that 14-day window — message them on the listing, or contact them through their business page.
• You then have a further 14 days to send the item back.
• Return the item unused, in re-saleable condition and with any original packaging, tags and accessories where possible. The seller may reduce your refund if the item's value has been diminished by handling beyond what is needed to check it.
• Unless the seller's own listing says otherwise, you pay the cost of returning the item when you are simply changing your mind.
• The seller must refund you within 14 days of receiving the item back (or of you proving you sent it).

Items excluded from the cooling-off period

The 14-day change-of-mind right does not apply to:

• Made-to-order, personalised or custom-made goods.
• Perishable goods, or goods liable to deteriorate quickly.
• Sealed hygiene or health items where the seal has been broken (e.g. underwear, earrings, cosmetics).
• Sealed audio, video or software that has been unsealed.
• Services fully performed with your agreement, and vehicles or items collected in person rather than bought at distance.

3. Faulty, damaged, or not-as-described items

Separate from the cooling-off period, goods sold by a business must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. If they are not:

• Report it to the seller as soon as you notice the problem, with photos where possible.
• Within 30 days of delivery you can normally ask for a full refund.
• After 30 days you may ask for a repair or replacement first, and a refund (which may be reduced for use) if that fails or isn't practical.
• Where the item is faulty or wrong, the seller pays the return postage — you should not be out of pocket.

If the parcel never turns up, use "Item not received" in My Orders once the timeframes shown there have passed.

4. How refunds are paid

• Refunds are issued by the seller through Sell4Me's payment provider back to the original card. They usually appear within 5–10 working days.
• Change-of-mind refunds cover the item price. Original postage is refundable only where the whole order is cancelled under the cooling-off period or where the item was faulty or not as described.
• Where an item is faulty, not as described or never arrived, you are entitled to a refund of the full amount you paid, including original postage.
• Partial refunds may be agreed directly with the seller (for example, a discount to keep a slightly damaged item).

5. How to start a return

1. Open My Orders and find the order.
2. Message the business seller from the listing, stating the order and whether you are cancelling within 14 days or reporting a fault.
3. Agree the return address and method with the seller, and keep proof of postage.
4. Once the seller receives the item (or your proof of return), they issue the refund from their account.

If the seller does not respond within a reasonable time, or refuses a valid return, contact Support@sell4me.ie and we will step in. You may also raise the matter with the CCPC or through the EU Online Dispute Resolution platform, or dispute the charge with your card issuer.

6. Business sellers' own policies

Business sellers may offer a more generous returns policy than this one (for example, 30-day free returns) and may publish it on their business page or listing. They may not offer less than the statutory minimum set out above — any listing term that tries to remove your legal rights has no effect.

7. Sell4Me's role

Sell4Me is a marketplace, not the seller. The contract of sale is between you and the business seller, and the returns and refund obligations above are the seller's. We provide the Buy Now checkout, the refund tooling and a dispute channel, and we may instruct our payment provider to refund on the seller's behalf where a valid claim has been ignored. See our Terms of Service and Safety & Trust Centre for more.

8. Buying with Buy Now from a personal (standard) seller

Personal sellers can enable Buy Now only on certain low-risk, postable categories (currently clothing, books, kids and jewellery). Because these are private, person-to-person sales, the statutory 14-day cooling-off period and trader-consumer rights in sections 2–7 above do not apply. Instead, the following buyer-protection process applies.

• Payment is held safely. When you pay through Buy Now, your money is received and safeguarded by our regulated payments partner (Stripe). The seller does not receive the funds immediately.
• When the seller is paid. The seller's share is released only when you click "Confirm received" in My Orders, or automatically 7 days after the seller marks the item as posted if you do not open a dispute.
• Item not received. If the seller has not marked the item as posted, you can report this from My Orders 7 days after payment. If the item has been posted but not delivered, you can report it 14 days after posting.
• Item not as described or faulty. Once you receive an item, you can report it as not as described or faulty from My Orders. Include photos and a clear description of the problem.
• Refund window. You must raise an item-not-received or not-as-described report within 60 days of payment. After that, the in-app dispute button closes and you should contact Support@sell4me.ie or your card issuer.
• What the refund covers. Approved refunds cover the item price only. Postage charges are not refundable, because the seller arranges and pays for postage directly with their chosen carrier.
• How the refund is decided. The seller is asked to issue the refund from their account. If the seller does not respond or refuses a valid claim, Sell4Me may, at its discretion, instruct the payment provider to refund you from the held funds.
• Confirming receipt ends the protection window. Only click"Confirm received" once you have the item and are satisfied with it. After you confirm, the seller's payout is released and the in-app dispute window for "item not received" closes.
• No change-of-mind returns. Personal sellers are not required to accept returns if you simply change your mind. You may still message the seller to ask, but this is entirely at their discretion.

This buyer-protection process is in addition to any rights you may have under general Irish contract law, but it does not create a statutory cooling-off period for private sales. If you believe a personal seller has misrepresented an item or failed to send it, use the report function in My Orders or contact Support@sell4me.ie.