Use this guide if something you bought second-hand online, such as on an auction, selling or social media marketplace, is not as described, broken or never arrived. Have the listing, your messages with the seller and your payment details ready.
Step by step
Check if the seller is a trader
Look at the seller's profile for signs they sell as a business, such as a business name, many identical items or a registered address. If they are a trader, you have the fuller rights of the Consumer Rights Act 2015. If they are a private individual, your rights are more limited, so the platform's own protection becomes more important.
Compare the item with the listing
Buying from a private seller, the item must still match how it was described, and the seller must have the right to sell it. Save screenshots of the listing and photos before the seller can edit or delete them. Photograph the item as it arrived, including any faults and the packaging.
Contact the seller through the platform
Message the seller inside the app or site, not by email or phone, so there is a record the platform can see. Explain the problem briefly, attach photos and say what you want, such as a return and refund. Stay polite and give a short deadline for a reply.
Open a claim with the platform
If the seller does not help, use the platform's resolution centre or buyer protection claim before its deadline. These schemes usually only cover payments made through the platform's own checkout, so check the terms. Follow its instructions exactly, especially about returning items with tracking.
Use your payment method
If the platform cannot help, contact your bank or card provider about a chargeback, or the payment service you used about its own protection. Bank transfers and 'friends and family' payments usually have much less protection. If you think you were deliberately deceived, the item never existed or the account vanished, treat it as a possible scam.
Report and record
Report the seller's account to the platform so others are protected. If it was a scam, tell your bank immediately and report it to Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud), or Police Scotland if you live in Scotland. Keep all screenshots and messages together in case you need advice from Citizens Advice.
Ready-to-use checklist
- Screenshots of the original listing
- Photos of the item as received
- Seller checked: private or trader
- Messages kept inside the platform
- Platform claim deadline noted
- Payment method and protection checked
- Return sent with tracking if agreed
- Account reported if suspicious
Practical tips
- Always pay through the platform's own checkout rather than by bank transfer to get buyer protection.
- For expensive items, view them in person in a safe public place before paying if you can.
- Ask the seller for extra photos or a short video of the item working before you buy.
Common problems
The seller says 'sold as seen, no returns'.
Even a private seller must describe an item accurately, so 'sold as seen' does not cover a false description. Show where the item differs from the listing and use the platform's claim process.
The seller asked you to pay outside the app and has now disappeared.
Contact your bank straight away and explain what happened, then report it to the platform and to Report Fraud. Payments outside the platform are usually not covered by its protection, so act quickly.
The platform closed your claim because you missed a step.
Ask the platform to review the decision and explain why you missed the step. If that fails, check whether your card provider or payment service can help.
This guide gives general information, not personal legal, financial or medical advice. Rules and prices change, so check the current position with the official service before acting.
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