Terms of Service

1. Who we are and what this service is

[Company legal name], [NIF], with registered address at [registered address] ("the Platform", "we") operates an online consumer-to-consumer (C2C) auction marketplace for collectibles, based in Portugal and serving users in the European Union. Contact: [support email].

We are an intermediary, not a seller. Items are listed and sold by independent private sellers. The contract of sale for every item is concluded directly between the buyer and the seller. We do not take ownership of, inspect, or guarantee any listed item, and we are not a party to the sale contract.

2. Accounts and verification

Anyone may browse auctions. To bid or sell you must create an account (email, Google, or Facebook sign-in) and complete verification steps:

  • A verified payment card is mandatory before your first bid.
  • Sellers receiving payouts must complete identity verification (KYC) through our payment partner Stripe before payouts are enabled.

You must be at least 18 years old and legally capable of entering binding contracts. You are responsible for activity under your account.

3. Binding bids

Bids on this Platform are binding. By listing an item, the seller commits to sell at the final price provided it meets the optional reserve price. By placing a bid, the buyer commits to buy at that price if they win. There is no post-auction acceptance or negotiation window.

  • A bid placed in the final 2 minutes extends the auction by 2 minutes (anti-sniping), capped at 30 minutes of total extension.
  • Minimum bid increments apply and are shown before you confirm.
  • "Buy Now", where offered, is available only until the first bid is placed.
  • Winning and failing to pay, or disputing a legitimate charge fraudulently, leads to strikes; two strikes result in a ban. Sellers who refuse to complete a won auction at or above reserve face a penalty equal to the commission and, on repeat, suspension.

4. Fees

On a winning bid or Buy Now purchase, the buyer pays the winning amount ("hammer price") plus a platform commission. The commission is the card-processing cost plus a 1% platform margin, capped at €300 per transaction for the collectibles vertical. The exact bid, commission, and total are always shown before you confirm a bid — there are no hidden fees.

The commission is charged to the winner's card on file when the auction ends and is non-refundable except in cases of verified fraud (see the Refund Policy). Optional paid "Boost" promotion for sellers (€4.99 for 7 days of promoted placement) does not affect auction outcomes and is non-refundable once delivered.

5. Settlement and payouts

We never hold sale principal ourselves. Payments and payouts are processed by Stripe, a licensed payment institution, via Stripe Connect.

  • On-platform settlement (amounts up to the seller's settlement limit): the buyer pays through the Platform; funds are held by Stripe and released to the seller 14 days after the buyer confirms delivery, unless a dispute is open. The Platform's buyer protection applies in full.
  • Off-platform settlement (amounts above the seller's limit): buyer and seller settle the principal directly between themselves; the Platform charges the commission only, and its protection covers the commission only.

6. Disputes and buyer protection

For on-platform orders, either party may open a dispute while funds are held — at the latest within the 14-day window after delivery confirmation. The Platform reviews the evidence and decides to refund the buyer or release the funds to the seller. Details, scope, and exclusions are in the Refund Policy.

7. Prohibited conduct

  • Taking a transaction off-platform to evade fees or protection, including exchanging contact details before a win (messaging is filtered for this reason).
  • Listing prohibited, counterfeit, stolen, or illegal items.
  • Shill bidding, bid manipulation, or interfering with auctions.
  • Abuse of ratings, messaging, or the dispute process.

Violations lead to content removal, strikes, suspension, or a permanent ban, and may be reported to the authorities.

8. Seller obligations and tax reporting (DAC7)

Sellers must list items accurately, honour won auctions at or above reserve, and ship promptly with tracking where possible. As an EU platform operator we are required under Council Directive (EU) 2021/514 ("DAC7") to collect sellers' legal name, address, tax identification number, and date of birth, and to report seller earnings annually to the Portuguese tax authority (Autoridade Tributária), which exchanges them with other EU member states. See the Privacy Policy.

9. Liability

As an intermediary, we are not liable for the quality, safety, legality, authenticity, or delivery of items sold by users, nor for users' performance of their sale contracts. Our liability is limited to the commission received for the transaction concerned, to the extent permitted by law. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited under Portuguese or EU law, including mandatory consumer rights.

10. Consumers and withdrawal rights

Sales between private individuals are generally not subject to the EU 14-day consumer withdrawal right, which applies to professional traders. Our 14-day dispute window (Section 6) is a separate, contractual protection offered by the Platform. [Lawyer to confirm the drafting of this section against Portuguese consumer law.]

11. Governing law and disputes

These terms are governed by Portuguese law. EU consumers may also rely on the mandatory protections of their country of residence and may use the European Commission's Online Dispute Resolution platform. Courts: [jurisdiction — to be confirmed by lawyer].