At Whatnot, we’re committed to providing a trustworthy buying experience for everyone. In the rare event that something goes wrong with your purchase, you can rest assured knowing we’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find more details on our Buyer Protection Policy, outlining when you’re eligible for a refund and how to get one.
How to get help with a purchase
If you have an issue with your purchase, submit a request through the app. If your issue is covered by our Buyer Protection Policy below, you’ll be entitled to a refund.
When buyers are entitled to a refund
Our Buyer Protection Policy covers the following issues, provided you submit your request within the specified timelines, and the request isn’t excluded under the “Exclusions to Whatnot Buyer Protection” section.
- Incomplete or incorrect items: One or more items are missing or incorrect
- Item Not as Described or Inauthentic: Items received are damaged, expired, defective, counterfeit or fake, or do not match the condition description
- Package not received: Items are lost or delayed in transit, not shipped, misdelivered, or not received after being marked "delivered" by the carrier
- Full list of covered issues under Additional Details below
You must submit your request by the earlier of 30 days from purchase or 14 days from delivery for your request to be eligible under Whatnot Buyer Protection. Certain categories have specific deadlines:
- Coins & Money, Sports Cards, Sneakers & Streetwear, Trading Card Games, Luxury Goods: Submit your request by the earlier of 7 days of delivery or 30 days from purchase.
- Plants: Submit your request by the earlier of 2 days of delivery or 30 days from purchase.
- Orders delivered to the UK and EU
- For items received (and unconsumed), requests must be submitted within 14 days of receipt.
- For items not shipped, requests must be submitted within 30 days of placing the order.
Whatnot may require you to return the item before receiving a refund. If so, the item must be returned in the same condition as received. For example, opening a product or removing tags may disqualify your order from being refunded or reduce the refund amount. Buyers returning orders in Germany will be required to pay return shipping costs. These will be deducted from your refund.
Additional Details
Exclusions to Whatnot Buyer Protection Policy
While our Buyer Protection Policy protects buyers when unexpected events impact their purchase, there are some circumstances where we do not provide a refund, even if the refund claim may fall under the issues listed above.
- Consumable Products: Because the value of consumable products changes once the product is consumed or opened, we may not provide refunds on consumable products, including:
- Breaks: Any item(s) purchased in a break are only eligible for a refund if an item is missing, delayed, incorrect, or damaged. See High Value Loss Reimbursement Policy for more on missing high value cards.
- Other consumable products: Any other product that is consumed or opened by the buyer in a manner that changes the item’s value is ineligible for a refund.
- Tips: As set out in our Tip Terms and Conditions, tips to sellers are ineligible for refunds.
- Refusing Delivery: Refusing delivery of your purchase does not qualify your order for a refund.
- Failing to Pickup: Failing to collect packages that are held for pickup by local couriers does not qualify the order for a refund.
- Customs Fees: Refusal to pay applicable customs or duties due does not qualify the order for a refund. Additionally, any customs fees or duties paid are not eligible for a refund. If you paid import duties or taxes as part of clearing your package through customs but you then returned the item, please contact your customs authority regarding a refund of the charges.
- Exchange Rate: Whatnot will not reimburse users for any losses related to exchange rate fluctuations or currency conversions.
- Chargebacks: Orders that have been disputed with your financial institution are ineligible for refunds.
- Digital Content: Pattern PDFs, and other Digital Content are ineligible for refunds.
- Potential fraud abuse of policy: Buyers that exhibit indications of refund and/or return fraud, abuse of policy, or otherwise violate Whatnot policies may be refused refunds or have action taken against their account. Any determination of potential abuse or fraud is at the full discretion of Whatnot.
- Incorrect item returned: You will not be eligible for a refund if you return an incorrect item (and the item will not be returned to you by Whatnot). When packing your return, please carefully check that you are returning the correct item. You will not be compensated for any incorrect items sent to Whatnot.
- Off-platform transactions: Any transactions that occur off Whatnot are not eligible for a refund.
List of covered issues under Whatnot Buyer Protection Policy
- The item is substantially delayed in getting shipped
- The item is substantially delayed in transit
- The item was damaged in transit
- An item from your package is missing
- The item is incorrect
- The item you received does not match the description, condition, size, color, or photos listed
- The item is defective, doesn’t work, or expired
- The item is a counterfeit or fake
- You had to pay additional postage to receive the item
- Sales tax was charged incorrectly
- For EU and UK buyers only, you have received the item and would like to return it unconsumed as permitted under the applicable right of withdrawal (as more specifically set out under Refund Request Time Frames (EU and UK)).
Extensions & Exceptions to Refund Request Time Frames
- Orders Marked Delivered: If your item is marked as delivered, but you have not received it, you must contact support within 14 days so that we can investigate the situation. Whatnot will not be held liable for any package marked as delivered by your postal carrier to the address listed on your account, and any refunds provided are solely at the discretion of Whatnot on a case-by-case basis.
- International Orders: Orders shipped internationally may take extended periods of time to get delivered. For international orders, you are eligible to request a refund up to 7 or 14 days from when your item is delivered, depending on the category-specific timeframe, regardless of when the order was placed.
- Counterfeit claims and authentication: To ensure we handle counterfeit claims quickly, we require buyers to submit their refund request for an item suspected of being inauthentic within 30 days of receiving their order (regardless of category or item).
- Preorders & Custom Orders: For certain orders that take extended periods of time before they can be shipped, you are eligible to request a refund up to 7 or 14 days from when your item is delivered, depending on the category you purchased in, as shown above.
- Natural Disasters: Extensions may be offered to buyers and sellers in particular locations to take into consideration delays due to circumstances such as natural disasters, national emergencies, labor strikes, or governmental acts.
High Value Loss Reimbursement Policy
Sports Cards or Trading Cards obtained in breaks may be eligible for a separate high-value loss reimbursement, outlined in the High Value Loss Reimbursement Policy (i.e., buyers may be eligible for a refund of an item’s market value in the case of a missing card). Whatnot will help assess the appropriate refund amount due based on market value. Any decision on market values by Whatnot are final.