What happens when a buyer reports an order issue

If a buyer has a problem with their order, like a missing item or damaged item, they can report it through the Whatnot app or website from their Purchases page. All purchases are covered by our Buyer Protection Policy and Whatnot will ensure all support requests are handled fairly. 

As a seller, if you’re part of the Seller Provided Support program, buyer support requests for certain issues will be sent directly to you to resolve. Otherwise, the request will be sent to Whatnot Support, and we will work with the buyer and reach out if we need more information from you.

Are you a buyer that needs support? Get help with your purchase. 

On this page: 

• What buyers can report
• What happens after they report an issue
• If a buyer contacts you directly
• How refunds affect your earnings
• How to appeal a refund decision
• Understanding protections for sellers

What buyers can report 

Under Buyer Protection, buyers can report an issue if their order doesn't arrive as expected.

Examples include: 

• Their order never arrived
• An item was damaged or broken
• Something was missing
• They got the wrong item
• The listing didn’t match what they received (wrong condition, size, color, or description)
• The item was counterfeit, defective, or expired

What happens after buyers report an issue 

• If a seller is part of the Seller Provided Support program, they may receive support requests directly from buyers
• Otherwise, buyer support requests will be sent to Whatnot Support to review 
• Buyers may be asked to return the item to the seller or to our warehouse before receiving a refund
• We may contact you to confirm shipping details or item condition

If needed, we may issue a full or partial refund under Buyer Protection

Each decision is based on the issue, the available evidence, and our policies.

Tip: If you’re in the Seller Provided Support program, learn how to manage support requests in your Inbox.

If a buyer contacts you directly 

• If you receive a support request in the “Customer Support” tab of your Inbox, you can provide a refund, replacement or message the buyer directly by following our guidance here. 
• If a buyer messages you in a DM or on social media about a problem, ask the buyer to report their order issue through Whatnot Support by tapping Get help with this purchase from their order details

How refunds affect your earnings

If a refund is issued and charged to your seller account balance:

• You’ll get an email notification
• You can review the charge in your seller ledger

How to appeal a refund decision 

If you believe a refund was issued in error or doesn’t align with our policies:

• Contact Whatnot Support to appeal the decision
• We’ll review the case again to make sure the outcome is fair and accurate

Understanding protections for sellers

We know some situations are out of your control. If a problem is reported, we review the full context before making a decision.

You’re protected when:

• A buyer abuses the Buyer Protection system
• A chargeback is filed
• A returned item is not in the condition you sent it 

We also monitor buyer behavior for patterns of abuse and apply platform policies to keep things fair for everyone.

For full details, review our Seller Protection Policy.