What this means for buyers:
In order to maintain a trustworthy marketplace where people feel confident and protected in their purchases, Whatnot will reimburse buyers at the market value of a high-value item purchased from a break or Surprise Set if they do not receive it. The market value will be determined by Whatnot based on comparable sales, reputable pricing sources, industry data, and other relevant information.
To receive a reimbursement, buyers must contact Whatnot within the required timeframes and meet the eligibility requirements in our Whatnot Buyer Protection Policy.
In order to be eligible for a high-value reimbursement, buyers must provide the following information: order number, description of the item(s) that are missing, photo of the item you are missing, time-stamp from the VOD when you purchased the item, the estimated value of the missing item, and linked sources for your estimated value.
To be eligible for a high-value reimbursement, buyers must provide:
- Order number
- Description of the item(s) that are missing
- Photo of the item you are missing
- The VOD timestamp of the purchased item
- The estimated value of the missing item
- Link to sources supporting that estimated value
If this information is not provided, your order will not qualify for a high-value reimbursement. Whatnot monitors for potential abuse of this process and may decline reimbursement if there is a pattern of refund abuse.
What this means for sellers:
Sellers are responsible for ensuring buyers receive exactly what they bought, on time and as advertised. Sellers may be billed back for refunds resulting from order fulfillment failures and any violations of Whatnot’s policies. In these cases, the seller earnings for the order(s) will be deducted from the seller’s account balance. For more information, please review our Whatnot Community Guidelines and Whatnot Seller Protection Policy.
For order fulfillment failures of high-value items, sellers may be responsible for reimbursing the buyer the full market value of the missing high-value item(s). In some cases, this amount may be significantly higher than the purchase price of the item(s). The market value will be determined by Whatnot based on comparable sales, reputable pricing sources, industry data, and other relevant information.
For example, if a buyer reports that a high-value card from a break or Surprise Set is missing and you cannot provide valid fulfillment proof, you may be responsible for reimbursing the buyer the full market value of the card, not just your seller earnings from the buyer’s purchase of that break spot or Surprise Set listing.
Shipping and fulfillment guidelines for high-value items
When selling and shipping high-value items, we strongly recommend sellers follow the guidelines below to avoid being billed back for the market value of a high-value package or item when a dispute arises.
- Ship items as purchased within 2 business days. Buyers should receive exactly what was purchased and shipped on time.
- We strongly encourage all sellers to add insurance to these packages. Learn more about protecting your orders.
- Train employees on packaging and shipping on time. Sellers will be accountable if a buyer didn't receive exactly what they bought due to a mistake, lack of fulfillment, or theft by a seller's employee.
- Record and retain fulfillment footage of your packing process. Use a camera setup that clearly shows cards being packed, the package being sealed, and the shipping label with the tracking number applied in one continuous shot. Be sure to store the footage for at least 75 days.
Additional guidance for US-sellers only:
- Add Signature Required Delivery to ensure receipt of the package.
- Items valued over $20 may not be shipped using First Class Mail Letters (also known as plain white envelope shipping).
Disputes related to high-value items
If contacted by Whatnot Trust & Safety about a missing high-value card, please respond within 2 days and provide:
- Clear, legible video footage showing the missing card(s) being packed, including the package being sealed on camera. Photos will not be accepted as sufficient evidence.
- The shipping label with tracking number and buyer name clearly visible.
Example of acceptable proof of fulfillment:
Additional information for sellers
- Sellers should communicate with buyers about missing items only within the Whatnot app.
- Whatnot is monitoring the frequency of reports of missing or undelivered high-value items. Repeated instances of high-value item fulfillment failures by a seller will result in account penalties, including a suspension, or ban.
- Whatnot is also monitoring for potential abuse of this policy by buyers and may decline to reimburse the buyer if there is a pattern of refund abuse, regardless of the proof of fulfillment provided by the seller.
- Sellers are strictly prohibited from cancelling orders in which a buyer has secured or is due to receive a high-value item (including in a break or Surprise Set).
- To maintain integrity and accountability across the platform, if a seller cancels an order under these circumstances, they may be banned and billed back for the market value of the high-value item.
- Sellers may be billed back for the market value of a high-value item if they send it to anyone other than the buyer listed in their Seller Hub.