Accept or decline a cancellation request Accept or decline a cancellation request
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Accept or decline a cancellation request

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As a seller, you can review and respond to buyer cancellation requests directly from Seller Hub.

Buyers may request to cancel an order within 24 hours of purchase, as long as the order hasn’t shipped. Once a request is submitted, you’ll have 48 hours to accept or decline it.

This guide covers how cancellation requests work, when you’re required to take action, and what happens after you respond.

If a buyer requests cancellation before you’ve created a shipping label and you still plan to ship, be sure to decline the request before generating the label.

In this article: 

Your options as a seller 

All bids on Whatnot are binding, as outlined in our Community Guidelines.

In most cases, it’s your decision whether to accept or decline a cancellation request:

  • If you accept, the buyer is refunded in full and the sale is canceled. 

  • If you decline or don’t respond within 48 hours, the sale is final and you should ship the order.

Tip: Accepting cancellation requests doesn’t affect your Account Health.

When cancellations may be approved by Whatnot

In a few cases, Whatnot may step in to make an exception to final sale and approve a cancellation request:

  • Bidding error (auctions only): If there was a technical issue during bidding, buyers can contact Whatnot Support within 2 hours of the error

  • One-time exception: Eligible buyers may receive a one-time cancellation if a shipping label hasn’t been created. This does not apply to Card Breaks or items that can be used or consumed on-screen

  • EU or UK buyers: Some buyers may have a legal right to cancel under local consumer laws. See the Buyer Protection Policy for details on the EU/UK Right of Withdrawal

What happens when you accept cancellation 

  • The buyer is automatically notified and refunded

  • Any pending earnings from the sale are canceled

  • If payout has already started, the sale amount is deducted from your account balance

  • Shipping costs are refunded to the original payer

  • If the item was part of a bundle, the remaining items are unaffected unless also canceled

How to respond to a cancellation request 

You can manage cancellation requests from your Orders page in Seller Hub. 

Once you accept or decline a request, it can’t be undone.

In the app
  1. Open the Whatnot app
  2. Tap Seller Hub Seller Hub at the bottom of the screen
  3. Scroll down and tap Orders

  4. Filter by Cancellations or look for orders marked Pending Cancellation

  5. Select the order

  6. Choose Accept or Decline

On whatnot.com
  1. From whatnot.com, open the Orders page in Seller Hub

  2. Filter by Cancellations or look for Pending Cancellation

  3. Select the order to view details, including the buyer’s note

  4. Choose Accept or Decline

Tip: If you’re on the Shipments page, look for a ! icon. Click the ! icon to open the Orders page and respond to the cancellation request before you generate labels.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Do I have to honor every cancellation request?

No. It’s your decision whether to accept or decline a request.

What if the buyer asks to cancel after I’ve already shipped the order?

Orders can’t be canceled after shipment. Let the buyer know their order is on the way.

If there's an issue with their order, they can still request help with a purchase. 

A buyer overbid during my show. What should I do?

Don’t generate a shipping label. Ask the buyer to submit a cancellation request from their order details page, then accept it and relist the item if needed.

What if I accepted a cancellation by mistake?

Cancellations can’t be undone. You can message the buyer to ask if they’d like to repurchase the item.

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