Buyer Protection

Last updated: 29 May 2026

When you buy on SummitSwap, your payment doesn't go straight to the seller. It's held in escrow until after your item is delivered — giving you a window to check it and raise an issue before the seller is paid.

This isn't a guarantee about the item itself. Everything on SummitSwap is secondhand gear sold as-is by individual sellers. What we protect is the transaction: how the money is handled, and a process for resolving things when an order goes wrong.

How it works

1. You pay — funds are held.Your payment (item, shipping, and the Buyer Protection fee) is held in escrow. The seller doesn't receive it yet.
2. The seller ships within 5 days.Sellers must enter a valid tracking number — orders cannot be marked shipped without one. If the seller doesn't ship within 5days, the transaction is cancelled and you're refunded in full, including the Buyer Protection fee.
3. Delivery starts the clock. Once your order is delivered, a 3-day window opens for you to report any issue.
4. You check your item.If it arrived and it's as described, you don't need to do anything — funds release to the seller automatically.
5. Report an issue if something's wrong. Open the order from your Purchases page and tap “I have an issue” within 3 days. The seller is notified and has 2 days to respond. If unresolved, the dispute escalates to SummitSwap for review.

What's covered

You can report a dispute within 3 days of delivery for any of these reasons:

• Item not as described — significantly different from the listing or its stated condition
• Item damaged in transit — arrived broken or damaged
• Suspected counterfeit — not authentic
• Item hasn't arrived— tracking shows delivered but it didn't, or it was lost in transit

How disputes are resolved

Once you report an issue, the process follows these steps:

1. Seller is notified and has 2 days to respond — they can refund you or reject the claim with a written reason.
2. If rejected, you have 3 days to accept the rejection or escalate to SummitSwap support.
3. If the seller doesn't respond within 2 days, the dispute automatically escalates to SummitSwap support.
4. SummitSwap reviews the evidence from both parties and issues a decision — refund, refund with return, or release to seller.

For the full step-by-step process, see our Refund Policy.

What's not covered

• Change of mind — deciding you no longer want an item that matches its description
• Minor wear consistent with the item's listed condition grade
• Damage occurring after delivery
• Issues raised after the 3-day window has closed
• Items bought or paid for off-platform — Buyer Protection only applies to purchases completed through SummitSwap checkout

After the 3-day window

Once the window closes with no dispute, the transaction is completed and funds are released to the seller. After this point:

• SummitSwap will not reverse the payment or refund through the platform.
• Any further issue is between the buyer and the seller directly, except where required by law.
• The buyer and seller agree that SummitSwap's role as a platform ends at this point and SummitSwap does not mediate post-window claims.

This describes how SummitSwap mediates transactions. It does not remove any rights you have by law — for example, where a seller is running a business, consumer law may give you additional rights against that seller directly.

Chargebacks and bank disputes

You may have separate rights with your card issuer or bank that exist outside this policy. SummitSwap cannot prevent or override those processes.

Honest note

SummitSwap is a young platform. We keep this page in step with how the system actually works. If anything here ever doesn't match your experience, tell us — we'd rather fix the wording than mislead anyone.