Legal · Policy

Buyer protection policy

Every purchase on Auctium is protected end to end: your payment is held in escrow, the seller ships only after you have paid, and you inspect the object before the seller receives a cent. This policy explains exactly what is covered, what is not, and how a claim works.

What is covered

• Non-delivery — the object never arrives, or the seller never ships.
• Significantly not as described — the object materially differs from the listing: wrong reference or model, undisclosed damage or restoration, missing parts that were promised, or condition far below the stated grade.
• Inauthenticity — credible evidence that the object is counterfeit or misattributed.
• Loss or damage in transit — shipments are insured; where a carrier investigation confirms loss or damage, you are refunded.

In every covered case the sale is unwound: the object returns to the seller insured, and you are refunded in full — hammer price, buyer's premium and original shipping.

What is not covered

• Buyer's remorse — a winning bid is binding; auction wins carry no withdrawal right under EU distance-selling rules.
• Normal wear that was disclosed — scratches, patina or age-related marks shown in the photos or stated in the description.
• Minor deviations — small blemishes, slight colour differences between screen and reality, or imperfections typical for the object's age.
• Fit, taste or value judgments — the object is as described but not what you hoped, or you later see it cheaper elsewhere.
• Claims opened after the inspection window without evidence of a hidden defect (see timelines below).

How the protection works

Making a claim

Open a dispute from your order page within the 7-day inspection window, with clear photos of the object, its packaging and the specific problem. This freezes the seller's payout while our team reviews the case with both sides. We may ask you or the seller for additional evidence — documentation, expert opinions, carrier reports — and we expect timely cooperation. Most cases resolve within a few days.

If the claim holds, we instruct the return: you ship the object back insured and tracked in the condition it arrived, and on confirmed return you are refunded in full. If the claim does not hold, escrow releases to the seller.

After the window. Once the inspection window closes, the seller is paid and unwinding a sale becomes harder. Claims after payout are still reviewed where there is evidence of a hidden defect or inauthenticity that could not reasonably have been discovered during inspection — and every seller's €25,000 deposit warranty stands behind the outcome, so a valid resolution never depends on the seller's goodwill. Claims raised more than one month after delivery can rarely be investigated and are usually between you and the seller.

A note on chargebacks

Always open a dispute with us before contacting your card provider. A chargeback filed while the seller has fulfilled their obligations bypasses escrow, blocks your account, and can leave you liable for the resulting costs — while a claim through this policy is decided with the money still safely in escrow.