Important: Certain listings or programmes on Carousell may be subject to separate post-purchase refund/return terms. For items listed under Carousell Global, please refer to the Carousell Global Returns/Refunds Policy [here] for the specific refund/return terms applicable to Carousell Global items.

*Advisory*

Be wary of users requesting for your personal contact details i.e email address, mobile number and credit/debit card details to receive payment (including fake Buyer Protection links). Carousell will never ask users for such details and will never direct you to an external payment link. Immediately report the user if you encounter such situations. You may read more on our phishing advisory.

Buyer Protection Program Overview
Eligibility Criteria
Coverage Criteria
Dispute Handling and Returns Process

Buyer Protection Program Overview

Buyer Protection covers buyers if a transaction fails under the following conditions:

Non-delivery: The item never arrived (applicable to tracked delivery only).
Significantly Not As Described (SNAD): The item received is materially different from the listing.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for coverage, a transaction must meet the following requirements:

Payment Method: You must complete the transaction via the 'Buy' button using in-app payment methods, including PayNow, Credit/Debit Card, PayLah!, or Atome (where available).
1. Note: Partial or full payments made outside the platform (e.g., direct bank transfer or cash) are not covered.
Dispute Window: A dispute must be raised through the Order Details Page within the earliest of these three timeframes:
1. 2 days after the in-app status reflects the item as delivered.
2. 10 days after the maximum delivery duration has passed.
3. Before the buyer acknowledges receipt of the item.

General eligibility criteria
Eligible payment methods	All in-app payment methods on Carousell are eligible for coverage. This includes: Paynow Credit card or debit card Paylah Atome (available for selected listings only) Not covered: Partial payment or full payment of items completed outside of the platform (e.g. cash, bank transfer, paynow but not through the app)
Excluded items Sellers are responsible for listing their products in the correct categories, should not be enabling on-platform payment for items that are not eligible	Services Inclusive of customisable products (services with tangible outcomes) Prohibited items list Cars, Motorcycles, Property Virtual items Items that require more than 6 days to ship Additional agreements/warranty from seller that falls outside of dispute window
Additional Exclusions	Exclusions when an item is not received Exclusions when an item is not significantly as described

Coverage Criteria

Item is not received

Covered Scenarios
Non-delivery to address in the Order details through Carousell’s integrated tracked delivery provider	If the status of the shipment is reflected as “LOST/MISSING” (or equivalent), the buyer is entitled to receive a full refund, including original shipping costs. The seller is entitled to a compensation as prescribed in the Insurance coverage for Carousell Official delivery.
Non-delivery to address in the Order details through Custom courier (tracked delivery provider)	If the status of the shipment is reflected as “LOST/MISSING” (or equivalent), the buyer is entitled to receive a full refund, including original shipping costs. The seller is entitled to a compensation of what is provided by the selected courier*.
Missing item(s) in a single Cart order	The buyer is entitled to receive a full item refund including pro-rated platform fees and excluding shipping cost.

*For courier-related matters, compensation to the seller is capped at the courier’s compensation value. Sellers are strongly advised to choose a mailing method that sufficiently covers the value of the item they are mailing. Carousell will not compensate for lost/missing parcels.

Exclusions when buyer did not receive an item

Not covered scenarios
Tracked items are collected by a third party on behalf of the buyer	Not covered In the event that the item is intercepted by a third party, there is a transfer of responsibility for the items to this third party and will not be held liable for missing items. Buyers should ensure that the address that they are delivering to can be reached by courier selected.
The buyer provided an invalid or incorrect address at checkout	Not covered
Delivery is delayed	Not covered
Untracked mailing (e.g. Singpost Normal Mail)	Not covered
The buyer used Carousell’s integrated tracked delivery provider however the item amount is $0 (buyer paid seller off-platform)	Not covered

Item is significantly not as described (SNAD)

Covered Scenarios
Seller sends the wrong item	Covered e.g. seller sends a size S shirt, instead of a M shirt as promised to the buyer
Seller fulfils partial order	Covered e.g. seller sends shoes without laces when listing indicates that laces are provided
Seller sends an item that does not look significantly as described	Covered e.g. seller sends a gold ring, instead of a silver ring as promised to the buyer
Seller sends an item that deviates extensively from the listing photo	Covered E.g. From the listing photo the dress is grey but the actual item received is blue in color (which could be due to the lighting which the photo was taken under)
Seller misrepresents the item in appearance and in working condition	Covered Sellers have the responsibility to represent the condition and functionality of the product accurately on Carousell. e.g. Seller labels the dress as Brand New in listing, but there are visible stains on the dress e.g. Seller mentions in the listing that mobile phone is scratch free but buyer receives a mobile phone with visible scratches e.g. Buyer receives a laptop with dead pixels on screen e.g. Seller labels the camera as functioning and can be turned on, but buyer is unable to turn it on
Item is damaged during delivery from seller to buyer	Covered If sellers use Carousell’s integrated delivery provider, sellers may be entitled to a compensation as prescribed in the Insurance coverage for Carousell Official delivery if there was evidence that the item was damaged during delivery, despite sellers taking adequate packaging measures. In such cases, Carousell will bear the cost of return fee, if the item is being returned. If other couriers are used, sellers are to obtain a compensation of whatever is provided by the selected courier. Sellers are responsible for ensuring that the item they are mailing complies with the chosen courier’s packaging guidelines and terms of service in order to qualify for their respective compensation payouts if needed.

Exclusions when buyer receives an item that is not significantly as described in the listing

Not covered scenarios
Items are collected by a third party on behalf of the buyer	Not covered In the event that the item is intercepted by a third party, there is a transfer of responsibility for the items to this third party and will not be held liable for damaged/missing parts.
The buyer provided an invalid or incorrect address at checkout	Not covered
Items that were clearly described as faulty in the listing	Not covered e.g. If Carousell decides that there was sufficient proof by seller in the listing at the point of transaction to communicate to buyer that the item is faulty
For complex goods like Electronics, Mobile Phones and Tablets, Appliances, SNAD does not cover warranty of item	Not Covered e.g. Seller sends washing machine to buyer that is functioning on day 1, but stops functioning the next month. Buyer has only a 2 day window period to raise a dispute.
For complex goods like Electronics, Mobile Phones and Tablets, Appliances, SNAD does not cover in-depth subjective functionality of items	Not covered E.g. Buyer claims the spinning function of the washing machine is not “fast enough”
For complex goods such as pet supplies, health and beauty items, food and drinks, SNAD does not cover in-depth subjective functionality of items	Not covered E.g. Buyer claims that the smell of the perfume is not as “floral”
Items sold in gift bundles in a single listing e.g. goodie bags, hampers, mystery box where there is no description of each of the individual constitutes/ components of the bundle	Not covered. E.g Buyer claims that some of the food items in the food hamper have expired.
The buyer claims that there are differences in cutting, product versions, material, models etc by comparing past variations of the same item/ product unless stated in the description	Not covered. E.g Buyer claims that the cutting of the same type of chino pants that they previously bought from retail brand x are not the same as the ones they received
The buyer claims that the same item sold in different sites/ shops are of a different price then what they purchased on Carousell	Not covered.

Other reasons outside the scope of Non-delivery and SNAD

Buyer Protection will not be covered if the reason for dispute falls under the following situations:

Buyer's Remorse: Change of mind or ordering the wrong item by mistake.
Incorrect Information: Providing an invalid or incorrect delivery address.
Post-Delivery Issues: Items stolen or damaged after a successful delivery.
Minor Wear & Tear: Surface imperfections that do not affect the item's functionality.
Packaging Only: Creases or dents in the box/packaging, provided the item inside is undamaged.
Subjective Complaints: Subjective opinions on quality (e.g., a perfume's smell isn't "floral" enough) or performance (e.g., a washing machine isn't "fast enough").
Warranty: SNAD does not cover long-term functionality or warranties beyond the 2-day dispute window.
Bundles: Mystery boxes or gift hampers where the individual contents were not clearly described.

Dispute Handling and Returns Process

Here's an overview on how dispute handling and returns are managed:

Raise Dispute: Must be done within the window via the Order Details Page.
Investigation: Carousell reviews the listing photos, seller's proof of shipment/functionality, and buyer's photos of the received item .
Return Requirement: To be eligible for a refund, buyers are typically required to return the item in the same condition it was received.
- Exceptions: Returns may be waived if the seller or Carousell agrees.
Return Shipping: The seller is responsible for return shipping costs unless they can prove the item was damaged during delivery via an integrated provider.

Seller Responsibilities

Accuracy: Sellers must represent the condition and functionality of products accurately.
Evidence: Sellers are advised to test items and take photos/videos before shipping as proof of functionality.
Packaging: Sellers must comply with courier packaging guidelines to qualify for compensation if an item is lost or damaged during transit.

For more details on how Carousell manages disputes and returns, please refer to Overview of Carousell's dispute handling process

Articles in this section

[Singapore] What does Buyer Protection cover?