*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.

Under the Buyer Protection program, buyers can get their money back
Eligibility Criteria
Item is not received
Item is significantly not as described (SNAD)

Under the Buyer Protection program, buyers can get their money back if

An item did not arrive (for tracked delivery only)*
An item is significantly not as described by the seller

Buyers are required to return the item to the seller in the same condition as received to be eligible for refund, unless agreed otherwise with the seller and/or Carousell.

*Buyer Protection does not cover non-delivery if untracked mail is opted as the method of delivery. Buyers are advised to opt for tracked delivery

Transactions are eligible for Buyer Protection program when:

Buyers complete and pay for their transaction via the 'Buy' button
Buyers raise the dispute through their Order Details Page within the dispute window (2 days after in-app delivery status reflects the item has been delivered, 10 days after the maximum delivery duration selected after the order is confirmed, or before the buyer acknowledges the receipt of the item as per described, whichever comes first)

Transactions are not eligible for Buyer Protection when:

Buyers change their mind about the item
Buyers place the wrong order by mistake
Buyers have received partial or full refund from a separate resolution process not facilitated by Carousell
Buyers provide an incorrect or invalid delivery address
Buyers receive the item after the suggested delivery date
Buyers make a claim for something that is not in the original listing/what was agreed upon
Buyers raise an issue after the dispute window
The item gets stolen/damaged post successful delivery
- It is the buyer’s responsibility to ensure that the receiving address can receive the item securely
- Parcel and packaging that has creases, lines, wrinkles or dents as a result of shipping or tempered of packaging upon delivery will not be covered unless the item itself is damaged
The items are reported for surface wear and tear that does not affect functionality
- For “Brand New” items, transaction will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis
The items fall under our exclusion list
The items are sold in gift bundles such as hampers, goodie bags and mystery boxes unless the constituents in the bundles are clearly described in the listing.

Eligibility Criteria

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

Item is not received

Sellers are required to deliver the item to the address in the Order details. Subject to Carousell’s determination, if the claim is to be valid, a full refund will be prescribed for the item that is not received.

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.

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.

Protected 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

Excluded 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)

Sellers are required to deliver the item as it was described in the listing. If the buyer receives an item that is not significantly as described in the listing, a buyer may be entitled to a full refund, including original shipping costs, if the buyer raises a dispute 2 days after in-app delivery status reflects the item has been delivered, 10 days after the maximum delivery duration selected after the order is confirmed, or before the buyer acknowledges the receipt of the item as per described, whichever comes first.

Buyers are required to return the item to the seller, to be eligible for a refund. Buyers may not be required to return the item, if the seller and/or Carousell is agreeable. Other solutions can include sellers sending a replacement item instead of a refund.

If an item is being returned, it is the seller’s responsibility to pay for return shipping (unless there was proof that the item was damaged during delivery through our integrated provider).

When a dispute is raised, Carousell will look for:

Description and photos of the listing on Carousell at the point of transaction between buyer and seller
Photos and condition of the item from seller at the point of shipment
- Seller’s are advised to test the item before delivery and to keep the evidence as proof of the item’s functionality. Carousell may use this as proof in cases where the item is claimed to be not working /functionally damaged.
Proof of adequate packaging measures taken by the seller at the point of shipment
Photos of the condition of the received item from buyer
Proof of item in misrepresented working condition (if applicable)

Protected 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

Excluded 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.

Dispute Handling and Returns Process

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?