Buyer Protection

1. 1

   The fee is 5% of the item price, with a £1 minimum on small orders and capped at £250 per item - so on higher-value orders you pay less than 5%. The exact amount is shown clearly on the listing and at checkout before you buy.

2. 2

   At checkout you pay the item price, Buyer Protection, and delivery - by debit or credit card, or with Apple Pay or Google Pay where your device supports them.

3. 3

   Your payment is held in escrow - the seller isn’t paid yet.

4. 4

   Before delivery, if your item doesn’t arrive you can let the seller know - and open a formal dispute if it isn’t resolved within 48 hours.

5. 5

   Once your item arrives, confirm you’re happy or report a problem. Confirming releases the payment to the seller after a standard 2-day hold.

6. 6

   For courier deliveries, if you don’t respond within 3 days of delivery the order is auto-confirmed and the same 2-day release hold applies - so funds are never released the instant an item is delivered.

7. 7

   For collection in person, you and the seller agree a firm date and time through Material Trader - that agreed time is what both sides commit to. Once you’ve collected the item, confirm it to release the payment (after the same 2-day hold). If the seller then reports you’ve collected or didn’t attend, you have 48 hours to confirm or open a dispute before the payment is released; if the seller isn’t present, no payment is released and you arrange a new time. If you never arrange a collection at all, the seller can start a 7-day window after which the payment is released to them - you can still collect the item.

Refunds are returned the way you paid: the payment goes straight back to the card you paid with.

See our Terms & Conditions for the full details.