We want every trade on Material Trader to go smoothly — but when something goes wrong, we believe both buyers and sellers deserve a fair, impartial and transparent way to put it right. This page explains how we handle disputes.
Your payment is protected
When a buyer pays for an item, the funds are held securely by Material Trader and are not released to the seller until the buyer has received their item and is happy with it. This escrow approach means money is never sent directly between strangers, and gives both sides confidence: the seller knows the buyer has genuinely paid, and the buyer knows the seller won't be paid until the item arrives as described.
Once the buyer confirms they are happy — or, for a courier delivery, if they don't respond within three days of delivery — the payment is released to the seller following a standard two-day hold. Orders collected in person are not auto-confirmed; instead they turn on the collection time the buyer and seller agree through Material Trader (see below). This brief hold applies to every release, including disputes resolved in the seller's favour, so there is always a short window in which a problem can be raised before money changes hands.
Collecting an item in person
For a collection, the buyer and seller agree a firm date and time on Material Trader — that agreed time is the commitment both sides are held to. After it passes, we ask each party whether the collection went ahead. If you have collected the item, confirm it to release the payment. If the seller reports you collected it, or that you did not attend, you have 48 hours to confirm collection or open a dispute before the payment is released to them. If the seller was not present, no payment is released and you can arrange a new time or open a dispute. If your accounts of the collection differ, the payment is held and we review it as a dispute. If a buyer never arranges a collection, the seller may start a seven-day window after which the payment is released to them, though the buyer may still collect the item.
Before your item arrives
While a courier order is on its way, the buyer's tracking is shown throughout. If an item hasn't turned up, the buyer can report “I haven't received my item”, which notifies the seller and asks them to look into it. If it still isn't resolved 48 hours later, the buyer can escalate it to a formal dispute. A payment is never released, and no general dispute can be opened, before delivery — this gives the seller a fair chance to sort out a delivery hiccup first.
Once your item is delivered
After an item is delivered, the buyer is asked to confirm everything is OK. If it isn't — for example the item isn't as described, is damaged, or never actually arrived despite being marked delivered — the buyer can report a problem instead of confirming. Doing so opens a dispute and keeps the payment safely on hold while we look into it, rather than letting it release automatically.
How we review a dispute
We review every dispute on its own merits, impartially and based on the evidence. That includes:
- the original listing — its description, photos and condition;
- messages exchanged between the buyer and seller;
- delivery and tracking information; and
- any photographs or details either party provides.
We give both the buyer and the seller the chance to explain their side before reaching a decision. We don't take sides — our role is to reach a fair outcome based on what actually happened.
Possible outcomes
Depending on the circumstances, a dispute may be resolved by:
- releasing the held payment to the seller (after the standard two-day hold), where the item was as described and correctly delivered;
- a full or partial refund to the buyer, where the item was not received or not as described; or
- a return of the item, with the refund issued once it is sent back.
A full refund returns your whole payment for the order - the item price, the Buyer Protection Fee, and any delivery charge - the way you paid, straight back to the card you paid with.
Wherever possible we encourage buyers and sellers to reach an amicable resolution between themselves first — many issues are simply misunderstandings. Our team is here to step in when they can't.
Action on accounts
Separately from resolving an individual dispute, we may suspend or ban an account where the evidence shows fraud, abuse or repeated breaches of our Terms. Suspension pauses new activity while we review; a ban closes the account. Either way, any orders already in progress are unaffected and continue to be handled normally, with funds protected in escrow until they are released, refunded or disputed. These actions are recorded, can be reversed on review, and may be appealed at hello@materialtrader.co. See clause 10 of our Terms & Conditions for more.
Holiday Mode and deadlines
Turning on Holiday Mode (Settings) hides your listings and pauses new purchases — but it does not pause anything described on this page. Confirmation windows, the 48-hour response periods, collection timers and payment-release dates all continue to run while you are away. If you go on holiday with an order or dispute still open, you remain responsible for responding within the normal deadlines, and automatic releases or refunds may still take place on their scheduled dates.
Our principles
- Fair — every case is judged on its own evidence, not on who shouts loudest.
- Impartial — we represent the integrity of the marketplace, not the buyer or the seller.
- Transparent — we explain our decisions so both parties understand the outcome.
- Protective — funds stay safely on hold until a dispute is resolved.
Need help?
If you have an open order and need to raise or discuss a dispute, please use the messaging and order tools in your account, or contact our support team. For the full contractual terms that govern trading on Material Trader, see our Terms & Conditions.