Terms & Conditions

1. Who we are and what we provide

Sealabid (referred to as "Sealabid", "we" or "us") is an online platform that allows users to:

• list items they wish to sell; and
• invite and receive sealed bids from potential buyers.

Sealabid provides the technology and tools for buyers and sellers to find each other. We do not buy or sell items ourselves and we are not a traditional auction house.

The contract for any sale is between the buyer and the seller, not with Sealabid. We are not a party to that contract.

2. Eligibility and your account

• You must be at least 18 years old to use Sealabid.
• You must provide true, accurate and up-to-date information when creating your account and when listing items.
• You are responsible for keeping your login details safe and for all activity carried out through your account.
• If you believe your account has been compromised, you should change your password immediately and contact us.
• We may suspend or close accounts where we reasonably believe there is fraud, abuse, non-payment, repeated breaches of these Terms or other misuse of the platform.

3. Sellers, listings and your obligations

If you create a listing on Sealabid, you confirm that:

• you have the legal right to sell the item and to complete the sale if you accept an offer;
• your listing (including title, description, photos, category, condition and any other information) is honest, accurate and not misleading;
• you will clearly disclose any known faults, damage, missing parts or material issues a reasonable buyer would want to know;
• you will not list items that are illegal to sell, dangerous, or otherwise inappropriate for an online marketplace;
• you own, or have the right to use, any images and content you upload, and you grant Sealabid a non-exclusive licence to host, display and use that content in connection with operating the platform;
• you will respond within a reasonable time once you have accepted a buyer, so that the transaction can progress without unnecessary delay.

You are responsible for setting out the delivery/collection options for your listing. If you offer collection, you should not publish a full home address publicly on the listing.

We reserve the right to edit, hide or remove listings that we consider misleading, inappropriate or in breach of these Terms, or where we are required to do so by law or by a regulator.

4. Buyers, sealed bids and "buying is subjective"

Sealabid operates on a sealed-bid model. In summary:

• Buyers submit a single sealed offer (an "envelope") on a listing before the deadline shown.
• Buyers cannot see other buyers' envelopes, and sellers cannot see envelopes until the sealed-bid window ends.
• Buyers may update their envelope before the deadline but may not place multiple separate envelopes on the same listing.
• When the sealed-bid window ends, the seller can review all envelopes and choose a buyer based on price and any other factors that matter to them (for example, timing, buyer profile or message).
• The highest offer does not automatically win. Buying is subjective, and the seller is free to choose any envelope or decide that there is no sale.
• Submitting an envelope is a serious expression of intent to buy, but it does not by itself create a binding contract. A binding agreement arises only once a seller accepts an offer and both parties agree to proceed.

Buyers are responsible for doing their own checks and asking questions before submitting an envelope. If something matters to you (e.g. authenticity, measurements, provenance, working condition), ask before the deadline.

5. Fees, commission and listing charges

We charge fees so that we can operate and improve Sealabid. The current structure is set out in detail on our Fees page (including examples), and our FAQ explains the key points in plain English.

• £10 listing fee deposit: when you publish a listing (when it goes live), you pay a £10 deposit, unless you publish using a valid £10 relist credit (or where we waive fees for an admin/promotional listing).
• If a sale completes: when you accept an offer and the sale completes through Sealabid, we charge seller commission as a percentage of the final accepted price, using the bands shown on the Fees page. The £10 deposit you paid at publish is then credited against commission due (it reduces what you owe). If the £10 deposit is greater than the commission due, the difference is not paid out as cash.
• If there is no completed sale: the £10 deposit is not refunded as cash. A listing may end without a completed sale for different reasons, including: (a) it ends with zero envelopes, (b) envelopes exist but the seller rejects them all, or (c) envelopes exist but the seller does not choose a winner within the decision window.
• Relist credit (ONLY if the listing ends with zero envelopes): if a listing reaches its deadline and closes with zero envelopes (i.e. there are no envelopes on the listing at the end), we will issue the publishing account a £10 relist credit.
• The relist credit can be used against the £10 listing fee deposit on any new listing created by the same account, and must be used within 30 days of issue (after that it expires).
• If one or more envelopes exist at the end of the listing (even if the item is unsold for any reason), no relist credit is issued.
• The relist credit is not a refund and is not cash. It is not transferable, cannot be withdrawn, and cannot be exchanged for any other benefit.
• We may withhold or reverse a relist credit where we reasonably believe there has been abuse, manipulation, or misuse of the platform (for example, attempts to artificially engineer “zero envelopes” outcomes).
• Admin/promotional waivers: in limited cases (for example, promotions or platform-managed listings), we may waive the £10 deposit and/or commission for a specific listing. This is not the normal rule for everyday listings.
• We may change fees and commission rates in future. Any changes will apply to new listings created after the change takes effect, not to listings that are already live at that time.

6. Payments, settlement and off-platform deals

• Payments and seller payouts may be handled by one or more third-party payment providers. By using Sealabid, you also agree to their separate terms.
• We are not responsible for delays, refusals or errors caused by third-party payment providers, but we will act reasonably to help users resolve issues where we can.
• You must not use Sealabid solely to find a buyer or seller and then deliberately complete the transaction away from the platform in order to avoid fees.
• Where we reasonably suspect fee-avoidance, we may charge the relevant fees, suspend or close accounts, restrict access to the platform, or take other appropriate action.
• If a payment is reversed (for example, due to a chargeback or bank dispute), we may pause or reverse the related transaction state while it is investigated.

7. Behaviour, messages and content rules

We want Sealabid to be safe, respectful and fair. You must not use the platform to:

• send abusive, threatening, harassing, hateful or otherwise inappropriate content;
• upload images, text or other content that is illegal, discriminatory, defamatory, misleading or infringes someone else's rights;
• attempt to defraud other users or Sealabid, or interfere with the proper operation of the platform; or
• create multiple accounts to mislead other users or to get around account restrictions.

We may review, edit, suspend or remove content and listings that we reasonably believe break these rules, and we may suspend or terminate accounts involved in serious or repeated breaches.

8. Platform availability and changes to Sealabid

• We aim to keep Sealabid available and running smoothly, but we do not guarantee availability at all times.
• We may suspend or limit access for maintenance, security reasons or to make improvements.
• We may change, add or remove features from time to time.

9. Our responsibility and limits on liability

Sealabid provides a platform for buyers and sellers to find each other and agree deals. We do not control, verify or guarantee:

• the existence, quality, condition, safety or legality of items listed;
• the truth or accuracy of content, listings or profiles; or
• that a buyer or seller will actually complete a transaction.

This means we are not responsible for the condition, quality, safety, legality, authenticity or suitability of items sold through Sealabid, or whether an item matches its description. Any issues (including faults, damage, authenticity disputes, delivery problems, loss in transit, or returns) must be resolved between the buyer and the seller.

To the fullest extent permitted by law:

• we are not liable for any loss of profits, loss of opportunity, loss of data, or any indirect or consequential loss arising out of or in connection with your use of Sealabid; and
• our total liability to you for any claim arising out of or in connection with these Terms or your use of Sealabid will be limited to the higher of (a) the total fees you have paid to Sealabid in the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim; or (b) £100.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits any liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law, and nothing in these Terms affects any statutory rights you may have that cannot be waived.

10. Your responsibility to us

If you misuse Sealabid, breach these Terms, or violate the rights of another person while using the platform, and that causes us loss, you agree to reimburse us for reasonable costs, losses, damages and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from that breach, but only to the extent permitted by law.

11. Delivery, collection and handover

• Delivery, collection and handover arrangements are agreed between the buyer and the seller.
• Sellers may offer delivery and set delivery charges. Any delivery charges are the seller’s responsibility to calculate and communicate clearly.
• Sellers may offer free collection. For safety and privacy, collection details should be shared privately after a buyer is accepted (not posted publicly).
• Sealabid is not responsible for items lost, delayed or damaged in transit, or for disputes about delivery/collection.

12. Privacy and cookies

We explain what personal data we collect, how we use it and the choices you have in our Privacy Policy. Our use of cookies and similar technologies is explained in our Cookies Policy.

13. Changes, suspension and termination of your access

• We may update these Terms from time to time and will update the “Last updated” date above.
• We may suspend or restrict access where necessary for maintenance, security, legal compliance or to investigate suspected misuse.
• We may close your account where you seriously or repeatedly breach these Terms, misuse the platform, fail to pay fees that are due, or where we are required to do so by law.

14. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

The courts of England and Wales will have non-exclusive jurisdiction.

15. Contacting us

If you have questions about these Terms or about using Sealabid, please contact us by email at info@sealabid.com.