Reverb Purchase Protection Programs Terms

As a marketplace for music gear with many passionate music makers on staff, we understand the joy that comes with buying a fresh piece of gear or finding a new home for your instrument—and the frustration of running into an issue along the way. While millions of instruments are bought and sold on Reverb each year without any problems, we know that issues can occur that are outside of your control. That’s why Reverb has your back with purchase protection programs aimed at supporting both buyers and sellers. In line with the processes described below, our team will make sure you’re taken care of so you can get back to the gear.

These terms are part of our Terms of Use. To qualify for the Reverb Buyer Purchase Protection Program and the Reverb Seller Purchase Protection Program (together the “Reverb Protection Programs”), you agree to these terms and our Terms of Use. The Reverb Protection Programs are not an insurance policy, a warranty, nor a guarantee. Reverb has sole discretion to decide whether a transaction is granted protection under the Reverb Protection Programs. Reverb reserves the right to change, suspend, or discontinue the programs at any time, for any reason, and we will not be liable to you for the effect that any changes to the program may have on you. You have no legal claim under the programs. In the event that Reverb does not refund the buyer, this will not affect the buyer's right to make claims against your shop. Your legal rights remain intact.

1. Contact the Seller then Reverb Support

When a buyer is looking to return an item, get a refund, or otherwise notify a seller of a problem with their order on Reverb, the first thing they must do is contact the seller directly via Messages or Request a Refund and let the seller know the issue. It is important for sellers to fill out their shop policies to address returns and refunds, and for buyers to read and understand those policies before ordering.

Sellers are expected to respond promptly to Messages from buyers. If a buyer has reached out to the seller through Messages, and hasn't heard back within 24 hours, or if the seller is unable to resolve the issue, buyers can contact Reverb Support. Reverb may, but is not obligated to, assist in the resolution of the case between the buyer and seller. This may include, but is not limited to, automatically closing the case and issuing a refund, or reviewing the case further to help both parties work together to resolve the issue.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• A buyer must have a Reverb account to open a case. If a buyer purchases an item using guest checkout, they'll have to register for an account on Reverb before opening a case.
• A buyer can only use one method of dispute resolution against sellers on Reverb. If a buyer has filed a chargeback with their credit card company, they cannot also open a case. If a buyer files a chargeback after opening a case on Reverb, that Reverb case will be closed.
• For sellers that do not accept Reverb Payments and only use PayPal, Reverb will advise buyers to contact PayPal for a refund.

2. Reverb Buyer Purchase Protection Program

In order for a case to be opened with Reverb, an order must meet the following criteria:

• Make a purchase using Reverb Payments: Learn how you're protected if you buy from a seller that processes payments via PayPal.
• The order is within the eligible time frame to open a case (7 days of delivery or 14 days of the anticipated delivery date in the case of non-delivery).
• The buyer has reported the order issue to the seller by through Messages or Request a Refund, and has given the seller 24 hours to respond.
• The buyer wants to open a case because the item never arrived, arrived damaged, or does not match the listing description.

Reverb encourages buyers and sellers to resolve order issues directly. Sometimes items can be returned according to the seller’s return policy. However, when those expectations aren’t met, if a buyer meets the requirements of the Reverb Buyer Purchase Protection Program, Reverb will step in to support the buyer. Buyers may receive a full or partial refund or Reverb Credits for purchases that never arrive, arrive damaged, or do not match the listing description.

If an order does not meet the following expectations, the buyer may be entitled to a refund:

A. Items are delivered. They should be shipped within the seller’s stated processing times (within 3 business days of payment, except in the case of pre-orders or upon mutual agreement with buyer), and delivered to the address provided by the buyer at the time of purchase on Reverb. Updates to processing times or shipping address through Messages or other informal channels will not qualify. Please note that if an item was shipped and has a tracking number, the seller may be able to open a shipping carrier claim by directly contacting the shipping carrier.

B. Items are delivered but not received. If the seller can provide proof of delivery showing that the item was delivered correctly, the order is not eligible for a refund. However, if the buyer demonstrates, or the carrier confirms, that the item was not delivered correctly, the buyer may receive a full refund from seller or an accommodation at Reverb’s discretion.

• If the buyer can prove that the item was not delivered correctly or if the carrier confirms misdelivery, the order qualifies for a refund.
• Reverb reserves the right to make exceptions to this policy at their discretion.

C. Items arrive undamaged, and are packaged to withstand handling in transit.

D. Items match the listing description. Items received should not be significantly different from the listing description or photos. We may ask the buyer to provide us with documentation to demonstrate that the item is significantly different. Here are a few examples of qualifying scenarios:

• The item received is a different color, model, version, or size.
• The item has a different design or material.
• The seller failed to disclose that an item is damaged or is missing parts.
• The buyer received the incorrect quantity of items (e.g., the buyer purchased three items but only received two).
• The item was advertised as authentic but is not authentic.
• The condition of the item is misrepresented (e.g., the item is described as new but is used).

Some exclusions apply, subject to review by Reverb’s case system. Eligible buyers must have a registered account on Reverb in good standing (that means not violating any of Reverb's terms and policies). Abuse of this program could result in program exclusion at Reverb’s discretion.

3. Reverb’s Seller Purchase Protection Program

Reverb’s Seller Purchase Protection Program helps qualified sellers to resolve eligible non-delivery, damaged, and certain not-as-described cases. We understand that things can still go wrong, even if a seller has taken all of the necessary steps to ensure a good buyer experience. In these cases, where an order meets all of our requirements, Reverb may provide some accommodation to the buyer and the seller will remain in good standing.

• Through Reverb Payments, we securely process payments.
• When sellers ship with Safe Shipping purchased through Reverb, sellers may be protected in the event that the shipment is lost, stolen, or damaged.

In order to qualify for Reverb Seller Purchase Protection Program, a seller must meet the following requirements:

• All sales completed through the Reverb website or mobile app qualify for Reverb Protection.
• Payment and shipment must meet the requirements of Reverb’s terms including Seller Community Rules and Reverb Payments.
• Use valid tracking and/or, where available, a shipping label purchased on Reverb. If not using shipping labels on Reverb, mark the order as shipped after it is sent out, and provide Reverb with a valid tracking number on the order that shows the order route and delivery progress. Shipment must be initiated within the time indicated or no later than 3 days after the payment has cleared (unless both parties agree to a different shipping date). If an item was lost in transit, the seller should work directly with the shipping carrier to file a claim.
• Use Reverb's payment platform, Reverb Payments, where available. Please note that Reverb Payments is only available in certain countries. See our Reverb Payments policy for more details. If Reverb Payments is not yet available in the seller's location, the seller will not be eligible for the Seller Purchase Protection Program. For sellers that do not accept Reverb Payments and only use PayPal, buyers will be directed to handle cases through PayPal.
• Ship the order to the address provided on Reverb. If the buyer provides an alternate shipping address through Messages, be mindful of fraud or scams. Seller may choose to cancel and refund the order and ask the buyer to purchase the item again with the corrected shipping address.
• Package the order carefully to avoid damage in transit.
• Include processing times on listings and ship orders within those stated processing times. Seller must also have an Estimated Delivery Date (EDD) for a listing, which includes transit times and, where applicable, zip code. Informal agreements through Reverb Messages to change the shipping date will not qualify; we use the processing times sellers set for each listing to determine the ship-by date.
• Fill out all of the shop policies (it's especially important to have policies for returns and exchanges). Seller shop policies have to comply with Reverb's policies, as well as local laws.
• Reverb does not cover orders that differ from the listing description so we strongly recommend using accurate photos and descriptions when listing an item.
• Keep the shop in good standing (that means do not violate any of Reverb's policies).
• Sellers are responsible for refunding costs for orders that fall outside of these requirements or are damaged in transit following the first case covered by Reverb. Reverb strongly recommends that sellers purchase insurance when fulfilling its order for these reasons.
• If a seller has obtained third party insurance, or has carrier, and/or payment processor coverage, we ask that they first submit a claim to their primary coverage. Reverb reserves the right to process a refund only where other coverages do not apply.
• Sellers are also responsible for their independent warranty or return requirements under local applicable law. In the instance of a sale in the EU, may be obligated to accept a return pursuant to EU law (please observe and understand the requirements in the EU set forth here).

In case of a dispute:

1. Disputes must be communicated to Reverb within 7 days of the shipment being delivered (or 14 days of the anticipated delivery date in the case of non-delivery). For more information, check out our Help Center article here.
2. First contact the buyer directly to work out a solution. Most issues are solved easily between the buyer and the seller.
3. If the parties are unable to come to a resolution, contact Reverb support, and we’ll step in to mediate. See “Reverb Buyer Purchase Protection Program” for circumstances in which buyers may be entitled to a refund.
4. As long as the seller has made an effort to reach a reasonable solution and are responsive to our resolution efforts, the seller’s account will remain in good standing.

For Safe Shipping, the following additional terms apply:

1. Contact the Reverb Support to report any loss or damage.
2. Reimbursement will not be provided when loss or damage is a result of improper, inadequate, or unsafe packaging or wrapping, which shall be determined at Reverb's sole discretion.
3. See the FedEx general packaging guidelines, the UPS packaging guidelines or USPS preparing packages page for tips on preparing the package for proper shipping. Note, a flight case or other similar hard case packaging is not sufficient packaging. The maximum reimbursement will not exceed the declared value of the item on the label.
4. Buying Safe Shipping is required when purchasing a Reverb shipping label for items with a sale price between $1,500 USD and $10,000 USD. Neither Safe Shipping nor Reverb Shipping Labels are available for items with a sale price of $10,000 or more. The maximum declared value for an international shipment is $2,500.

4. Ineligible Disputes and Transactions

Unless required by law, some disputes and transactions are ineligible for the Reverb Protection Program, including:

• Off site transactions including in person transactions.
• Buyer changes mind and requests a return outside of a seller’s return policy or seller fulfills its obligation under a return policy or otherwise offers a refund.
• Issues reported on forwarded or re-shipped packages.
• Items that have been altered, used, damaged, discarded, or attempted repairs after receipt.
• Items that are received after the agreed-upon delivery date due to shipping delays, including shipping delays caused by labor strikes or shortages of shipping service providers.
• Items that are received late due to updated processing times to shipping address through freight forwarding, messages or other informal channels.
• Items that are returned without a return agreement.
• Items that are accurately described but don’t meet a buyer's expectations.
• Cost of shipping disputes.
• Items that are purchased in person.
• Transactions where payment is not processed by Reverb Payments, for example in an offsite transaction, or via Paypal (outside of Reverb Payments).
• Disputes covered by insurance or local warranty or return laws applicable to a seller or their product.
• The parties do not provide sufficient documentation to demonstrate the items were not as described.
• Issues reported after 7 days from delivery (or after 14 days of the anticipated delivery date in the case of non-delivery).

Wherever a qualifying case is escalated for Reverb’s review, we will evaluate the claim to the best of our ability. Please be aware that our case mediation capabilities may be limited for certain types of items, which may result in a refund. Reverb reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to change its original decision based on information obtained after the case was originally evaluated.

5. Reverb Protection Program Resolution

Once a case is opened, Reverb will usually resolve and close the case automatically on behalf of the buyer and seller. Seller grants to Reverb the right, and Reverb reserves the right, to resolve the case on a seller’s behalf, including, but not limited to, by issuing a refund to the buyer and recouping funds from the seller’s account if payment was made via Reverb Payments.

In some cases, Reverb may need to investigate further in order to resolve the case. A buyer and seller may be required to submit photos, videos, tracking numbers, or other documentation. Each case must remain open until a resolution has been reached. Reverb may reach out to the parties to provide more information on the case, and the parties should promptly respond. Sellers must respond within 2 calendar days.

Reverb reserves the right to resolve an order issue before the 48-hour window for circumstances including, but not limited to, seller inactivity, harassment, refusal of service, manipulation, fraud, noncompliance with Reverb’s terms, and undermining the integrity of the case system. Reverb may close or resolve a case due to lack of participation from either party, or reopen a previously closed case to further investigate tracking issues or other aspects of the dispute. To maintain the integrity of the case system, a seller cannot encourage or require a buyer to close a case as a condition of resolving the dispute.

In the unlikely event that a case remains unresolved for more than 365 days, it is considered to be a late delivery, and the resolution is required to be a full refund by the seller.

Effective date: September 6, 2023

Updated: August 1, 2023