SHIPPING
Shipping and delivery
Shipping requirements, tracking, delivery and inspection periods. Agree all of it before the transaction is funded, because a shipping term that was never written down cannot be enforced later.
Never ship before funding
Tracking required
Insure to full value
Buyer inspects on arrival
Everything on the record
Before this page is published. The default inspection period, the deadline for a seller to ship after funding, and the value above which an approved carrier is required must be confirmed by Rbcpay and must match the terms and conditions. These are left blank rather than guessed, because a buyer who misses an inspection window loses the right to reject.
The principle
The money moves through Rbcpay. The goods do not.
Rbcpay holds the funds and records what the two parties agreed. It does not collect, store, carry, inspect or insure anything that is shipped. The shipment is a contract between the seller and the carrier.
That is why the shipping terms have to be written into the transaction before it is funded. What is recorded there is what a dispute is decided against. What was said in a message and never recorded is much harder to rely on.
Record before funding
- Who arranges and pays for shipping
- The carrier and the service level
- The full delivery address, checked by both parties
- The deadline for despatch after funding
- Who insures the shipment, and for how much
- Who pays import duty and taxes, if any
- The inspection period and what may be checked in it
- Who pays for a return if the buyer rejects
STOP
Sellers, do not ship until the transaction is funded
Check the transaction itself and confirm it shows as funded. A message, an email, a screenshot or a payment confirmation sent to you by the buyer is not confirmation. This is the single most common way a seller loses both the goods and the payment.
- Do not ship on a screenshot of a payment
- Do not ship on an email that says funds are on the way
- Do not ship early because the buyer says it is urgent
- Do not change the delivery address on a request sent by message
The order things happen in
Every step is recorded on the transaction, so neither party has to rely on memory.
1
Terms agreed
Shipping, insurance, inspection and returns are recorded on the transaction.
2
Buyer funds
The transaction shows as funded. Only now does the seller prepare the shipment.
3
Seller despatches
The item is shipped by the agreed carrier, within the agreed deadline.
4
Tracking submitted
The tracking number is added to the transaction, not sent by message.
5
Delivery
The carrier delivers to the address recorded on the transaction.
6
Inspection
The buyer checks what arrived, within the inspection period.
7
Approval
The buyer approves, and the seller is paid under the transaction terms.
If you are the seller
Ship the thing that was described, by the method that was agreed, and put the evidence on the transaction as you go.
- Confirm the transaction is funded before you pack anything
- Photograph the item before it goes in the box
- Photograph the packed and sealed parcel
- Ship to the address on the transaction, nowhere else
- Use a service with tracking and proof of delivery
- Insure to the full transaction value
- Add the tracking number to the transaction the same day
- Keep the carrier receipt until the buyer has approved
If you are the buyer
Inspect properly and inspect on time. The inspection period is the one window in which you can reject something.
- Check the delivery address on the transaction before funding
- Be available, or arrange a signature, on the delivery date
- Film the parcel being opened where the value justifies it
- Photograph any damage to the packaging before unpacking
- Check it against the written description, not your memory of it
- Raise anything wrong inside the inspection period
- Do not approve the release until you are satisfied
- Keep the packaging until the transaction is complete
The inspection period
The window between delivery and approval. It exists so the buyer can check what arrived while the money is still held.
How it works
| Default inspection period | To be confirmed |
| When it starts | On delivery, as recorded by the carrier |
| Can it be changed | Yes, by agreement, before the transaction is funded |
| If the buyer does nothing | The transaction proceeds under the terms both parties accepted |
| If the buyer rejects | Raise it inside the period, before approving the release |
| Return shipping | Paid by whoever the transaction terms say pays |
Approving the release ends the inspection period immediately, and a released payment is final. Do not approve to be polite.
What to check, and write down first
- That it is the item described, not a similar one
- Serial, VIN, IMEI, hallmark or reference numbers
- Condition against the written description
- Everything that was listed as included
- That it powers on, starts or functions as described
- Certificates, service history or authenticity papers
- Quantity and completeness, item by item
Agree the checklist while you are agreeing the terms. A buyer who decides what matters after the parcel arrives is already arguing.
Carriers and cover
Use a carrier that can prove what happened
Tracking and proof of delivery are not a formality. In a dispute they are often the only independent record of where the item went and when. A shipment with no tracking is a shipment with no evidence.
Insurance is separate from tracking and has to be arranged deliberately. Carrier liability limits are usually far below the value of the sort of items handled through a transaction platform.
Minimum for any shipment
- End to end tracking, visible to both parties
- Signature or proof of delivery on arrival
- Insurance to the full transaction value
- A named carrier recorded on the transaction
- A despatch receipt kept until approval
High value shipments
Above a certain value an approved carrier and additional handling conditions apply. The threshold and the conditions are To be confirmed for this site and will be published here and on the approved carriers page together.
When something goes wrong in transit
Tracking has stopped moving
Raise it with the carrier first and put the reference on the transaction. Do not approve the release while the item is unaccounted for.
It arrived damaged
Photograph the packaging before unpacking, keep everything, and report it to the carrier and on the transaction inside the inspection period.
It is not what was described
Raise a dispute inside the inspection period, with the written description and photographs of what actually arrived.
It went to the wrong address
The address on the transaction is the one that counts. If it was changed by message, say so immediately, because that is a common fraud pattern.
It was never despatched
If the despatch deadline passes with no tracking, raise it on the transaction rather than waiting. The funds are still held.
Customs is holding it
Cross-border shipments can be held for duty, tax or documentation. Whoever the terms say pays duty needs to act, and the inspection period only starts once it is delivered.
In every one of these, the funds are still held. Nothing is lost by raising it, and a lot can be lost by waiting to see whether it resolves itself.
Cross-border shipments
An international shipment adds parties that neither the buyer nor the seller controls. Decide in advance who deals with each of them.
- Who is the importer of record
- Who pays duty, tax and any customs brokerage
- What the commercial invoice will declare
- Whether the item needs an export or import licence
- What happens if customs holds or seizes the shipment
Never ask a seller to under-declare the value on a customs form. It invalidates the insurance and it is an offence in most jurisdictions.
Collection and large items
Vehicles, machinery, art and property contents are often collected rather than posted. The same rules apply, with the evidence taken in person.
- Agree the collection point and the date in writing
- Photograph or film the condition at handover
- Both parties sign a handover or release note
- Record who is authorised to collect, by name
- Confirm the transaction is funded before release
A signed handover note is the collection equivalent of proof of delivery. Do not release the item without one.
Shipping questions
When should the seller ship?
Only after the transaction shows as funded on Rbcpay. Not on a screenshot, not on an email, not because the buyer says the money has left their account. Check the transaction itself.
Does Rbcpay arrange or insure the shipping?
No. Rbcpay holds the funds and records what was agreed. The shipment is arranged between the seller and the carrier, and insurance is arranged by whoever the transaction terms say arranges it.
Where do I put the tracking number?
On the transaction, so both parties and any later dispute can see it. Sending it only by message means it is not part of the record.
When does the inspection period start?
On delivery, as recorded by the carrier. For a collection, it starts at handover.
What if I need longer to inspect?
Agree the longer period before the transaction is funded. An item that needs a specialist inspection, a valuation or an authenticity check needs a period that reflects that.
Can the delivery address be changed after funding?
Only by agreement recorded on the transaction. A change requested by message is one of the most common fraud patterns in shipped transactions, so treat it as a reason to stop and check.
Who pays for return shipping if I reject the item?
Whoever the transaction terms say pays. If the terms are silent on returns, it becomes something to resolve between the parties, which is why it should be written in at the start.
The carrier lost the parcel. What happens to the money?
It stays held. A loss in transit is a claim against the carrier and the insurance, and the transaction is resolved under its terms, either by agreement or through a dispute.
Write the shipping terms in before you fund
Carrier, insurance, despatch deadline, inspection period and returns. Five lines at the start prevent most of the disputes that shipping causes.
Rbcpay is a marketplace transaction platform and is not a bank, carrier, freight forwarder, customs broker or insurer. Shipping, insurance, duty and customs are arranged between the parties and the providers they choose. Delivery times, liability limits and cover are set by the carrier and the insurer, not by Rbcpay.