Protection
Protected on both sides of the sale.
Veil Vault holds every payment, keeps messaging in the marketplace, and processes returns before money moves. Here, in plain words, is exactly what's covered — and what isn't — so you know where you stand before you buy or list.
For buyers
Buyer protection
You never pay a seller directly. Every payment goes through Veil Vault's Stripe checkout, and the seller's payout is held until the return window closes — so a sale that isn't right can be made right.
Covered
What buyer protection covers
You can report a problem with a shipped order, within the window, when it's covered:
- Item not as described — the piece doesn't match the listing's condition, color, measurements, or story.
- Damaged in transit — the piece arrived harmed despite careful packing.
- Wrong item — what arrived isn't what you ordered.
On an approved report you're refunded in full — the item and the shipping you paid — and the piece returns to the Vault for the next buyer. Get the details on our Returns & refunds page.
Not covered
What buyer protection doesn't cover
Fit. Pre-loved formalwear is sold as-is on size and measurements, so a piece that simply doesn't fit isn't a return. Compare the listing's measurements before you buy, and message the seller with any questions — most are happy to share more photos or numbers.
Paying outside the Vault. Protection only applies to purchases completed through Veil Vault's checkout. If a seller asks you to pay by a personal app, gift card, or wire, don't — report it instead.
Deadlines
Your window to report a problem
When your order is marked shipped, the return window opens. You have three days after confirming receipt to report a problem — and if you never confirm, the window stays open until 14 days after shipping. Any order can be cancelled with a full refund up until the moment the seller marks it shipped.
Evidence
Evidence we look for
To reach a fair answer quickly, include what the situation calls for:
- For transit damage — photos of the damage and the packaging it arrived in.
- For "not as described" — a note of exactly how the piece differs from its listing.
- For a wrong item — a photo or description of what actually arrived.
Disputes are decided by a human on the Veil Vault team, on the listing's described condition and measurements against what you received. If it's genuinely in doubt, we lean toward the evidence and keep every decision transparent.
For sellers
Seller protection
Listing is free. You keep 88% of every sale — the 12% marketplace fee is on the item only, never on shipping — and your payout is released once the return window closes, so the sale is set before the money moves.
Kept safe from chargebacks. Because the buyer pays through Veil Vault and the payout is held, a dispute is settled inside the Vault — before money reaches you — rather than a surprise chargeback after the fact.
Shipping paid for. Buyers pay your flat shipping at checkout, and Veil Vault's prepaid label comes out of that shipping money. If the real postage is less than what the buyer paid, the difference is yours.
Reviews from real sales. Reviews only come from completed sales — a buyer can't review a transaction they never made. That keeps every rating honest.
A fair returns process. An approved return is reversed in full and covered by the seller's held payout; a denied one doesn't cost the seller a cent. Disputes are read by a person, and the listing's honest description and measurements are the standard.
Demand evidence, always. Every claim is reviewed against the evidence before anything is reversed — we don't return money on an unsubstantiated word.
Disputes
How a dispute is decided
Every report is reviewed by a human on the Veil Vault team, not an algorithm:
- Covered grounds — is it "not as described," damaged in transit, or the wrong item? Fit isn't a covered ground.
- Timing — was it reported within the window (3 days after confirming receipt, or 14 days after shipping)?
- Evidence — do the photos and notes support it? For transit damage, the packaging tells a lot of the story.
Approved, the buyer is refunded in full and the remaining sale is resolved through the returns process. Denied, the seller's payout moves forward. Every decision is transparent, and either party can reach a human through Contact with questions.
A note on the law
The INFORM Consumers Act, in honest terms
A U.S. federal law, the INFORM Consumers Act, can require online marketplaces to collect and verify certain identity and bank information from high-volume third-party sellers — roughly those reaching a threshold in the neighborhood of 200+ sales or $5,000+ in a rolling 12-month window.
Veil Vault isn't there yet — the marketplace is young and no seller is currently a high-volume seller under that test. But the groundwork is already in place: sellers connect their bank accounts and verify their identity through Stripe Connect as part of setting up payouts, exactly the kind of verification INFORM contemplates. As Veil Vault grows and sellers cross those thresholds, we will meet those obligations.
FAQ
Protection, in short
What does buyer protection cover?
A piece that doesn't arrive, arrives damaged in transit, or significantly differs from its listing. An approved report is refunded in full.
What isn't covered?
Fit. Pre-loved formalwear is sold as-is on size and measurements, so a piece that doesn't fit isn't a return.
How long do I have to report a problem?
Three days after confirming receipt, or 14 days after shipping at the latest if you never confirm.
What evidence do I need to open a dispute?
Report from your order dashboard within the window, with photos of damage and packaging for transit cases, or a note of how the piece differs from its listing.
How is the seller protected?
Sellers keep 88% of every sale. Payouts are held until the return window closes, and an approved return is reversed before money moves.
The Vault's word
It's not a blanket promise — it's a real process.
Clear deadlines, a human on every decision, and money held until a sale is set. See our full returns policy, fee policy, and how it works.