The rules of the road.

Selling on Topsplitters is straightforward — but it does come with responsibilities. This policy exists to keep the marketplace trustworthy for everyone.

Who can sell

Anyone can apply to become a seller on Topsplitters. To get started, you'll need to verify your account with a valid email address and phone number. This isn't bureaucracy, it's how we make sure every seller on the platform is a real person, which protects both buyers and fellow sellers.

Official Partner and Manufacturer status is a separate tier we extend directly to brands and authorized resellers we've vetted ourselves. It isn't something you can apply for through the standard signup flow. See "Selling as an Official Partner or Manufacturer" below.

We reserve the right to decline or suspend seller accounts that don't meet our standards or that show signs of fraudulent activity.

What you can sell

Topsplitters is a curated marketplace. You can only list items that exist in our product catalog — no exceptions. If a product isn't in our catalog, you can't list it. If you'd like to suggest a product for inclusion, reach out.

The item you're selling must match the product page exactly — same model, same variant. Listing a product under the wrong page to get visibility is not allowed and will result in listing removal.

Condition standards

Accurately describing the condition of your item is one of your most important responsibilities as a seller, and one of the best opportunities to stand out. Every listing requires a Condition Report — a short, structured set of questions about wear, damage, missing items and packaging, each backed by photo evidence where it matters. A thorough, honest Condition Report builds more trust than any description ever could, and sells faster.

Misrepresenting condition, in the product description or in the Condition Report, is grounds for dispute and may result in account suspension.

Selling as an Official Partner or Manufacturer

Official Partner and Manufacturer accounts operate under different terms than standard seller accounts. These accounts pay a reduced 5% service fee instead of the standard 10%, can list Brand New and Refurbished items, which aren't available to other sellers, and ship on an extended 5–10 business day window to account for fulfillment from stock.

This status isn't just a listing privilege. We expect these accounts to offer the Topsplitters community real value, whether that's special pricing or access to stock buyers can't easily find elsewhere, not simply a presence on the platform.

Pricing

You set your own price. We don't enforce minimums or maximums. That said, we do show buyers the retail price and the discount percentage — so unrealistic pricing will be obvious and unlikely to convert.

You can update or remove your listing at any time, as long as there's no active pending transaction on it.

Cancelling a sale

You have 24 hours after a sale to cancel it, no questions asked. This is useful if the item sold elsewhere before the listing could be taken down. The buyer is refunded in full automatically. Repeated or frequent cancellations will affect your seller standing.

Shipping

Once your 24-hour cancellation window has passed, you have 2 business days to ship the item and provide a tracking number. You are responsible for packaging the item securely. If an item arrives damaged due to poor packaging, the dispute will likely be resolved in the buyer's favor.

Every shipment is insured against loss or damage in transit at no cost to you.

Shipping carriers only provide free boxes for their express-tier services — Ground-level shipments, the most common choice on Topsplitters, require your own packaging. We'd recommend having a box ready before drop-off regardless: it protects the item better in transit and keeps the original factory packaging intact, which buyers truly appreciate. If your buyer's order happens to use an express tier, we'll flag it in your sale confirmation email.

Fees & payout

Listing is and will always be free. When your item sells, we deduct a service fee from the sale price: 10% for standard seller accounts, capped at $400 on high-value items, or 5% for Official Partner and Manufacturer accounts, capped at the same $400. There are no monthly subscriptions, no listing fees. You only pay when you sell.

Buyers separately cover the cost of Stripe's payment processing, currently 2.9% + $0.30. We don't add a markup to it and don't earn anything from it; it's the same rate Stripe charges any business for accepting card payments.

Funds are held in escrow until delivery is confirmed by tracking. From there, you have a 72-hour window during which the buyer can still open a dispute, or they can release funds to you sooner if they're satisfied. If no dispute is opened, funds are released to you automatically.

If a dispute is resolved against you

If a dispute is resolved in the buyer's favor, we arrange and pay for a prepaid, insured return label — you don't need to do anything until the item arrives back with you.

Once tracking confirms the return has reached you, you have 72 hours to either confirm the item or flag a concern about its condition from your Sales panel. If you don't respond, it's confirmed automatically and the buyer's refund is finalized. If you flag a concern, our team reviews the case manually rather than deciding automatically in either party's favor.

Ratings & reputation

After every completed transaction, buyers can leave a rating. Your seller rating is displayed publicly on your profile and on every offer you list. A strong rating is built transaction by transaction: accurate descriptions, fast shipping, honest communication.

Violations & suspension

Violations of this policy — including misrepresenting item condition, conducting off-platform transactions to avoid fees, or manipulating ratings — may result in listing removal, account suspension, or permanent ban. Serious violations may be referred to law enforcement.