Refund Policy

Cyclesite is a marketplace. It charges for two categories of service: advertising services provided to sellers (listing fees, boost add-ons and dealer subscriptions), and the Buyer Protection service provided to buyers at checkout (an optional escrow and dispute service). All payments are processed by Stripe Payments UK Limited (“Stripe”) under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 commercial-agent exclusion; Cyclesite does not take custody of funds.

This Refund Policy governs refunds of the amounts paid to Cyclesite. It does not govern refunds of the bike price as between buyer and seller outside of Buyer Protection; those are a matter for the buyer and seller and, where applicable, the buyer’s statutory rights against a trader-seller under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Defined terms used in this Refund Policy have the meanings given in the Purchase Terms and the Listing Terms.

This policy sets out:

• when payments made to Cyclesite are refundable, and in what amounts;
• how Buyer Protection refunds are apportioned where a dispute is resolved;
• how chargebacks are handled;
• how and when to request a refund; and
• how your statutory rights interact with this policy.

This policy does not govern:

• refunds of the bike price outside Buyer Protection (a matter for the buyer and seller directly);
• Stripe’s separate policies in relation to the payment processing it undertakes as payment services provider;
• your card issuer’s chargeback rights, which are unaffected by this policy.

2.1 Non-refundable once service has begun

Listing fees, boost and feature add-ons, and dealer subscription payments are consideration for an advertising service that begins when you publish or activate the relevant item. By completing checkout and confirming publication you expressly request that the service begin immediately and acknowledge that, once begun, the service cannot be substantially undone. Accordingly, the following are not eligible for refund:

• listing fees once the advert is live;
• boost, feature and promotional add-ons once activated;
• dealer subscription payments after the start of the subscription period; no pro-rata refund will be given on cancellation;
• listings removed by Cyclesite for breach of the Listing Terms, including fraudulent, misleading or prohibited adverts.

2.2 Statutory cooling-off (CCR 2013)

Under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (“CCR 2013”), you have a statutory right to cancel most online purchases within 14 days. At the point you elect to publish an advert or activate a boost, you are expressly requesting immediate performance of the service; where you do so within the cooling-off period, you lose your statutory right to cancel the service to the extent it has been performed. Where you have purchased a listing package but have not yet elected to publish, you may cancel within 14 days and receive a full refund by emailing support@cyclesite.co.uk.

2.3 Bike sold before the advertised duration expires

If your bike sells before the advertised listing duration expires, you may mark the listing as sold. No refund of the listing fee will be given for the unused duration. This reflects the nature of classified advertising: the service paid for is the exposure of the advert over its duration, which has been delivered.

Where a buyer purchases using Buyer Protection, payment is held in escrow by Stripe. The amount charged to the buyer comprises the bike price, any delivery charge selected, and the Buyer Protection transaction fee (together the “Escrow Funds”). All refunds set out in this section 3 are released from the Escrow Funds; Cyclesite does not refund out of its own funds save where expressly stated in this policy or required by law.

Stripe retains a payment-processing fee on every card charge which it does not return when a refund is issued (the “Stripe Processing Fee”). The clauses below set out who bears the Stripe Processing Fee in each scenario.

3.1 Buyer cancels before dispatch

The buyer may cancel a Buyer Protection purchase at any time before the seller marks the bike as dispatched. On valid cancellation:

1. the bike price, any delivery charge and the Buyer Protection transaction fee will be refunded from the Escrow Funds;
2. the Stripe Processing Fee on the original charge (typically 1.5% of the amount charged plus 20 pence for UK-issued cards; higher for cards issued outside the UK) will not be refunded and will be deducted from the refund; and
3. the exact amount to be deducted will be shown to the buyer at checkout before payment is confirmed.

This reflects the fact that no seller fault has arisen and no charge to the seller is appropriate. Cancellation after dispatch is not available; the buyer may raise a dispute under clause 3.2 instead.

3.2 Dispute resolved in the buyer’s favour

Where Cyclesite resolves a dispute in the buyer’s favour (for example, the bike did not arrive, is materially not as described, or matches a stolen-bike database):

1. the buyer will be refunded in full from the Escrow Funds, comprising the bike price, any delivery charge and the Buyer Protection transaction fee;
2. Cyclesite will separately charge the Stripe Processing Fee to the seller’s saved Card under Listing Terms §10a;
3. where the Card cannot be charged, Cyclesite will absorb that cost; in no circumstances will the cost be redirected to the buyer; and
4. where return of the bike is required, the seller will bear the reasonable cost of return shipping.

3.3 Dispute resolved in the seller’s favour

Where Cyclesite resolves a dispute in the seller’s favour, the Escrow Funds will be released to the seller in the ordinary course. The buyer will not be refunded any amount. The Buyer Protection transaction fee will be retained by Cyclesite as consideration for the dispute service provided.

3.4 Partial resolution

Where the evidence supports a partial resolution (for example, a minor undisclosed defect), the refund will be calculated as a proportionate reduction of the bike price, released to the buyer from the Escrow Funds. The balance will be released to the seller. The Buyer Protection transaction fee will be retained by Cyclesite as consideration for the dispute service provided. Where the partial refund arises on a seller-fault basis, the Stripe Processing Fee on the refunded portion will be charged to the Card under clause 3.2.

3.5 Finality of our decision

Cyclesite’s decision on the release of the Escrow Funds is final as between the buyer, the seller and Cyclesite. Cyclesite does not decide whether the seller has breached the underlying sale contract; that is a matter between buyer and seller and, where the seller acts in the course of business, is subject to the statutory rights available to the buyer against the seller under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Those rights are preserved and are not affected by this clause 3.5.

Nothing in this policy removes your statutory right to dispute a card payment with your card issuer. Where the matter could have been addressed through the processes set out above, we ask that you use those processes first. Where a chargeback is raised for an outcome that would have been reached through our dispute process, we will defend the chargeback with the evidence on file.

4.1 Chargeback on a listing fee or boost

A listing fee or boost pays for an advertising service that is delivered on publication. Where a seller raises a chargeback against a delivered advertising service, Cyclesite will:

• defend the chargeback with evidence that the advertising service was delivered;
• suspend the seller’s account (and any live listings) while the chargeback is outstanding;
• recover the disputed amount and the card-scheme chargeback administration fee (currently £15 per chargeback) from the seller under Listing Terms §10a;
• pursue any amount owed through debt collection or the small-claims track of the County Court where necessary, with legal costs recoverable to the extent permitted; and
• permanently close the account for repeat or clearly fraudulent chargebacks.

4.2 Chargeback on a Buyer Protection transaction

Where a chargeback is raised against a Buyer Protection transaction:

• if the Escrow Funds are still held, they will be frozen pending the card issuer’s decision;
• if the card issuer resolves the chargeback in the buyer’s favour, the Escrow Funds will be returned to the buyer by Stripe. Where Cyclesite had already resolved a dispute in the seller’s favour, the seller will remain responsible for the amount returned; Cyclesite will recover that amount from the Card and, to the extent uncollected, from any balance or future payouts owed to the seller;
• if the card issuer resolves the chargeback in the seller’s favour, the Escrow Funds will be released accordingly.

Where the Escrow Funds have already been released to the seller and a chargeback is subsequently raised, Cyclesite will automatically reverse the Stripe transfer to recover the funds to the platform balance. If the seller’s Stripe Connect balance is insufficient, the shortfall (including the card-scheme chargeback administration fee) will be charged to the Card under Listing Terms §10a.

Cyclesite will instruct Stripe to issue a refund promptly on determining the outcome. Typical timings are set out below; actual arrival depends on the buyer’s card issuer.

If the original card has expired, been closed or replaced, Stripe will usually credit a replacement card via the card network’s updater service. Where that is not possible, Stripe will hold the refund as a balance for the buyer to claim; Cyclesitewill notify the buyer by email where that occurs.

Where an advert cannot be displayed on Cyclesite for an extended period because ofCyclesite’s own platform unavailability, Cyclesite will, at its discretion, either extend the advertised duration by an equivalent period or issue a credit against a future listing purchase. The thresholds that trigger this adjustment are:

• continuous unavailability of more than 2 hours affecting the advert’s category; or
• cumulative unavailability of more than 6 hours in any 24-hour period.

Outages affecting third-party services (including Stripe), telecommunications networks and infrastructure outside Cyclesite’s reasonable control are not grounds for refund or extension under this clause 6.

Cyclesite may in addition offer a refund or credit, at its sole discretion and as a matter of goodwill, in cases of:

• duplicate charges made in error;
• accounts suspended in error; and
• other exceptional circumstances.

Contact support@cyclesite.co.uk with full details.

Nothing in this Refund Policy removes or limits:

• your right to cancel within 14 days under the CCR 2013, subject to the service-already-started exceptions set out above;
• your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 against a seller acting in the course of business, which rights are against the seller and not against Cyclesite;
• your right to dispute a card payment with your card issuer; or
• your right to bring a claim through the courts.

Where you are a private individual dealing with another private individual, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 does not apply. Buyer Protection is the remedy Cyclesiteprovides for that circumstance.

Where you are not satisfied with a refund decision Cyclesite has made, you may escalate in the following order:

1. email support@cyclesite.co.uk with “Refund complaint” in the subject line; Cyclesite will acknowledge within 2 UK working days and aim to provide a substantive response within 10;
2. where the final response does not resolve the matter, you may refer the complaint to Cyclesite’s chosen certified alternative dispute resolution provider, details of which are set out in the main Terms. Reference to the ADR provider is optional and does not remove your right to court action;
3. nothing in this policy prevents you from bringing a claim through the courts of England and Wales; and
4. suspected fraud in any transaction may be reported to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk.

Cyclesite will retain records of every payment, refund and dispute outcome for a minimum of six years from the date of the transaction, in accordance with UK record-keeping requirements. This is irrespective of whether the account is subsequently closed. Financial records are kept on the lawful basis of legal obligation; see the Privacy Policy for details.

For Buyer Protection purchases, use the “Cancel order” or “Raise a dispute” option on the order in your account; this triggers the flow set out in clause 3.

For listing fees, boosts, subscriptions or any other matter covered by this policy, email support@cyclesite.co.uk with the order reference, the reason for the request and any supporting information. Cyclesite will aim to acknowledge within 2 UK working days and to resolve within 10.