Seller FAQs for International Orders

How do I resolve missing orders/packages?

How to reduce risk as a seller?

International Disputes

What are the risks of International Shipping?

When will I get paid for international orders? 

How Do I Resolve Missing Orders/Packages for my Customers?

If a buyer claims they haven’t received an order made through TCGplayer, you are responsible for resolving those disputes. Buyers are instructed to contact you through the “Contact Seller” button on their order history for a missing package after the Estimated Delivery Date has passed.

You have 2 business days to respond to their inquiry. If you do not respond within 2 business days, they can escalate the issue to TCGplayer Customer Service for assistance with a resolution. You are required to honor our refund policy and provide a resolution when a buyer reports a problem with their order.

You are required to deliver purchased items to the address provided in the order details. If a buyer needs to update their shipping address, they are required to contact you as quickly as possible after the order is placed. If a buyer uses a freight forwarding service, delivery of the package is only covered to the address provided on the order.

If the item does not arrive at the address provided on the order details by the buyer, they are entitled to a full refund, including original shipping costs.

Buyers have up to 30 calendar days after the estimated delivery date to reach out to request a refund.

Given the nature of the TCGplayer marketplace, your listings may be viewed, purchased by, and shipped to buyers around the world. Sellers and buyers are responsible for complying with all laws and regulations applicable to the international sale, purchase, and shipment of items.

If your item sells, you will be bound by the Marketplace Seller Agreement, our Refund and Return policy, as well as any buyer protection policies. If you do not want your item to be sold to buyers internationally, you can exclude countries or regions by updating your shipping settings.

*NOTE: Due to this new global reach, there may be a language barrier. Be prepared to use a translating service to make this process easier for you and your customer.

This article outlines how you can resolve the following scenarios for your customers:

• Shipped Without Tracking or Confirmation
• Shipped with Tracking or Confirmation and Has an “En Route” Status
• Shipped with Tracking or Confirmation and the package is marked ‘delivered,’ but the package was not received
• I shipped with Signature Confirmation, and the package was marked ‘delivered’, but the package was never received.
• What if a Customer Receives the Order After it was Refunded?

Shipped Without Tracking or Confirmation

If you ship an order without tracking information or delivery confirmation and a buyer claims the package has not been received, you’re responsible for providing a full refund if the order does not arrive by the Estimated Delivery Date. To receive a refund for missing orders, customers must reach out in the timeframe described above.

Shipped with Tracking or Confirmation and Has an “En Route” status

If your buyer doesn’t receive their package by the end of the Estimated Delivery Date quoted on TCGplayer, you should provide a resolution in the form of a refund for the missing order. Contact our team or escalate the message thread from the order in question for additional assistance. We fully cover our sellers in the event of a discrepancy between buyer and carrier claims on international sealed product orders—for example, if the order is missing in transit. The tracking information must show that the package has moved beyond “Acceptance”/”Label Created” status to show proof that it has left your possession in order to receive credit for the missing package.

Shipped with Tracking or Confirmation and the package is marked ‘delivered,’ but the package was not received

We fully cover our sellers in the event of a discrepancy between buyer and carrier claims on international sealed product orders with tracking—for example, if a buyer says they didn’t receive an international order, but the carrier reports the order as delivered.

If this happens, follow these steps:

• Recommend the customer check with family members, roommates, or neighbors to see if their package might have been handed to someone else. You can also point them to the carrier to see if they are able to locate the package for the customer. The customer should wait 2 business days after delivered status for the tracking to update/order to show up, as sometimes the status updates before delivery is complete.
• If the tracking status updates or the carrier successfully locates and delivers the package, the problem has officially been resolved. Congrats! Please inform the buyer and/or TCGplayer within 2 business days.
• If the tracking status doesn’t update, and the customer is unable to locate the package by contacting family/roommates/neighbors and the carrier provides them with no updates, refund the buyer in full, and continue through the next steps for reimbursement.
• Tell the buyer to let you know if the order eventually arrives:
  • If they wish to keep the cards, they should inform you and arrange payment through TCGplayer (we’ll credit you, the seller).
  • If the buyer no longer wants the order, they should not open the package. Instead, advise them to write "Return to Sender" on the front and return it to their mail carrier. They should also contact you to let you know the package arrived and is being returned.
• Contact our Customer Service team with the subject line: "Missing Delivered Package" as well as your TCGplayer order number for reference.
• Once our customer service team receives this information, we’ll credit your store for the missing package and follow up with the buyer to see if they’ve had trouble receiving other orders. We will also make a note on their account to track undelivered package claims.
• As previously stated, if the package is reported as successfully delivered to the customer at a later date and they contact you asking to pay for the wayward order, direct them to contact our team and we’ll organize a PayPal payment for the package.

I shipped with Signature Confirmation, and the package was marked ‘delivered’, but the package was never received.

Contact our team and we’ll investigate the claim. If the signature does not match the buyers, or if the signature does match the buyer's and they are indicating that they did not sign for it, we will investigate. If the name on the signature confirmation matches the buyer’s, we’ll work with them to determine if the package was delivered to the correct address.

If the package can’t be located, we’ll issue the buyer a refund and credit you for the sale as the carrier may have delivered the package to the wrong individual or location. Disputes for packages that are signed for by a freight forwarder or an agent of the buyer (e.g. receptionist, family member) will be denied. If our investigation determines that the customer did not receive the order due to a shipping error beyond their control, the seller may still be held liable. Note, however, that this is an extremely rare occurrence.

What if a Customer Receives the Order After it was Refunded?

If a buyer writes back in to inform you that they received their order after you processed the refund, simply reply back to them with the following message:

After you’ve sent this message to the buyer, escalate the order to our customer service team using the “Escalate This Thread” button on the order and we will connect with the buyer to ensure repayment is received and credit your account for the order.

What happens if an international buyer disputes their order?

In the unlikely event that a PayPal dispute is leveled against your store, TCGplayer will notify you via email with the details of the claim.

Here’s what you can expect:

• We’ll ask your store to supply tracking, delivery confirmation, signature confirmation and copies of any customs forms you have for the order in question.
• We’ll fight any and all chargebacks with PayPal to the best of our ability.
• The buyer will be blocked from making purchases on TCGplayer until the chargeback is resolved.
• The order payment for the transaction will be placed on hold until the dispute is resolved. If you’ve already been paid for this order, the amount will be withheld from your next batch payment. 
• If you haven’t shipped the product(s) yet, we recommend that you do not ship them. Please contact sales@tcgplayer.com right away so we can work with you to refund the order for the customer.  

Please Note: If TCGplayer loses the dispute, your store is responsible for the funds associated with the dispute, and it’s highly likely you’ll also be assessed a PayPal settlement fee of $25.00.

Please keep in mind that this process can take weeks to complete. We appreciate your store’s cooperation and patience as we work to resolve the dispute.

What are the risks of shipping internationally?

If you decide to fulfill international orders, please keep in mind that you ship these at your own risk. The three main factors to be aware of are credit card verification, the cost of international shipping and PayPal’s Seller Protection policies.

Credit Card Verification

International orders aren’t governed by the same strict Federal credit card verification rules and guidelines as domestic orders. Take care when you choose international destinations you accept orders from.

International Shipping Fees and Costs

The shipping fee you set and that’s displayed when the buyer places their order is the only cost they will incur. (For example, you can’t contact buyers after the fact and ask them to make an additional payment for shipping.) Choose your shipping settings carefully, as these will determine the amount collected from your buyers. All Customs fees/duties will be the responsibility of the buyer. 

"International buyers – please note: Import duties, taxes, and charges aren't included in the item price or postage cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility.Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be, prior to buying."

Also note: It's illegal to falsify customs declarations or mark an item as a "gift" in order to avoid customs fees. If a buyer asks you to commit customs fraud, report it to us. To follow US export regulations and prevent your package from being held for inspection, you must complete customs forms and possibly file an export license for items that sold for more than $2,500. Customs regulations vary by country and not all carriers ship to all locations.

If you have any issues with customs that you cannot solve with your customer, contact us.

PayPal’s Seller Protection Policies

PayPal processes all TCGplayer international orders (except for some Canadian orders placed with a credit card), and you are protected under their Seller Protection policies. Note, however, that if a chargeback is leveled against your store for an order placed by an international buyer on TCGplayer, and the dispute is lost, you will be responsible for any PayPal chargeback fees that are incurred. If an order gets lost, PayPal will only cover you as a vendor if you are able to supply tracking that shows door to door delivery. Many countries do not offer door to door tracking and delivery, so there may be instances where PayPal will not cover you if you cannot 100% prove the order was delivered.

How You Can Reduce the Risk of a TCGplayer Dispute as a Seller

There are some simple ways to mitigate the risk of a dispute for an item not received:

• Ship promptly (within 48 hours of receipt) and use a shipping method that ensures reliable delivery before the end of the Maximum Delivery Date period.
• Ship with tracking information when appropriate and add it to the order.
• Follow the TCGplayer Shipping Guidelines.

• For orders over $20 in value, we recommend that you ship with Delivery Confirmation or Tracking for your own protection.
• For orders of $50 or more, you must include Tracking/Delivery Confirmation.  
• For orders of $250 or more, you must include Tracking/Delivery Confirmation and Signature Required (inform the buyer so they are prepared to sign for the delivery). You may also want to consider protecting yourself by purchasing insurance. Please read all of the Shipping Guidelines for Cards to make sure you're familiar with the expectations for sellers on TCGplayer.

The decision not to follow the above recommendations can affect your ability to win any disputes claiming a package did not arrive.

For more information, review the Risk of Loss section in the Marketplace Seller Agreement.

When will I get paid for international orders?

If you ship to international destinations, orders sent to locations outside of the United States are payable 21 days after the order is marked as shipped.