Seller Guide to Refunds and Returns

Sellers who list products through the marketplace on TCGplayer are responsible for providing their own customer service (with the exception of sales made through the Direct program). This guide outlines our refund and return policies and the steps sellers should take when an order issue is reported by a customer. Please note shipped orders are expected to reach the customer by the listed Estimated Delivery Date (EDD) on the order page.

In cases where a seller is requesting or accepting the return of products for a refund to the customer, the seller is responsible for return shipping costs. This process should include sending a return mailer or shipping label to the customer. The only exception to this is when a customer requests to return a product due to buyer’s remorse (either due to ordering the wrong item, or simply changing their mind) and you have authorized that return. In that instance, the buyer will be responsible for return postage.

Please be aware that TCGplayer reserves the right to step in and provide resolution for customers directly if the seller:

does not respond to the customer within 2 business days of their inquiry
does not ship an order out within 48 hours of receipt
responds to customers in a way that violates our Community Guidelines
requests that a customer work with them on a resolution that falls outside of our policies
requires customers to pay return shipping on products the seller agrees to have returned (exception: approved returns due to buyers remorse, approved returns of sealed products in the same condition they were sent)
employs delaying tactics like requesting photos of disputed products before providing a resolution or requesting that the customer wait for an extended period of time before resolving an order issue

If TCGplayer steps in to provide resolution on an order issue, we may determine that it is appropriate to provide the buyer with a refund. We will not always reach out to the seller separately to communicate that a refund has been applied as the seller will have been notified of the buyer’s messages and have received automated reminders. In cases where we reach out, we may require the seller to provide a prepaid package or shipping label for the customer to return the products to them after we step in to provide a refund. We reserve the right to charge sellers for shipping costs arising from TCGplayer retrieving products on sellers’ behalf for issue resolution.

Here are the different order issue types covered in this guide:

Making adjustments or canceling a customer’s order before it has shipped
Buyer's Remorse Policy
Handling Unauthorized Returns
Handling Swapped Orders
Refunding Missing Orders
Refunding Orders Damaged During Shipping
Refunding Delivered Singles
Refunding Delivered Sealed Products
Counterfeit Claims
Refunding Listings with Photos
Refunding Bulk Lots
Escalating Issues with a Customer

If you have questions about a situation that falls outside of the issue types outlined in this guide, please contact our Customer Service team.

Making adjustments or canceling a customer’s order before it has shipped

When a buyer needs to adjust their order to remove some items, change the shipping address, request to combine shipping for multiple orders, or cancel the order, it is recommended that they reach out to the seller as soon as possible and preferably within 12 hours of placing the order.

If you receive a request to update an order from a buyer, here are steps to handle different situations that may arise:

Cancellation Requests

If a customer reaches out promptly after placing an order to request a cancellation, it is best practice to provide it if the order has not yet been shipped.

You can cancel an order by:

Going to the order page and selecting the “Full Refund” button at the top of the page.
Choose “Buyer Initiated” for the Refund Origin.
Choose “General Cancellation” for the Refund Reason
For Inventory Changes select “Adjust Inventory” if you'd like the refunded products to be automatically re-added to your listings.
In the Cancellation Reason box, enter a short description of the refund. Ex: “Buyer requested cancellation of order.”
Select the Refund Order button.

Please review our How do I process refunds? help file for more information about processing refunds including screenshots of the process.

If the customer asks to cancel an order after you have shipped it, you are not responsible for providing a refund unless you agree to refund the order and it has been returned to your address.

Update Shipping Address Requests

If a customer reaches out to request an update to their shipping address, you will need to update their shipping address on the package label and through any shipping/tracking service you utilize manually.

Please confirm the updated address in the message thread with the customer before applying it to their order. Doing so will provide a paper trail to help protect you in the event that the customer claims the package does not arrive. Please note that the shipping address cannot be updated on the order page itself after the order is placed.

If the order is shipped before the customer reaches out to provide an updated shipping address, you are not responsible for refunding or reshipping the order until the order is returned to you. It is recommended that you offer to reship the order if you are able to do so after it returns to your address. Once the buyer has confirmed that they would like the order to be reshipped, you should notify them that you have sent it out so that they are aware. Buyers should allow an additional 10 business days for a reshipped order to be delivered.

Requests to Add or Remove Items from Order

If a customer reaches out promptly after placing an order to request an adjustment, it is best practice to provide reasonable adjustments if the order has not yet been shipped. Here are some examples of adjustments and how to handle them:

Requesting to add additional items to the order:

Since TCGplayer does not store payment information for orders, we are unable to accommodate adding additional items to orders that have already completed the checkout process.

If a customer reaches out to you to request adding items to their order, you should recommend they place an additional order with your store for the requested items. You can provide them with a partial refund for the shipping cost (and package the order with the previous order) as a courtesy at your discretion.

Requesting to cancel one or more items from the order, but not the entire order:

If a customer reaches out to you to request removal of specific items from their order and you have not already shipped it, it is best practice to provide a partial refund for those items and confirm that you have done so in the customer’s message thread.

To provide a partial refund:

Go to the order page and select the “Partial Refund” button at the top of the page.
Choose “Buyer Initiated” for the Refund Origin.
Choose “General Cancellation” for the Refund Reason.
For Inventory Changes select “Adjust Inventory” if you'd like the refunded products to be automatically re-added to your listings.
In the Cancellation Reason box, enter a short description of the refund. Ex: “Buyer requested cancellation of these items: INSERT LIST OF ITEMS.”
Select the items you are refunding at the bottom of the page. Be sure to enter the correct quantity for each item you are refunding in the Quantity column before you click the Refund Order button.

Please review our How do I process refunds? help file for more information about processing refunds including screenshots of the process.

Requests to Combine Shipping for Multiple Orders

If a customer reaches out to you requesting to combine shipping on multiple orders they placed in a short timeframe, you can provide them with a partial refund for one of the shipping costs (and package the order with the previous order) as a courtesy at your discretion. If the combined orders are valued at $20 or more, it is recommended that you apply tracking for your protection.

Customer Provided Incorrect Shipping Address & Did Not Update Before Order Was Shipped

If a buyer inputs an incorrect shipping address during the checkout process and fails to notify you before the order is shipped, they are not eligible for a refund. Our checkout process displays the buyer's address twice to confirm that the shipping location is correct. We encourage buyers to review their shipping details carefully during this stage to prevent errors.

If a customer reaches out before their order has shipped, please follow the steps in the Update Shipping Address Requests section above.

Once an order has been shipped, address changes are no longer possible, and the responsibility for the error remains with the buyer.

Buyer's Remorse Policy

As a valued seller on TCGplayer, it's important to maintain clear and fair return policies that align with our marketplace standards. While you are not required to accept returns or offer refunds for buyer's remorse, we recommend the following practices to ensure transparency and customer satisfaction.

Defining Buyer’s Remorse

Buyer’s remorse occurs when a customer decides they no longer want an item after purchase, due to personal preference, changes in circumstance, or a change of mind. As long as the item does not have another issue (such as an incorrect set or condition difference), you are not obligated to accept returns or provide refunds in these cases.

Buyer’s remorse claims might look like:

“I don’t want this item any more.”
“I no longer need this product.”
“I found a better price. Can I return this?”
“The price for this has gone down since I purchased it. Can I get a refund?”

Communicating the Buyer’s Remorse Policy

When a customer reaches out with a case of buyer’s remorse, you can direct them to our Refund and Return Policy section on Buyer’s Remorse, which clearly states that returns based on buyer's remorse are not accepted. This helps set the right expectations for purchases and can reduce the incidence of such return requests. If you receive pushback from a customer when explaining our policy around Buyer’s Remorse, you can escalate the message thread to TCGplayer for review.

Even when you’re not required to accept a return, providing excellent customer service and addressing valid concerns promptly can enhance your reputation and customer trust. Buyers who have a good experience with you due to flexibility and helpfulness on your part may result in repeat business for your store.

Handling Unauthorized Returns

This section provides guidance on how to handle instances where a buyer returns an order by refusing the package or marking it "Return to Sender" without any prior communication.

Items returned to you marked as "Return to Sender" or “Refused” without prior communication from the buyer are not eligible for a refund. If you receive a message from a buyer after a package has been returned to sender with no prior communication, you should point the buyer to the Buyer’s Remorse section of our refund policy and escalate the message to TCGplayer.

Exceptions to the Policy:

The exceptions to this rule are if the package is marked by the post office as undeliverable, if additional postage was due, or if the package was incorrectly addressed to someone else. In these scenarios, please handle the situation according to the guidelines below:

In cases where a package is marked “Undeliverable” by the post office, contact the buyer and offer to refund the order or reship it. If the customer selects the reshipment option please provide an updated estimated delivery date in the message thread (10 business days is recommended for domestic orders).
Customers are allowed to refuse a package due to postage due. If you receive a package returned for this reason, you should offer the buyer a refund or reshipment after the package is returned to you. You can also ask the buyer to share the amount of postage missing from the package as stated by USPS if it is unclear from the return package. The buyer and seller must come to an agreement on the resolution. Occasionally a buyer might receive the package, pay the postage due, and reach out for reimbursement of the postage due. When this occurs, please provide a partial refund for the postage due amount and escalate the message thread to TCGplayer if you require assistance.
If you receive a returned order that was sent to the incorrect address not due to buyer error, check the order information and contact the correct buyer to let them know that you received their package which went to an incorrect address. You should offer to refund the order or reship it if they are willing to wait. If the customer selects the reshipment option please provide an updated estimated delivery date in the message thread (10 business days is recommended for domestic orders).

Handling Swapped Orders

Rarely as a seller on TCGplayer you might accidentally apply the wrong shipping label to one or more packages and send swapped packages to your customers. This section provides guidance on how to handle instances where packages have been swapped. Usually you will know that you’ve swapped packages when you find one you thought was shipped already in your possession or when a customer reaches out to you about receiving the incorrect order.

When you locate a package you thought you already shipped

Check your personal records or the orders page on the seller portal to try to identify which customer the package was mistakenly sent to. This might not always be possible depending on how many packages you ship at once. If you can locate the customer who will receive the incorrect package, reach out to them through their associated order page in the message center to let them know the incorrect order is on the way and ask that they return the package to you.

The seller is responsible for providing a prepaid shipping return package or label for the customer. We highly recommend adding tracking to the return package label to minimize potential losses when the price threshold for the products makes sense for you to apply tracking.

Please also relay to the original customer of the impacted package in the message center that you shipped it to another customer by mistake. At this stage, you should offer to reship their order (if you have inventory for a replacement shipment) or offer them a full refund.

Additionally, it is recommended to escalate the message thread with the customer who receives the incorrect package to TCGplayer if they do not respond to your messages within 48 hours or return the incorrect order as requested.

When a customer reaches out to you about receiving an incorrect order

Occasionally, you may accidentally ship incorrect orders to customers without being aware until one or more customers reach out to inquire about the packages they received. When this happens, you must work with the impacted customers to provide a resolution.

Once you’ve heard from one or more impacted customers in the message center, you should ask them to provide some details about the order they received so you can locate the other impacted customers/orders. We recommend asking for the order number from the packing slip, and if it’s unavailable: the contents of the order. You should then locate any swapped orders in your seller dashboard orders and reach out to those impacted customers in the message center as well to let them know about the shipping error and ask them for the same information.

Ask each impacted customer to return the package to you. The seller is responsible for providing a prepaid shipping return package or label for each customer. We highly recommend adding tracking to the return package label to minimize potential losses when the price threshold for the products makes sense for you to apply tracking. At this stage, you should offer to reship each customer’s impacted order (if you have inventory for a replacement shipment) without waiting for them to return the incorrect order or offer them a full refund.

Swapped package situations can be complicated to navigate, and we recommend you escalate message threads with impacted customers to TCGplayer for assistance when needed. This is especially important when one or more customers who receive incorrect packages do not respond to your messages or return the incorrect orders when requested.

Refunding Missing Orders

If an order has not arrived by the estimated delivery date, customers are directed to contact the seller by accessing their Order History and selecting the “Contact Seller” button next to the associated order.

To be eligible for a refund on a missing order customers must:

Contact the seller after the estimated delivery date has passed to request a refund
Reach out no later than 30 calendar days after the estimated delivery date

Once a customer has reached out about a missing order, you have 2 business days (Monday - Friday, excluding holidays) to respond to their request. If you do not respond after 2 business days, the customer may escalate to TCGplayer Customer Service for assistance in resolution. When TCGplayer refunds an order on your behalf, we are not required to notify you separately as you will have already received automated notifications from our system indicating that the customer had an issue.

You can refund a missing order by:

Going to the order page and selecting the Full Refund button at the top of the page.
Choose “Buyer Initiated” for the Refund Origin.
Choose “Package - Missing” for the Refund Reason
For Inventory Changes leave the “Do Not Adjust Inventory” option selected.
In the Cancellation Reason box, enter a short description of the refund. Ex: “Buyer reported order missing/lost.”
Click the Refund Order button.

Please review our How do I process refunds? help file for more information about processing refunds including screenshots of the process.

TCGplayer Customer Service may step in to help resolve issues if:

A seller has not responded to the buyer in the required timeframe
A seller and buyer cannot reach a resolution on an issue
There is no valid tracking information available
A seller provides valid tracking and tracking status shows a delivered status

Products listed under pre-sale status are excluded from this policy until after the release date and they are marked as shipped with an estimated delivery date applied.

For more information on handling missing orders for buyers, please refer to our article on Resolving Missing Orders/Packages for Customers.

Refunding Orders Damaged During Shipping

If a customer receives an order that has been damaged during the shipping process, they are advised as part of our refund policy to reach out to the seller as soon as possible. How sellers will handle these issues depends on the status of the package and the contents inside.

If you receive a request to refund a damaged order from a buyer, here are steps to handle different situations that may arise:

Package is damaged but unopened by customer

If a customer reaches out because the package they received is damaged but they have not opened it, they are eligible for a refund when the package has been returned to the seller. The seller is responsible for providing a prepaid shipping return package or label for the customer. Depending on the extent of the package damage, a return shipping package might be the more appropriate option to provide.

Accidents happen during the shipping process, and we recommend that the seller completes the claims process for the shipping company’s insurance to pay for any damaged products included in the package. This process will vary depending on the shipping company utilized. Here is some general information on how insurance claims work from USPS, UPS, and FedEx:

Once you have received the damaged package, you can process the refund by following the steps below depending on if the sealed product is part of an order or the entire order.

To refund an order that arrived in a damaged package and has been returned:

Going to the order page and selecting the “Full Refund” button at the top of the page.
Choose “Buyer Initiated” for the Refund Origin.
Choose “Package - Damaged” for the Refund Reason.
For Inventory Changes select “Adjust Inventory” if you'd like the refunded products to be automatically re-added to your listings. If the items are damaged, you will want to select this ”Do Not Adjust inventory” and instead relist the items at their new condition if they can still be sold.
In the Cancellation Reason box, enter a short description of the refund. Ex: “Package was damaged in transit and returned for refund.”
Select the Refund Order button.

Please review our How do I process refunds? help file for more information about processing refunds including screenshots of the process.

Package is damaged and opened by customer

If a customer reaches out because the package they received is damaged and they have opened it, how you will approach resolving issues depends on the status of the products inside the package. Some potential situations are outlined below:

Some of the products in the package are damaged

If a customer is reporting that only some products they ordered in a damaged package have the appearance of being damaged, please treat the impacted items as condition issues. See the section on how to process refunds for condition issues. Most items that have been damaged in transit would be considered in “Damaged” condition for the purposes of partial refunds.

All of the products in the package are damaged

If a customer is reporting that all products that arrived in a damaged package are damaged upon opening the package, they are eligible for a refund when the package has been returned to the seller. The seller is responsible for providing a prepaid shipping return package or label for the customer. Depending on the extent of the package damage, a return shipping package might be the more appropriate option to provide.

Once you have received the damaged package, you can process the refund by following the steps below.

To refund an order that arrived in a damaged package and has been returned:

Going to the order page and selecting the “Full Refund” button at the top of the page.
Choose “Buyer Initiated” for the Refund Origin.
Choose “Package - Damaged” for the Refund Reason.
For Inventory Changes select “Adjust Inventory” if you'd like the refunded products to be automatically re-added to your listings.
In the Cancellation Reason box, enter a short description of the refund. Ex: “Package was damaged in transit and returned for refund.”
Select the Refund Order button.

Please review our How do I process refunds? help file for more information about processing refunds including screenshots of the process.

No products in the package are damaged, customer sharing feedback on packaging

Occasionally a customer may reach out when a package arrives damaged but no products contained in it are damaged as a result. This can be a good opportunity for sellers to gather feedback on their packaging process from a customer perspective. We recommend asking the customer questions about the type of damage the package sustained to inform your packing process. Not all damage in shipping can be prevented, but approaching interactions where a customer is providing feedback from a perspective of learning can help reassure them that they are purchasing from a professional seller.

Package is damaged and contains sealed products

When a customer reaches out due to a sealed product being part of a package damaged during the shipping process, they are eligible for a return and refund of the sealed product ONLY if they did not open the sealed product itself. There are no exceptions to this policy. If the sealed product packaging was torn, dented, or otherwise damaged in transit, they are eligible for a refund. However if they open the sealed product (ex: remove or open booster packs or other included materials), the product is no longer eligible for a refund.

To refund a sealed product that arrived in a damaged package and has been returned:

Going to the order page and selecting the “Full Refund” button at the top of the page.
Choose “Buyer Initiated” for the Refund Origin.
Choose “Package - Damaged” for the Refund Reason.
For Inventory Changes select “Adjust Inventory” if you'd like the refunded products to be automatically re-added to your listings.
In the Cancellation Reason box, enter a short description of the refund. Ex: “Package was damaged in transit and returned for refund.”
Select the Refund Order button.

Please review our How do I process refunds? help file for more information about processing refunds including screenshots of the process.

Refunding delivered singles

Due to the volatile nature of the singles market, our sellers do not accept returns on single cards. However, there are three exceptions to this policy:

The condition of singles received do not match what was ordered
Received singles are incorrect (ex: wrong set, wrong printing, wrong card)
Ordered singles are missing from the package

If customers experience any of these issues they are directed to contact the seller by accessing their Order History and selecting the “Contact Seller” button next to the associated order.

To be eligible for a refund or replacement of singles with one of the above-described problems customers must:

Contact the seller as soon as possible (within 48 hours is recommended) after the order has arrived to request a refund or replacement
Reach out no later than 30 calendar days after the estimated delivery date

Once a customer has reached out with one of these issues, you have 2 business days (Monday - Friday, excluding holidays) to respond to their request. If you do not respond after 2 business days, the customer may escalate to TCGplayer Customer Service for assistance in resolution. When TCGplayer refunds an order on your behalf, we are not required to notify you separately.

In these situations, sellers can take the following steps to resolve a problem with singles.

Condition Issues

Please note: the TCGplayer Marketplace allows sellers to list cards in Near Mint, Lightly Played, Moderately Played, Heavily Played, and Damaged condition. Mint or Gem Mint cards are not sold on TCGplayer.

If a single does not match the condition ordered, sellers have two options for resolution:

Option 1: A seller can opt to offer a partial refund based on the difference between the condition of the card ordered vs. the card that was received. The buyer and seller must come to an agreement on the partial refund amount. The buyer and seller must come to an agreement on the partial refund amount. TCGplayer recommends a partial refund of around 10% per condition step adjusted (ex: a Near Mint card that is received as Moderately Played would receive a 20% refund, as Moderately Played is 2 steps down).

To provide a partial refund:

Go to the order page and select the “Partial Refund” button at the top of the page.
Choose “Buyer Initiated” for the Refund Origin.
Choose “Product - Condition Issue” for the Refund Reason.
For Inventory Changes select “Adjust Inventory” if you'd like the refunded products to be automatically re-added to your listings.
In the Cancellation Reason box, enter a short description of the refund. Ex: “Provided X% partial refund for condition difference on the following cards: LIST”
Select the items you are refunding at the bottom of the page. Be sure to enter the correct quantity for each item you are refunding in the Quantity column before you click the Refund Order button.

Option 2: A seller can offer a reshipment of the card if they have one in the correct condition in their inventory. The customer must confirm this is the option they want before the seller ships the replacement card. The seller must also send a prepaid shipping method to the buyer for return of the product with the incorrect condition. This can be provided as a shipping label or self-addressed package shipped to the buyer. The seller is responsible for the return shipping costs.

Option 3: If the seller does not offer a partial refund and does not have a replacement card to send, they must send a prepaid shipping method to the buyer for return of the product for a full refund for the impacted singles. This can be provided as a shipping label or self-addressed package shipped to the buyer. The seller is responsible for the return shipping costs.

To provide a partial refund (not all cards in the order have a condition issue):

Go to the order page and select the “Partial Refund” button at the top of the page.
Choose “Buyer Initiated” for the Refund Origin.
Choose “Product - Condition Issue” for the Refund Reason.
For Inventory Changes select “Adjust Inventory” if you'd like the refunded products to be automatically re-added to your listings.
In the Cancellation Reason box, enter a short description of the refund. Ex: “Provided refund for returned card(s) with condition issue: LIST”
Select the items you are refunding at the bottom of the page. Be sure to enter the correct quantity for each item you are refunding in the Quantity column before you click the Refund Order button.

To provide a full refund (all cards in the order have a condition issue):

Going to the order page and selecting the “Full Refund” button at the top of the page.
Choose “Buyer Initiated” for the Refund Origin.
Choose “Product - Condition Issue” for the Refund Reason.
For Inventory Changes select “Adjust Inventory” if you'd like the refunded products to be automatically re-added to your listings.
In the Cancellation Reason box, enter a short description of the refund. Ex: “Buyer returned cards due to condition issue. Fully refunded.”
Select the Refund Order button.

The customer must agree to a resolution before you move forward with providing it. If the customer and seller are unable to reach an agreement for resolution, it is recommended that the seller escalate the message thread to TCGplayer.

Please note: Sellers cannot require buyers to share images of cards with a condition issue as a prerequisite for resolving issues. If you believe a customer is “mint hunting” (ordering NM cards and searching for a mint condition card to keep while returning the rest), you should escalate the message thread with the buyer to TCGplayer for tracking purposes.

Please review our How do I process refunds? help file for more information about processing refunds including screenshots of the process.

Wrong Cards

If a single received as part of an order is the incorrect set, version, etc., sellers have three options for resolution:

Option 1: A seller can opt to provide a partial refund based on the difference between the price of the received card and the ordered card if the buyer wishes to keep the incorrect card. Sellers who send an incorrect card that is more expensive than the ordered card may not charge a buyer an additional fee to keep the card if they offer this option.

To provide a partial refund:

Go to the order page and select the “Partial Refund” button at the top of the page.
Choose “Buyer Initiated” for the Refund Origin.
Choose “Product - Inventory Issue” for the Refund Reason.
For Inventory Changes select “Adjust Inventory” if you'd like the refunded products to be automatically re-added to your listings.
In the Cancellation Reason box, enter a short description of the refund. Ex: “Provided partial refund of $(insert amount) for incorrect card received, which is being kept by customer.”
Select the items you are refunding at the bottom of the page. Be sure to enter the correct quantity for each item you are refunding in the Quantity column before you click the Refund Order button.

Option 2: If the seller has the correct card in their inventory, they can offer to send it as a replacement. The customer must confirm this is the option they want before the seller ships the replacement card. If the seller would like the incorrect card returned, they must also send a prepaid shipping method to the buyer for return of the incorrect product. This can be provided as a shipping label or self-addressed package shipped to the buyer. The seller is responsible for the return shipping costs.

Option 3: Request return of the wrong card for a full refund. If the seller would like the incorrect card returned, they must send a prepaid shipping method to the buyer for return of the incorrect product. This can be provided as a shipping label or self-addressed envelope package shipped to the buyer. The seller is responsible for the return shipping costs.

To provide a partial refund (only some cards in the order are incorrect):

Go to the order page and select the “Partial Refund” button at the top of the page.
Choose “Buyer Initiated” for the Refund Origin.
Choose “Product - Inventory Issue” for the Refund Reason.
For Inventory Changes select “Adjust Inventory” if you'd like the refunded products to be automatically re-added to your listings.
In the Cancellation Reason box, enter a short description of the refund. Ex: “Provided refund for incorrect cards received which have been returned: LIST.”
Select the items you are refunding at the bottom of the page. Be sure to enter the correct quantity for each item you are refunding in the Quantity column before you click the Refund Order button.

To provide a full refund (all cards in the order are incorrect):

Going to the order page and selecting the “Full Refund” button at the top of the page.
Choose “Buyer Initiated” for the Refund Origin.
Choose “Product - Inventory Issue” for the Refund Reason.
For Inventory Changes select “Adjust Inventory” if you'd like the refunded products to be automatically re-added to your listings.
In the Cancellation Reason box, enter a short description of the refund. Ex: “Buyer returned cards, as all were incorrect. Fully refunded.”
Select the Refund Order button.

Please note: Sellers cannot require buyers to share images of incorrect cards received as a prerequisite for resolving issues.

Please review our How do I process refunds? help file for more information about processing refunds including screenshots of the process.

Missing Cards

If a single is missing from an order, sellers have two options for resolution:

Option 1: If the seller has the missing card in their inventory, they should offer to reship the card to the customer. The customer must confirm this is the option they want before the seller ships the replacement card.

Option 2: If a seller no longer has the missing card in their inventory, they can opt to provide a refund for the missing card. They must refund the cost for that card completely.

To provide a partial refund (for any number of missing cards from an order):

Go to the order page and select the “Partial Refund” button at the top of the page.
Choose “Buyer Initiated” for the Refund Origin.
Choose “Product - Inventory Issue” for the Refund Reason.
For Inventory Changes select “Adjust Inventory” if you'd like the refunded products to be automatically re-added to your listings.
In the Cancellation Reason box, enter a short description of the refund. Ex: “Provided refund for cards missing from order: LIST”
Select the items you are refunding at the bottom of the page. Be sure to enter the correct quantity for each item you are refunding in the Quantity column before you click the Refund Order button.

Please note: marketplace sellers cannot require buyers to share images of orders received as a prerequisite for resolving issues.

Please review our How do I process refunds? help file for more information about processing refunds including screenshots of the process.

TCGplayer Customer Service may step in to help resolve issues if:

A seller has not responded to the buyer in the required timeframe of 2 business days
A seller and buyer can not reach a resolution on an issue together
The seller ships a replacement card without confirmation from the buyer
The seller does not follow through on the agreed-upon resolution

Refunding delivered sealed products

If a customer receives an order with sealed products that they wish to return, they should reach out to the seller as soon as possible. Customers must receive approval from the seller before returning sealed products, and products can only be returned in the same unopened condition they were sent. The customer is responsible for the return shipping costs for sealed products, and must send them with tracking information to the seller’s address.

However, if the return is being made due to a mistake on the seller’s part, the seller is responsible for sending the buyer a pre-paid, trackable parcel or shipping label to return the merchandise.

In cases where a sealed product is damaged during shipping, but is otherwise unopened by the customer, please follow the steps in the Package is damaged and contains sealed products section.

If the sealed product was opened by the customer, they are not eligible for a return or refund. There are no exceptions to this policy.

Once you have approved a return for a sealed product and received it, you can process the refund by following the steps below depending on if the sealed product is part of an order or the entire order.

To fully refund an order with sealed products that have been returned:

Going to the order page and selecting the “Full Refund” button at the top of the page.
Choose “Buyer Initiated” for the Refund Origin.
Choose “General - Cancellation” for the Refund Reason.
For Inventory Changes select “Adjust Inventory” if you'd like the refunded products to be automatically re-added to your listings.
In the Cancellation Reason box, enter a short description of the refund. Ex: “Buyer requested cancellation of order.”
Select the Refund Order button.

To provide a partial refund for a sealed product in an order that has been returned:

Go to the order page and select the “Partial Refund” button at the top of the page.
Choose “Buyer Initiated” for the Refund Origin.
Choose “General - Cancellation” for the Refund Reason.
For Inventory Changes select “Adjust Inventory” if you'd like the refunded products to be automatically re-added to your listings.
In the Cancellation Reason box, enter a short description of the refund. Ex: “Buyer requested return and refund of these items: INSERT LIST OF ITEMS.”
Select the items you are refunding at the bottom of the page. Be sure to enter the correct quantity for each item you are refunding in the Quantity column before you click the Refund Order button.

Counterfeit Claims

TCGplayer takes counterfeit claims seriously. If a customer receives what they believe is a counterfeit or proxy card, they are directed to reach out to our customer service team for assistance.

If you have a customer reach out to you directly regarding a suspected counterfeit in their order, you should escalate the message to TCGplayer for assistance. We’ll send the customer a prepaid mailer that they can use to send the item to TCGplayer HQ. Our expert team will review the card to determine if it is indeed counterfeit through a series of tests. If it is a counterfeit, we’ll notify and work directly with the seller to resolve this issue.

Refunding Listings with Photos

Listings with Photos should be listed following our Listings with Photos Policies and include photos of the exact product being offered, a descriptive title, and a listing description that explains specifically what type of product is being offered including, but not limited to: the name of the card, the set, the condition, and any notes about damage or modifications to the card (signatures, etc).

Products posted as a Listing with Photos must be added using the catalog entry that most closely fits the product type that is for sale. For example: booster packs can only be listed as a booster pack listing, not a booster box listing. Even if the number of packs being sold matches the total included in a booster box, they must be listed as booster packs because they are no longer contained by a booster box. This is required so customers have clarity on what they are receiving as part of their purchase based on the catalog entry used.

With the exception of Japanese Pokemon cards (which are under the Pokemon Japan product line) and Magic the Gathering cards that have language options available, Listings with Photos should be utilized to list all other non-English cards. The card language must be clearly communicated in the listing title and description using the full name of the language (examples: Japanese instead of JPN, Italian instead of ITA, etc).

Please view our Listings with Photos Policies for more details on listing requirements.

If the order a customer receives from a Listing with Photos matches the photos, title and description shown by the seller on the TCGplayer Marketplace, the seller does not have to accept returns on those products.

Customers are directed to contact the seller if there is a problem with a listing with photos they received, as some may choose to approve a refund. If you approve a return of a Listing with Photos, the buyer must return the merchandise in the same condition it was sent. The customer is responsible for paying for tracked return shipping for Listings with Photos unless the contents have a condition discrepancy or don’t match the listing. After the merchandise is returned, you should refund the purchase price, less the shipping charges. If the return is being made due to a mistake on the seller’s part, the seller is responsible for sending the buyer a pre-paid, trackable parcel or shipping label to return the merchandise.

If the condition of the cards received by the customer does not match the product description created by the seller or they received different or fewer items than the seller advertised in their Listings with Photos product description, it is the responsibility of the seller to provide the correct items. If the seller cannot provide the items advertised, they will need to work with the customer to resolve the order issue. This can include a return of all of the items for a full refund once the seller receives them or a partial refund for the missing items. The customer must contact the seller within 30 calendar days of the Estimated Delivery Date. If they do not get back to you, you’re welcome to escalate the issue to our Customer Service Team.

You can refund a Listing with Photos order by:

Going to the order page and selecting the Full Refund button at the top of the page.
Choose “Buyer Initiated” for the Refund Origin.
Choose the Refund Reason that most closely matches the reason for return (Ex: Product - Condition Issue or Product - Inventory Issue).
For Inventory Changes leave the “Do Not Adjust Inventory” option selected.
In the Cancellation Reason box, enter a short description of the refund. Ex: “Customer reported listing with photos did not match description. Returned for full refund.”
Select the Refund Order button.

To provide a partial refund for a Listings with Photos order:

Go to the order page and select the “Partial Refund” button at the top of the page.
Choose “Buyer Initiated” for the Refund Origin.
Choose the Refund Reason that most closely matches the reason for return (Ex: Product - Condition Issue or Product - Inventory Issue)..
For Inventory Changes select “Adjust Inventory” if you'd like the refunded products to be automatically re-added to your listings.
In the Cancellation Reason box, enter a short description of the refund. Ex: “Customer reported listing with photos did not match description. Returned these items for a partial refund: LIST ITEMS”
Select the Listing with Photos you are refunding at the bottom of the page. Rather than selecting a quantity of items to refund, enter a partial refund amount in the box. Then click the Refund Order button.

Refunding Bulk Lots

Bulk Lots should be listed following our Listings with Photos Policies, and include photos of the exact products being offered, a descriptive title, and a listing description that explains specifically what type of products are being offered including, but not limited to: the name of included cards, the sets, the conditions, notes about damage or modifications to the card (signatures, etc), specifically how many cards are included in the lot, and notes on any additional lot contents (sleeves, dice, tokens, etc).

As a seller, you may wish to list a Bulk Lot of randomized cards. Customers are advised to keep in mind that many Bulk Lots offered by sellers on the TCGplayer Marketplace will be randomized so there’s no guarantee on what specific cards will be received as part of random lots. However the number of cards and types of cards received by the customer must match the listing content.

Products posted as part of a Bulk Lot must be added using the catalog entry that most closely fits the product type that is for sale. For example: bulk booster packs can only be listed as a bulk booster pack listing, not a booster box listing. Even if the number of packs being sold matches the total included in a booster box, they must be listed as booster packs because they are no longer contained by a booster box. This is required so customers have clarity on what they are receiving as part of their purchase based on the catalog entry used. Bulk Lots should also be utilized to list bulk non-English cards from any product line, with the language clearly communicated in the listing title and description.

If the Bulk Lot a customer receives matches the photos, title, and description shown by the seller on the TCGplayer Marketplace, the seller does not have to accept returns on those products. Bulk Lots are sold “as is” and what is received by the customer must match the listing information.

Customers are directed to contact the seller if there is a problem with a Bulk Lot they received, as some may choose to approve a refund. If you approve a return of a Bulk Lot, the buyer must return the merchandise in the same condition it was sent. The customer is responsible for paying for tracked return shipping for Bulk Lots unless the contents have a condition discrepancy or don’t match the listing. After the merchandise is returned, you should refund the purchase price, less the shipping charges. If the return is being made due to a mistake on the seller’s part, the seller is responsible for sending the buyer a pre-paid, trackable parcel or shipping label to return the merchandise.

If the condition of the cards received by the customer does not match the product description created by the seller or they received different or fewer items than the seller advertised in their Bulk Lots product description, it is the responsibility of the seller to provide the correct items. If the seller cannot provide the items advertised, they will need to work with the customer to resolve the order issue. This can include a return of all of the items for a full refund once the seller receives them or a partial refund for the missing items. The customer must contact the seller within 30 calendar days of the Estimated Delivery Date. If they do not get back to you, you’re welcome to escalate the issue to our Customer Service Team.

You can refund a Bulk Lot order by:

Going to the order page and selecting the Full Refund button at the top of the page.
Choose “Buyer Initiated” for the Refund Origin.
Choose the Refund Reason that most closely matches the reason for return (Ex: Product - Condition Issue or Product - Inventory Issue).
For Inventory Changes leave the “Do Not Adjust Inventory” option selected.
In the Cancellation Reason box, enter a short description of the refund. Ex: “Customer reported Bulk Lot did not match description. Returned for full refund.”
Select the Refund Order button.

To provide a partial refund for a Bulk Lot order:

Go to the order page and select the “Partial Refund” button at the top of the page.
Choose “Buyer Initiated” for the Refund Origin.
Choose the Refund Reason that most closely matches the reason for return (Ex: Product - Condition Issue or Product - Inventory Issue)..
For Inventory Changes select “Adjust Inventory” if you'd like the refunded products to be automatically re-added to your listings.
In the Cancellation Reason box, enter a short description of the refund. Ex: “Customer reported Bulk Lot did not match description. Returned these items for a partial refund: LIST ITEMS”
Select the Bulk Lot you are refunding at the bottom of the page. Rather than selecting a quantity of items to refund, enter a partial refund amount in the box. Then click the Refund Order button.

You can refund a bulk listing order by:

Going to the order page and selecting the Full Refund button at the top of the page.
Choose “Buyer Initiated” for the Refund Origin.
Choose the Refund Reason that most closely matches the reason for return (Ex: Product - Condition Issue or Product - Inventory Issue).
For Inventory Changes leave the “Do Not Adjust Inventory” option selected.
In the Cancellation Reason box, enter a short description of the refund. Ex: “Customer reported bulk lot did not match description. Returned for full refund.”
Select the Refund Order button.

Escalating Issues with a Customer

At TCGplayer you can sell knowing that you are protected in situations where tracked orders go missing or customers provide feedback that violates our policies. Please see our TCGplayer Safeguard for further details. If during the course of your communication with a customer you feel that you would like TCGplayer to be involved in helping resolve the issue, you can send an email to our Customer Service Team. We will make every effort to ensure you are satisfied with your selling experience. TCGplayer customer service has the final say on all refunds and exchanges.

Change Log

9/23/24 - Updated policies for buyer's remorse, wrong addresses, unauthorized returns, listings with photos, bulk lots, and clarified previously updated language.
10/17/24 - Updated shipping estimates for reshipped packages.