Shipping Policy

This policy defines the operational shipping rules for GoSwapCards.

It distinguishes between direct user-to-user shipping, Sale Authentication routing, and SecureSwap shipping.

This policy is the source of truth for product behavior, support decisions, shipping status rules, operational handling, evidence handling, return handling, and cancellation handling.

This policy is the operational rule set for shipping decisions, subject to the Terms, checkout state, payment state, evidence, and mandatory law.

Direct shipping is a user-to-user shipping flow. The sender is the user, the package ships directly to the counterparty, and GoSwapCards is not the physical ship-from party.

Sale Authentication shipping is a two-leg hub-mediated Sale flow. The seller ships the card to the designated GoSwapCards Authentication Hub intake address first, and GoSwapCards forwards the card to the buyer's saved delivery address after required processing.

SecureSwap shipping is a hub-mediated shipping flow. In a two-party swap, Party A sends to the designated GoSwapCards intake address, Party B sends to the designated intake address, and GoSwapCards sends the approved items back out to the counterparties.

A two-party SecureSwap therefore typically includes four physical shipping legs: Party A sends its cards to GoSwapCards, Party B sends its cards to GoSwapCards, Party A's approved cards are forwarded to Party B, and Party B's approved cards are forwarded to Party A.

Multiple carrier legs, intake, temporary holding, review, packaging, and forwarding can make SecureSwap more expensive than direct shipping. Checkout remains the source of truth for the amount payable in a specific transaction.

Any leg that starts from a user address is a user-origin leg. For these legs, GoSwapCards provides shipping requirements and route-aware recommendations, the user buys or arranges the shipping method approved by checkout, the user submits tracking where tracking is required, and GoSwapCards does not act as the ship-from party.

Any leg that starts from the GoSwapCards handling process is a hub-origin leg. For these legs, GoSwapCards may generate or purchase the shipping label, GoSwapCards is the physical sender, platform-generated tracking is allowed, and outbound carrier choice follows internal hub shipping rules.

In Sale Authentication, the seller-to-hub leg is a user-origin leg and the hub-to-buyer forwarding leg is a hub-origin leg.

Checkout determines the allowed shipping methods for each transaction. The policy below describes the baseline rules that checkout and operations apply.

A letter without tracking is a buying option only: one loose card under € 30, for € 3,75 (abroad € 4,75), of which the seller receives € 2,95 (abroad € 4,25) for the postage. From € 30 every SALE purchase ships with tracking. Trade (swap) shipments always ship with tracking; a letter is not offered for trades.

For SALE purchases within the Netherlands, for orders under € 100, up to 5 loose cards or one slab under € 75 go by letterbox parcel with tracking for € 5,45; any other parcel is charged the real carrier price with a floor of € 10,45. From € 100 every parcel is charged the real carrier price. Any route that is not within the Netherlands is charged the real label price plus € 2,99; loose cards under € 100 may use the EU letterbox parcel to EU countries other than Belgium. From € 250 the full physical shipment value (base listing plus any seller-side bundle items) requires a tracked parcel with verified signature on delivery. Insurance or declared value alone does not satisfy the signature requirement. Where no shipping method with verified signature on delivery is available for the route, checkout for that order is blocked rather than falling back to a lower shipping level.

Authentication Service is optional for eligible Sale purchases from € 50 item or bundle value. That eligibility threshold does not override any shipping method rule shown in checkout.

Untracked letter shipping is at sender risk. GoSwapCards cannot verify or compensate lost untracked shipments before delivery or, in SecureSwap or Sale Authentication, before receipt at the designated GoSwapCards intake address.

Tracked or registered shipping provides better evidence, but it does not create unlimited GoSwapCards liability. GoSwapCards may use tracking, delivery scans, hub receipt records, evidence voluntarily provided through support, hub photos, scan records, outbound-packaging records, support evidence, and dispute evidence to decide operational, support, refund, release, or settlement outcomes.

Before shipping cards, users are strongly advised to take clear photos of the card front, card back, and sealed shipment-ready package and to record one continuous, unedited video showing card condition, protective materials, packaging, and final sealing. Original files should be kept locally until the transaction and any related support or dispute review have fully ended. No upload is required during normal shipping, but GoSwapCards may request the originals if a problem is reported.

Direct shipping always remains direct user-to-user, with no hub and no platform-origin shipment.

The platform should show route-aware shipping options based on origin country, destination country, shipment value, account history, and risk conditions.

A direct SALE shipment of one loose card under € 30 may use letter shipping when checkout permits it, also abroad; direct trade shipments always ship with tracking.

Where checkout, policy, value, account history, or risk requires tracked or registered shipping, the sender must use a compliant carrier service and submit valid tracking where applicable.

Automatic default recommendations should prefer tracked or registered shipping for higher-value or riskier shipments and must not treat untracked letter shipping as safe for mandatory tracked/registered flows.

For direct shipping, the user buys or arranges the shipping method and is responsible for selecting the compliant carrier service shown or allowed by checkout.

Sale Authentication is optional for eligible Sale purchases from € 50 item or bundle value.

When Authentication Service is selected, the seller does not ship directly to the buyer. The seller ships to the designated GoSwapCards Authentication Hub intake address first.

The Sale Authentication route contains these legs: seller to the designated GoSwapCards Authentication Hub intake address, then GoSwapCards to the buyer.

The buyer's final delivery remains the buyer's saved delivery address, subject to any platform address-locking and confirmation requirements.

The buyer pays the € 7,99 authentication fee, seller-to-hub shipping, and hub-to-buyer forwarding where applicable and shown in checkout or the order flow.

GoSwapCards performs an authenticity check based on available visual and scan-based indicators. This is not a formal grading certificate.

GoSwapCards may capture package and card photos, visible transport damage, relevant detail images, scan records, tracking and intake events, outbound-packaging records, and support notes for operational handling, authenticity support, damage assessment, dispute review, and auditability.

Forwarding starts after successful hub check or admin processing and required evidence handling. Forwarding may be blocked if authentication is rejected, if evidence or review is incomplete, or if GoSwapCards determines that admin review is required.

A rejected or suspected fake result is an admin review state. It is not an automatic refund promise in this shipping policy, and any refund, return, hold, or escalation outcome depends on the applicable flow, evidence, payment state, mandatory law, and platform review.

Hub dispatch to the buyer does not by itself complete the order, release payout, or transfer ownership. Buyer receipt or arrival confirmation remains the customer-facing completion gate according to the applicable Sale flow.

A two-party SecureSwap typically contains these four physical shipping legs: Party A sends its cards to GoSwapCards, Party B sends its cards to GoSwapCards, Party A's approved cards are forwarded to Party B, and Party B's approved cards are forwarded to Party A.

For inbound SecureSwap legs, the sending user buys or arranges the shipping method approved by checkout and ships to the official designated GoSwapCards intake address shown in the deal flow.

The address shown in the deal flow is the designated GoSwapCards intake address. GoSwapCards manages the applicable intake, review, and forwarding process. Internal handling and security details are not published.

Every SecureSwap inbound leg ships with a tracked method approved in checkout; a letter is not offered. Hub verification starts only after the shipment is received at the designated GoSwapCards intake address.

Loss before hub receipt is assessed under the carrier's tracking and claim process and the evidence rules in this policy. It does not by itself create GoSwapCards liability or an automatic refund.

Where checkout, policy, value, account history, or risk requires tracked or registered inbound shipping, the sender must submit carrier and tracking number, with tracking URL optional if supported.

For outbound SecureSwap legs, GoSwapCards ships from its handling process, may generate labels automatically, selects the outbound shipping method according to internal shipping rules, and provides platform-generated tracking to the recipient.

GoSwapCards may capture intake records, package and card photos, relevant detail images, scan and tracking records, admin notes, and outbound-packaging records where applicable.

For bilateral SecureSwap swap and hybrid deals, both parties must complete the required accepted-checkout payment step before any first-leg user-origin label is treated as ready for release.

The bilateral SecureSwap payment window is 72 hours from the moment the payment step is made available to both parties.

No first-leg platform label is to be generated, released, sent to a user, or treated as active for either party until both parties are payment-cleared for that phase. One-sided platform-label unlock is not allowed.

A SecureSwap may only be released when all required conditions are satisfied.

Outbound shipment from the GoSwapCards handling process may start only when both inbound shipments have been received, both sides have passed inspection or authentication support review, all required operational checks are complete, recipient delivery addresses are confirmed and locked, and both parties completed the required bilateral SecureSwap accepted-checkout payment step before first-leg label unlock.

Partial release is not allowed. There is no outbound shipment to either party before both sides are fully cleared, no release based on partial readiness, and no first-leg platform-label unlock for one side while the other side is still unpaid.

If the SecureSwap does not achieve full bilateral clearance, the trade must be cancelled. When a SecureSwap is cancelled, no swap-completion outbound shipment occurs and items are returned to origin.

If a trade is cancelled, Party A's items are returned to Party A's origin address snapshot and Party B's items are returned to Party B's origin address snapshot.

The trade must be cancelled and items returned to origin if one party ships and the other does not, one party misses the inbound deadline, one party's items fail authentication, one party sends the wrong items, one party sends incomplete contents, required checks are not completed, operations determines the case is suspicious or unsafe, one party does not complete the required accepted-checkout payment within the 72-hour payment window, or both parties paid but one party does not hand over or dispatch the required first-leg shipment within the shipment deadline.

Operationally, the rule is: if something is wrong, incomplete, unsafe, suspicious, or not fully cleared, pause the case, cancel the trade where required, and return items to origin under the applicable process.

For accepted non-SecureSwap deals, a user cancellation request requires the other party's consent unless GoSwapCards determines that policy, operational safety, or mandatory law requires a different outcome. A declined cancellation request does not stop the deal; the requesting party remains responsible for the required payment, shipping, receipt confirmation, or support-cooperation steps that apply to that transaction.

Operational default after bilateral SecureSwap payment: no user may freely cancel merely by changing their mind. Any cancellation after payment is a platform-controlled failure, fraud, compliance, or operational cancellation.

If one party pays and the other does not pay within the 72-hour payment window, the trade must be cancelled before first-leg platform-label release. The non-paying party does not gain platform-label access. The paying party may receive a refund or payment release for refundable amounts in accordance with the Terms and processor constraints.

If both parties paid and one party fails to ship within the shipment deadline, the non-shipping party is treated as the defaulting party. Operations may deny refund eligibility to that defaulting party to the extent permitted by law and internal policy, while the compliant party may receive a refund or settlement outcome after irreversible operational and carrier costs are assessed.

When a trade is cancelled before dispatch, a platform label that was bought but not used is cancelled with the carrier. Where first-leg labels, return labels, carrier services, or other irreversible operational steps have already been created or incurred, those non-recoverable costs may be withheld, offset, or allocated against the defaulting party in accordance with the Terms and internal policy.

Once GoSwapCards has completed hub verification and approved a trade for outbound release, personal preference, changed opinion, or subjective dissatisfaction alone does not create a return right. Claims involving damage, mismatch, non-conformity, or other legally relevant issues are assessed under the applicable evidence, flow, policies, and mandatory law.

Claims that GoSwapCards caused material damage during handling are assessed case by case against evidence voluntarily provided through support, intake records, photographs, scan records, outbound-packaging records, carrier evidence, and operational logs. Those records may support an assessment but may not prove every cause with certainty.

The public address shown in an order or shipping flow is the designated GoSwapCards intake address. It is the destination for SecureSwap inbound legs and Sale Authentication seller-to-hub legs, and may be used as the sender address for hub-origin outbound or return legs.

GoSwapCards manages the applicable intake, review, and forwarding process described in this policy. Internal handling and security details are not published, and the public intake address is not represented as the location of every internal handling step.

For every user-origin leg, the system must store an origin address snapshot. These snapshots are required for returns, dispute handling, and the operations audit trail.

For every outbound-from-hub leg, the final recipient address must be confirmed and locked before label creation. Profile addresses alone are not sufficient after release preparation begins.

For user-origin legs where tracking is required, the user must provide the tracking number and identify the carrier. The platform records and displays this tracking.

For user-origin legs where untracked letter shipping is allowed and selected, no tracking number exists. The platform may record the selected method, risk class, dispatch confirmation, and any available proof of posting, but GoSwapCards cannot verify a lost untracked shipment before delivery or hub receipt.

For hub-origin legs, the platform generates or records the outbound tracking number, the recipient sees the platform-generated tracking, and operations uses this tracking as the official shipment reference.

Return-label tracking, inbound first-leg tracking, Sale Authentication seller-to-hub tracking, Sale Authentication forwarding tracking, and final outbound tracking must not be mixed. Each tracking reference belongs only to its corresponding leg or return process.

Evidence voluntarily provided through support, hub receipt records, package and card photos, scan records, outbound-packaging records, carrier scans, and support evidence are private operational or dispute records. They are not automatically shared with the counterparty and are handled under the Privacy Policy.

Recommended inbound statuses include awaiting_shipment, tracking_submitted, manual_dispatch_confirmed, in_transit_to_hub, delivered_to_hub, received_by_hub, inspection_pending, inspection_approved, inspection_failed, and exception.

Recommended Sale Authentication statuses include awaiting_seller_shipment_to_hub, arrived_at_hub, authentication_in_progress, authenticated, ready_for_forwarding, forwarded, completed, rejected_suspected_fake, and cancelled.

Recommended outbound statuses include waiting_for_release, label_created, packed, dispatched, in_transit, delivered, return_in_progress, and returned.

Recommended deal-level SecureSwap decision states include awaiting_bilateral_payment, payment_expired, awaiting_bilateral_inbound, awaiting_bilateral_inspection, approved_for_release, and cancelled_return_to_origin.

Admins may mark inbound packages as received, mark inspection outcomes, flag exceptions, confirm release readiness, trigger return-to-origin operations, and generate outbound labels for hub-origin legs.

Admins may pause Sale Authentication forwarding if authenticity concerns, evidence gaps, wrong contents, shipment problems, or compliance concerns require review.

Admins must not release one side early, bypass the bilateral clearance rule, continue a suspicious or incomplete swap, or ignore failed checks to force completion.

Admins and support teams may use evidence voluntarily provided through support, tracking, delivery scans, hub receipt records, photos, scan records, outbound-packaging records, support records, and dispute evidence to decide operational, support, refund, release, or settlement outcomes.

Evidence can help compare stages and assess whether an issue is more consistent with insufficient packaging, carrier handling before intake, GoSwapCards handling, or outbound transport. It does not guarantee that every cause or responsible party can always be established with certainty.

The UI must clearly instruct users sending directly or sending to the designated GoSwapCards intake address to use the shipping method approved in checkout, ship to the correct address, submit tracking where tracking is required, and understand that low-value untracked letter shipping is at sender risk when it is allowed.

The UI must clearly explain that tracked or registered shipping is required for higher-value or riskier shipments, that untracked letter shipping cannot be verified if lost before delivery or hub receipt, and that GoSwapCards does not provide unlimited liability or guaranteed compensation for carrier loss.

Before shipping cards, public guidance must strongly recommend clear photos of the card front, card back, and sealed shipment-ready package, plus one continuous, unedited video showing card condition, protective materials, packaging, and final sealing.

Users should keep the original photo and video files until the transaction and any related support or dispute review have fully ended. No upload is required during the normal shipping process, but GoSwapCards may request the original files if a shipping problem, damage report, condition dispute, or authenticity concern is reported.

Public guidance must explain that missing, incomplete, unclear, or edited evidence may make a report more difficult to assess, while the absence of a video does not automatically determine liability or result in rejection. The total available record and mandatory legal rights remain applicable.

For Sale Authentication, the UI must clearly explain that the seller ships to the designated GoSwapCards Authentication Hub intake address first, the buyer's final delivery remains the buyer's saved delivery address, hub dispatch is not buyer receipt confirmation, and buyer receipt or arrival confirmation remains the customer-facing completion gate.

For Sale Authentication, the UI must avoid absolute authenticity guarantees and must not represent the check as a formal grading certificate.

For accepted non-SecureSwap deals, the UI must explain that asking to cancel does not automatically stop the accepted deal. The other party must agree; if they decline, the deal continues and the requesting party must complete their required steps.

For SecureSwap, the UI must clearly explain that hub verification starts only after the shipment is received at the designated GoSwapCards intake address, that first-leg platform-label access starts only after both parties have completed the required accepted-checkout payment step, and that the bilateral payment window is 72 hours.

The UI must clearly show users awaiting outbound from the hub that items remain pending bilateral clearance, outbound starts only after both sides are received and approved, the deal is cancelled and returned if the SecureSwap fails, no party may freely cancel after payment merely because they changed their mind, and failure by one party to ship can cause cancellation, return-to-origin, and refund consequences under policy.

If operations has doubt, the default is: do not release, pause the case for review, and choose the safest policy path based on the transaction type.

For SecureSwap, the default safety rule remains: do not release, cancel the trade where required, and return items to origin.

For Sale Authentication, the default safety rule is: do not forward to the buyer until the required authentication, evidence, and admin-review conditions are satisfied.

Carriers are independent third parties. Carrier delay, loss, damage, missed or failed scans, or other carrier failure does not by itself create GoSwapCards liability or an automatic refund, payout, or compensation.

Where a carrier service includes insurance or a claims process, any claim is pursued through the carrier, and any carrier compensation depends on the carrier's own assessment and terms.

Where a carrier reports a shipment as delivered but the recipient states it was not received, GoSwapCards may pause, escalate, treat the shipment as delivered, or choose another support outcome based on tracking, delivery scans, address records, photos, hub records, support evidence, and user cooperation. A disputed delivery scan does not by itself create an automatic refund.

Users are responsible for providing a correct, complete, and current delivery address. The relevant address is captured as a snapshot at the applicable checkout or order state.

Delivery addresses are locked for the relevant order and checkout state. There is no free address change after checkout or after a label has been created, and GoSwapCards does not ship to unverified replacement addresses outside the relevant order or checkout state.

Failed delivery, delay, return, or extra shipping cost caused by a wrong, incomplete, outdated, or inaccessible address may be the responsibility of the user who provided that address. Any resend or return cost may be charged, withheld, offset, or allocated to that user in accordance with the Terms.

The sender is responsible for packing cards safely and appropriately. Packaging should reflect the value, the card condition, and the shipping method used.

Damage caused by insufficient or inappropriate packaging may be the sender's responsibility.

For damage in transit, GoSwapCards may distinguish between packaging failure, carrier handling before intake, GoSwapCards handling, and hub-origin outbound transport, across direct shipping, user-origin inbound legs, and hub-origin outbound legs.

Damage outcomes depend on evidence and the applicable flow. GoSwapCards may use evidence voluntarily provided through support, intake and hub receipt records, carrier evidence, card and package photos, scan records, outbound-packaging records, and support evidence to assess packaging and damage disputes.

Evidence helps assess the likely stage and cause of damage but does not guarantee that every cause or responsible party can always be established with certainty. Missing, incomplete, unclear, or edited evidence may make the assessment more difficult, but no missing video or other single item of evidence automatically determines liability, rejection, insurance, refund, or compensation.

Nothing in this policy excludes or limits mandatory legal rights or liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

If a recipient refuses a package, does not collect it, or the carrier returns it to the sender or hub, the shipment is handled as a failed delivery according to the applicable flow.

An incomplete or wrong address that causes a return is handled under the address rules above. Extra resend or return costs may be charged, withheld, offset, or allocated to the responsible party in accordance with the Terms.

A failed delivery does not by itself create an automatic cancellation, refund, payout, or completion. Its impact on completion, release, payout, support, refund, or settlement depends on the applicable flow, payment state, evidence, and mandatory law.

Where shipping is cross-border, customs delays, import duties, and import VAT may apply. These are outside GoSwapCards' control and do not by themselves create GoSwapCards liability or an automatic refund.

Customs duties, import VAT, and customs handling are the recipient's responsibility unless checkout or the Terms explicitly state otherwise.

Customs declarations must be accurate. False value or false content declarations are not permitted.