Seller Policy

1. Purpose and status

This policy protects customers, honest sellers and Local Furniture Shop from fraud, unsafe goods, misleading listings and avoidable disputes. By registering, publishing a listing or continuing to use the platform, each seller agrees to follow it.

Local Furniture Shop is a showcase and introduction platform. Unless the platform expressly states otherwise for a particular service, it does not own the listed goods, set the seller's price, inspect every item, collect the purchase money, arrange the sale, guarantee either party, or become a party to the contract between seller and buyer.

The seller remains responsible for the item, listing, communications, transaction, delivery, refunds, taxes and legal compliance. The platform may still exercise its own legal duties and may investigate, suspend, remove or report content and conduct.

2. Who may sell

• A member must be at least 18, legally capable of contracting, and entitled to sell every listed item.
• A business seller must provide its true legal or trading name, a service address, working email and telephone number and, where applicable, company number, VAT number and other information required by law.
• A seller acting mainly for business purposes must identify as a trader. Repeated, organised or profit-seeking selling may make a person a trader even if they describe themselves as private.
• A genuine private seller must not claim to be a business or offer business-only assurances they cannot honour. A trader must never pose as a private individual to avoid consumer rights.
• The platform may request identity, address, business, ownership, purchase, safety or bank-account evidence. Refusal, inconsistency or unverifiable information may lead to listing removal or suspension.

3. Seller verification and account security

• Use only your own account and accurate details. Do not sell through another person's identity or allow an unauthorised person to operate your account.
• Protect passwords and verification codes; use multi-factor authentication when available; and notify the platform immediately of suspected compromise.
• Keep customer and transaction communications within the platform where possible. Never ask a customer for a password, one-time code, full card number, online-banking login or unnecessary identity document.
• Payment account names should match the verified seller or verified business. Any legitimate mismatch must be disclosed and approved before payment.

4. Ownership and prohibited goods

A seller may list only an item it owns or is specifically authorised to sell. The seller must be able to prove ownership or authority on request. The following must not be listed:

• stolen, fraudulently obtained, counterfeit or unlawfully copied goods;
• recalled, prohibited or unsafe goods, or goods the seller knows or should know present a safety risk;
• upholstered furniture that does not meet applicable fire-safety and permanent-labelling requirements;
• items subject to finance, hire purchase, retention of title, a lien, a court order or another person's rights, unless lawful written authority to sell has been obtained;
• goods containing undisclosed hazards, infestation, serious mould, contaminated materials or dangerous structural defects;
• items using another person's brand, photographs or intellectual property without permission; or
• any item prohibited by law or by an additional platform rule.

5. Product safety and furniture-specific duties

• Every product must be safe for its intended and reasonably foreseeable use, with required labels, warnings, instructions and traceability records.
• New and second-hand upholstered furniture within scope must comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, as amended. A seller must not remove, conceal or falsify the permanent label.
• Where a permanent fire-safety label is required, the listing must include a clear photograph of it. If the seller cannot establish required compliance, the item must not be listed.
• The seller must disclose stability or entrapment risks, glass damage, weakened joints, missing wall restraints, electrical components, repairs, modifications and any other safety-relevant fact.
• Assembly and installation instructions, fixings and warnings must be supplied where required. Sellers must not make unsupported claims such as 'child-safe', 'fireproof', 'antique', 'solid wood' or a particular weight capacity.
• Sellers must retain supplier and product-identification records sufficient to trace the origin of goods and cooperate with safety investigations, withdrawals and recalls.

Stop-sale rule — If a seller becomes aware that an item may be unsafe, recalled, unlawfully labelled or materially misdescribed, the seller must stop selling it, remove the listing, preserve records, warn affected buyers where appropriate, and notify Local Furniture Shop immediately.

6. Listing accuracy and price transparency

Every listing and message must be truthful, clear, current and capable of being substantiated. A seller must disclose all information a reasonable customer needs to make an informed decision, including:

• the actual item offered, quantity and availability;
• whether it is new, used, refurbished, ex-display, made to order or bespoke;
• material, dimensions, colour and any material variation;
• all known faults, stains, odours, damage, missing parts, repairs, alterations, infestation history and material wear;
• the full price and every unavoidable charge, including delivery, assembly or booking fees;
• delivery area, estimated timing, access conditions and whether collection only applies;
• the seller's trader/private status and customer contact details required by law; and
• for business distance sales, cancellation, return and complaint information before the customer commits.
• Use recent photographs of the actual used item. Stock or AI-generated images may be used only when clearly labelled and when they do not misrepresent the product.
• Do not hide unavoidable fees, use fake discounts, false scarcity, misleading countdowns, fabricated enquiries, fake reviews or statements such as 'no refunds' that misstate legal rights.
• Mark an item reserved or sold promptly. Duplicate listings intended to manipulate search or create false availability are prohibited.

7. Consumer rights and seller terms

Business sellers must comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, the unfair-commercial-practices rules in Part 4 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, and all other applicable law.

• Goods supplied by a business must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. Statutory remedies cannot be replaced with store credit or excluded by wording such as 'sold as seen'.
• For most distance sales by a business, the customer must receive the required pre-contract information and normally has 14 days after delivery to cancel without giving a reason, subject to statutory exceptions such as certain genuinely bespoke goods.
• The seller must confirm the contract in a durable format, deliver within the agreed time (or generally within 30 days if no different time is agreed), explain return costs before purchase, and issue refunds within the legally required period.
• Private sellers must still own the goods, describe them truthfully and honour the agreement. They must not falsely exclude liability for fraud, misrepresentation, unsafe goods or other liability that the law does not permit them to exclude.

Each seller must maintain accessible terms of sale consistent with this policy and applicable law. If a seller term conflicts with mandatory law, the law prevails.

8. Safe payments and anti-fraud rules

• Agree the exact item, total price, payment method, delivery/collection arrangements and refund terms in writing before payment.
• Use a traceable payment method and provide a receipt or invoice showing the seller, buyer, item, amount, date and payment status.
• Do not request payment in gift cards, cryptocurrency, money-transfer vouchers or split payments designed to bypass safeguards. Cash may be accepted only where lawful and clearly receipted.
• Do not send links to imitation payment, courier or platform pages. Never claim that Local Furniture Shop holds funds, offers escrow, guarantees payment or requires a release fee unless the platform has expressly confirmed that service through an official channel.
• Never accept or return an unexplained overpayment. Do not pay a customer's courier, agent or third party from supposedly cleared funds. Verify cleared funds through your own bank, not from a screenshot or email.
• Do not pressure customers to move off-platform, conceal transaction details or defeat fraud checks.
• Suspicious transactions must be paused and reported. Sellers must preserve relevant messages, invoices, payment references and delivery evidence.

9. Collection, delivery and installation

• Give the customer accurate collection or delivery information without publicly exposing unnecessary residential details.
• For collection, use a safe, well-lit arrangement where possible; have another adult present for high-value goods; and record handover condition and acceptance.
• For delivery, use competent and insured personnel, suitable vehicles and safe handling. The seller remains responsible for subcontractors it appoints.
• Confirm measurements, stairways, lifts, parking, access restrictions, dismantling, assembly and waste removal in advance. Do not enter areas or perform work beyond the agreed scope.
• Take dated photographs at dispatch and delivery, obtain proof of delivery, and record any damage or refusal. Risk must not be transferred to a consumer earlier than the law permits.
• Where installation is provided, use competent workers and correct fixings, follow manufacturer instructions, protect the property and maintain appropriate public liability and other required insurance.

10. Customer data and communications

• Use customer personal data only to answer enquiries, fulfil the transaction, provide after-sales service, prevent fraud or meet a legal duty.
• Do not add customers to marketing lists without a lawful basis and any consent required by electronic-marketing law. Honour opt-outs promptly.
• Keep data secure, limit access, retain it only as long as needed, and securely delete it. Do not publish a customer's address, contact details, messages or images without authority.
• Communicate professionally. Threats, harassment, discrimination, hate, sexual misconduct and retaliation are prohibited.

11. Complaints, returns and evidence

• Acknowledge a complaint promptly and normally within two business days. Give the customer a clear contact and a realistic resolution timetable.
• Investigate fairly using the listing, messages, photographs, receipt, delivery record and other evidence. Do not alter or delete relevant records after a dispute arises.
• Offer the remedy required by law. A business seller must not force a customer to deal only with a manufacturer where the seller remains legally responsible.
• Notify Local Furniture Shop promptly of suspected fraud, serious safety issues, repeated disputes, police or Trading Standards contact, legal claims, chargebacks or product recalls relating to a platform transaction.
• Cooperate honestly with the platform, payment providers, insurers, regulators and law enforcement. Confidential information will be handled subject to law and the platform's privacy arrangements.

12. Records, insurance and tax

• Keep listings, messages, invoices, payment records, supplier details, safety documents, delivery evidence, complaints and refunds for the period required by law and reasonably necessary to defend a claim.
• Business sellers are responsible for tax registration, accounting, VAT, licences and reporting. Platform membership does not create tax compliance.
• Maintain insurance appropriate to the activity, which may include public liability, product liability, employer's liability, goods in transit, vehicle and professional or installation cover.

13. Platform action and cooperation

Local Furniture Shop may, acting reasonably and subject to applicable law:

• request evidence, correct or remove a listing, restrict features, delay publication or add a safety warning;
• suspend or terminate an account, particularly for fraud, unsafe goods, impersonation, repeat misdescription, abusive conduct or failure to cooperate;
• preserve and disclose relevant information where lawfully required or reasonably necessary to protect users, investigate wrongdoing or establish legal rights;
• notify customers, payment providers, insurers, manufacturers, regulators or law enforcement of a credible risk; and
• recover losses caused by a seller's breach, subject to the membership terms and applicable law.

Removal or suspension does not settle the underlying buyer-seller dispute and does not remove any seller obligation already incurred.

14. Indemnity and limitation principles

Subject to applicable law and the membership terms, a seller is responsible for losses, claims, costs and liabilities caused by the seller's goods, listing, breach, negligence, fraud, unlawful conduct, delivery, installation or infringement of another person's rights.

No term in this policy excludes or limits liability for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, death or personal injury caused by negligence, breach of statutory rights, or any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited. Any platform limitation or indemnity must be read with the formal Membership Terms.

15. Reporting fraud or safety concerns

Immediately pause the transaction, preserve evidence and contact Local Furniture Shop through the official reporting channel shown on the website. If there is immediate danger, call 999. Report fraud to the relevant UK reporting service or police, and product-safety concerns to the relevant Trading Standards authority where appropriate.

16. Seller pre-publication checklist

• I own the item or have written authority to sell it.
• My trader/private status and identity details are accurate.
• The item is legal, safe, not recalled and correctly labelled.
• Required fire-safety labels are present and photographed.
• Photos show the actual item and every material fault is disclosed.
• The total price and all unavoidable charges are prominent.
• Delivery/collection, access, assembly and timing are clear.
• My cancellation, return and complaint information complies with law.
• I will use traceable payments and issue a receipt or invoice.
• I can evidence the listing, supply chain, payment and handover.

17. Acceptance

By registering as a seller, ticking acceptance, publishing a listing or continuing to use Local Furniture Shop after notice of an update, the seller confirms that they have read, understood and agreed to this policy. Material changes will be notified in accordance with the Membership Terms.

Appendix A — Minimum information for each listing

Appendix B — Legal reference points

This policy was prepared for UK use with reference to the following official guidance and legislation current on 20 August 2026:

• Consumer Rights Act 2015.
• Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and GOV.UK online and distance selling guidance.
• Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, Part 4, and Competition and Markets Authority guidance on unfair commercial practices (applicable to commercial practices from 6 April 2025).
• General Product Safety Regulations 2005 and Office for Product Safety and Standards guidance for businesses.
• Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, as amended, including the 2025 amendments.
• UK GDPR, Data Protection Act 2018 and Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003, as applicable.