When you list your first item on Quibly, you'll be asked to choose your seller type: private seller, sole trader, or registered company. You'll need to do this before your listing can be published. Your choice determines your legal obligations, particularly around returns and refunds. Here's what you need to know.
What's the difference?
The key distinction isn't about your Quibly plan (Free, Pro, Power or Enterprise), it's about how you're selling and how you're set up.
Private seller: You're selling items you personally own and no longer need. This is occasional selling, e.g. clearing out your wardrobe, selling items you don’t want anymore or decluttering your home.
Sole trader: You're self-employed and selling to make a profit, but you don't have a company registered at Companies House. This includes resellers, market traders, vintage dealers and anyone trading in their own name.
Registered company: You're selling through a company, LLP or PLC registered at Companies House.
Sole traders and registered companies are both business sellers. Under UK consumer law, you're a trader if you're acting for purposes relating to your trade, business, craft or profession. That applies whether or not you have registered a company, so both have the same obligations to buyers. They are listed separately because they are different legal structures, which affects the details we may need to collect from you later.
Why it matters
Declaring yourself as a private seller when you're actually operating as a business can have serious consequences:
- You may be in breach of UK consumer protection law
- Buyers can escalate disputes and demand their statutory 14-day rights
- You may face enforcement action from Trading Standards
- Your Quibly account could be suspended or closed
Choosing between sole trader and registered company matters too. Both are business sellers with the same obligations to buyers, but picking the one that matches your legal structure keeps your account records accurate.
If you're unsure about your status, it's always better to choose one of the business seller options, sole trader or registered company.
Private seller: Your obligations (returns policy)
Buyers have 48 hours to request a return from receiving their item. You must approve all valid return requests. If a return is approved, buyers have 5 days to ship the item back to you. If you decline a return, Quibly support will review the case and make a decision.
Note: Statements like "No returns accepted" in your shop bio don't override Quibly's policy.
Business or charity seller: Your obligations (returns policy)
This applies to sole traders, registered companies and charity sellers.
Buyers have 14 days to request a return from receiving their item. This is a statutory right under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.
Once a return is submitted, buyers have 14 days to ship the item back to you.
Quibly will issue refunds shortly after you confirm receipt of the returned item.
What stays the same for all seller types
Regardless of your seller type:
- You must describe items accurately and honestly
- You're responsible for packaging items securely
- You must ship within 72 hours of an order being placed
- You can raise a dispute if a returned item is in worse condition than sent
- Quibly's seller fees apply (4% + 50p per sale on Free and Enterprise, 3% + 50p on Pro and Power)
See Your responsibilities as a seller for additional information.
Can I change my seller type later?
Yes. If your selling activity changes, for example you start selling more frequently, decide to operate commercially, or register a company at Companies House, you can update your seller type by contacting us at support@quibly.com. Your new seller type will apply to all future sales. Existing orders will remain subject to the return window that was in place when the buyer made their purchase.
Do I need a Pro, Power or Enterprise plan?
Business sellers can operate on any Quibly plan: Free, Pro, Power or Enterprise. Your seller type is separate from your subscription tier.
Note, however, that Enterprise is exclusively for registered businesses and is not available to private sellers.
If you're selling at scale, Pro, Power and Enterprise plans offer benefits like higher listing limits, advanced analytics, platform integrations and priority support. See Which plan is right for me? for more details.
The bottom line
At your first listing, Quibly will ask you to choose your seller type: private seller, sole trader or registered company. Sole traders and registered companies are both business sellers. Buyers have 5 days to ship a return back to a private seller, and 14 days to ship one back to a business or charity seller. Be honest about how you're operating. You can change this later if your activity changes, and you don't need a paid plan to be a business seller.
Related articles:
Your responsibilities as a seller
Quibly's fee structure explained
Related to
Updated