After you list your first item on Quibly, you'll be asked whether you're a private seller or a business seller. This 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, or Enterprise), it's about how you're operating.
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.
Business seller: You're selling regularly or with the intent to make a profit. Under UK consumer law, you're a trader if you're acting for purposes relating to your trade, business, craft or profession. This includes people operating as resellers, small businesses, vintage dealers, or anyone selling commercially, even if you haven't registered as a company.
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
If you're unsure about your status, it's always better to declare yourself as a business seller.
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. On Quibly, only collection items can't be returned.
Business Seller: Your obligations (returns policy)
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 both
Regardless of whether you're a private seller or business seller:
- 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)
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 or decide to operate commercially, 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 or Enterprise plan?
Business sellers can operate on any Quibly plan: Free, Pro, or Enterprise. Your seller type (private/business) 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 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
After your first listing, Quibly will ask you to choose between private seller or business seller. Private sellers give buyers 5 days to return, business sellers must give 14 days. Be honest about how you're operating: if you're buying to resell or selling regularly, declare yourself as a business. 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
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