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Hope For Paws Foundation Marketplace

Returns, Refunds & Damaged Items Policy

Effective Date: August 26, 2026

1. All Sales Are Final

This applies to:

Hope For Paws Foundation does not accept ordinary returns, exchanges, or cancellations because a buyer changes their mind.

A purchase may qualify for review only under the limited circumstances specifically described in this Policy or when a remedy is required by applicable law.

2. Review the Item Carefully Before Buying

Marketplace merchandise frequently consists of donated, pre-owned, used, vintage, antique, collectible, discontinued, open-box, handmade, untested, or one-of-a-kind goods.

Before placing a bid or completing a purchase, review:

Photographs form part of the item description.

Ask questions before bidding or buying whenever possible.

Failure to read the listing or review the photographs does not create a right to return an item.

3. No Buyer-Remorse Returns

A return or refund will not ordinarily be provided because:

4. Limited Reasons a Final Sale May Be Reviewed

A final-sale transaction may be reviewed only when one of the following applies:

Wrong Item

The merchandise delivered is different from the merchandise purchased.

Materially Not as Described

The merchandise differs materially from what was represented in the listing.

Examples may include:

Qualifying Shipping Damage

The merchandise suffered material physical damage during shipment that was not part of its pre-shipment condition.

Material Authenticity Problem

An item expressly represented in the Marketplace listing as authentic is supported by credible evidence showing that it is counterfeit or materially misattributed.

Confirmed Marketplace Error

A material administrative, technical, fulfillment, or shipping error by Hope For Paws Foundation affected the transaction.

Remedy Required by Law

Applicable law requires cancellation, return, refund, repair, replacement, or another remedy.

These are limited exceptions to the final-sale rule, not a general return policy.

5. What Is Not “Materially Not as Described”

A material-description claim does not ordinarily include:

A difference must be significant enough to materially affect what the buyer reasonably understood they were purchasing.

6. As Is, Untested, and For Parts or Repair

Some merchandise may be listed as:

AS IS

or with another similar condition designation.

These descriptions matter.

An item listed UNTESTED is not represented as fully functional.

An item listed FOR PARTS OR REPAIR should be purchased with the expectation that it may not function and may require repair or be useful only for parts.

An item specifically described as nonworking cannot be returned merely because it does not work.

An AS IS, UNTESTED, FOR PARTS OR REPAIR, or similar designation does not authorize intentional misrepresentation and does not eliminate a consumer right that applicable law does not permit Hope For Paws Foundation to waive.

7. Strict Claim Reporting Requirements

A buyer requesting review under one of the limited exceptions above must contact Hope For Paws Foundation Marketplace Support promptly.

Marketplace Support: [email protected]

Shipping Damage

Wrong Item or Material Listing Problem

A claim involving the wrong item, a material listing discrepancy, missing material components, or another reasonably discoverable merchandise problem should be reported within:

Authenticity Claims

A suspected authenticity problem should be reported promptly after discovery and supported by credible evidence when requested.

These Marketplace reporting periods are intended to allow timely investigation. They do not eliminate or shorten any period or remedy that applicable law does not permit Hope For Paws Foundation to waive.

Waiting to report a problem may make a claim more difficult to verify.

8. Documentation Is Required

A claim must include enough information for Hope For Paws Foundation to investigate it.

Depending on the issue, you may be required to provide:

Failure to provide reasonably available information may prevent the Marketplace from verifying the claim.

9. Shipping Damage — Keep Everything

If merchandise arrives damaged:

Keep all:

Take clear photographs before moving or discarding packaging whenever reasonably possible.

A carrier or insurer may require photographs or physical inspection.

Discarding evidence before the claim can be evaluated may prevent verification of the damage.

10. Do Not Repair, Clean, or Alter an Item Under Review

Do not:

an item that is the subject of a return, damage, condition, or authenticity claim before Marketplace Support completes its review.

Altering the item may make it impossible to determine its condition when delivered.

Reasonable emergency action necessary to prevent personal injury or further property damage is not prohibited.

11. Carrier and Insurance Cooperation

For shipping-damage claims, the carrier or insurer may require:

The buyer must reasonably cooperate with legitimate carrier or insurance claim requirements.

Failure to cooperate may affect a claim when the requested cooperation is reasonably necessary to establish the loss.

12. Return Authorization Is Required

An authorized return may include:

Sending an item back without authorization may delay the claim, interfere with a carrier or insurance investigation, result in shipment to the wrong location, or prevent proper identification of the merchandise.

An unauthorized return does not create a right to a refund.

13. Authorized Return Deadline

Unless Marketplace Support specifies a different deadline:

If additional time is needed, contact Marketplace Support before the deadline expires.

Failure to return merchandise within an authorized discretionary return period may cause the return authorization to expire, subject to applicable law.

14. Returned Merchandise Must Be the Same Item

Returned merchandise must be the exact merchandise originally purchased.

Hope For Paws Foundation may compare:

Returning a substituted item, different serial-numbered item, counterfeit item, altered item, or another person's merchandise is prohibited.

15. Condition of Returned Merchandise

Unless the nature of the approved claim makes it impossible, merchandise must be returned in substantially the same condition in which it was received.

The return must include all applicable:

Damage or alteration caused by the buyer after delivery may affect the available remedy to the extent permitted by law.

16. Return Shipping for an Approved Covered Claim

When Hope For Paws Foundation approves a return because of:

Hope For Paws Foundation will provide or pay for reasonable authorized return shipping when appropriate.

Do not purchase unusually expensive return shipping and expect reimbursement without prior authorization.

There are no buyer-remorse return shipping benefits because buyer-remorse returns are not accepted.

17. Review of Claims

Hope For Paws Foundation may review:

A claim may be:

18. Partial Refunds

Hope For Paws Foundation may offer a partial refund when both the buyer and the Foundation agree that the buyer will keep the merchandise.

A partial refund may be considered when, for example:

A buyer is not required to accept a partial refund when applicable law requires another remedy.

A partial refund is not an automatic entitlement.

19. Refund Without Return

Hope For Paws Foundation may issue a refund without requiring the merchandise to be returned when it determines that return is unnecessary or inappropriate.

Examples may include:

Do not discard merchandise unless Marketplace Support specifically authorizes you to do so.

20. Refund Amount

The amount refunded depends on the reason for the approved claim.

When a full refund is appropriate or legally required, it may include:

Hope For Paws Foundation will not substitute Marketplace credit for money that applicable law requires to be refunded.

21. Refund Method

Approved refunds will ordinarily be returned to the original payment method.

Hope For Paws Foundation generally will not issue refunds through:

A financial institution, card network, digital wallet, or payment processor may require additional time to post a refund after Hope For Paws Foundation submits it.

22. Original Shipping & Handling Charges

Original Shipping & Handling charges are not separately refundable merely because a buyer no longer wants an item.

When a covered claim results from a confirmed Marketplace error, material misdescription, qualifying shipping damage, inability to fulfill the order, or another circumstance requiring a full refund, original Shipping & Handling and other transaction charges will be refunded when appropriate or legally required.

23. Orders That Cannot Be Shipped

If Hope For Paws Foundation cannot ship paid merchandise within the promised or legally applicable shipping period, the transaction will be handled in accordance with the Shipping & Combined Shipping Policy and applicable law.

When cancellation and refund are required, Hope For Paws Foundation will refund the required amount rather than require the buyer to accept Marketplace credit.

24. Lost Packages

A package that appears lost in transit is handled under the Shipping & Combined Shipping Policy.

Hope For Paws Foundation may review:

If the investigation establishes that a refund or other remedy is required, Hope For Paws Foundation will provide the applicable remedy.

25. Packages Marked Delivered

A carrier record showing Delivered is relevant evidence that delivery occurred.

If a package is marked delivered but cannot be located, the buyer should promptly:

  1. verify the shipping address;
  2. check all likely delivery locations;
  3. check parcel lockers;
  4. ask household members or other authorized recipients;
  5. review available delivery photographs or notices;
  6. contact the carrier when appropriate; and
  7. contact Marketplace Support if the package remains missing.

A Delivered scan does not automatically prevent investigation of credible evidence of a delivery problem.

26. Refused or Unclaimed Packages

Refusing delivery does not create a buyer-remorse return.

A buyer who refuses or fails to retrieve a shipment without Marketplace authorization may remain responsible for shipping or other reasonable expenses caused by the refusal, to the extent permitted by law.

The transaction will be reviewed after the merchandise is returned to Hope For Paws Foundation.

27. Electronics

Electronic merchandise may be listed as:

TESTED

or

These terms are not interchangeable.

POWERS ON means only that the item powered on when tested. It does not mean every feature or function was tested.

PARTIALLY TESTED means only the functions specifically identified in the listing were tested.

UNTESTED means Hope For Paws Foundation has not represented that the item works.

Customers should rely only on testing expressly described in the listing.

28. Vintage, Antique, and Collectible Merchandise

Normal age-related characteristics do not automatically create a right to return vintage, antique, or collectible merchandise.

Depending on the item and listing, these may include:

Material conditions known to Hope For Paws Foundation will be described or photographed when reasonably practicable.

29. Clothing, Shoes, and Size-Based Merchandise

Review all available sizing and measurement information before purchasing.

Vintage sizing may differ substantially from modern sizing.

If the listing accurately provides the item's labeled size and available measurements, an item not fitting as expected does not qualify for return.

30. Counterfeit and Authenticity Claims

If merchandise was expressly represented in the Marketplace listing as authentic and the buyer has credible evidence that it is counterfeit or materially misattributed, contact Marketplace Support promptly.

The Foundation may require:

Hope For Paws Foundation may obtain an independent evaluation before determining the claim.

31. Return and Refund Fraud

Return and refund fraud is prohibited.

Examples include:

Suspected fraud may result in:

32. Excessive or Abusive Claims

Hope For Paws Foundation may review accounts showing unusual or repeated return, refund, nonreceipt, or damage claims.

Where reasonably necessary to prevent abuse, the Foundation may restrict discretionary Marketplace privileges or account activity.

No account restriction eliminates a consumer right that applicable law does not permit the Marketplace to waive.

33. Payment Disputes and Chargebacks

Customers are encouraged to contact Marketplace Support concerning legitimate transaction problems so that Hope For Paws Foundation has an opportunity to investigate them.

Nothing in this Policy prevents a customer from exercising a lawful right to dispute a transaction with a payment provider.

Knowingly filing a false chargeback or falsely claiming that an authorized transaction was unauthorized is prohibited.

Hope For Paws Foundation may provide relevant transaction, bid, payment, shipping, tracking, listing, communication, and return records when responding to a payment dispute.

34. Optional Donations

A voluntary charitable donation separately added to a Marketplace purchase is separate from the merchandise purchase price.

Refunding merchandise does not automatically determine the treatment of a separately designated voluntary charitable donation.

Any such donation will be handled according to the terms presented when the donation was made and applicable law.

35. Final-Sale Language and Legal Rights

FINAL SALE means that Hope For Paws Foundation does not voluntarily accept returns, exchanges, or refunds for buyer's remorse or other reasons outside the narrow exceptions stated in this Policy.

Final-sale, As-Is, Untested, For-Parts, or similar language does not authorize fraud or intentional misrepresentation and does not eliminate any consumer remedy that applicable law does not permit Hope For Paws Foundation to waive.

If a mandatory provision of applicable law conflicts with this Policy, the mandatory provision controls.

36. Policy Changes

Hope For Paws Foundation may update this Policy from time to time.

Material changes will apply prospectively as appropriate.

Unless a later change is required by law or affirmatively accepted by the customer, the Marketplace Terms and policies in effect when a customer places a bid or completes a purchase will generally govern that transaction.

37. Buyer Acknowledgment

By placing a bid or completing a purchase, you acknowledge that:

  1. all Marketplace sales are final;
  2. Hope For Paws Foundation does not offer buyer-remorse returns or exchanges;
  3. you are responsible for reviewing the entire listing and photographs before purchasing;
  4. used, donated, vintage, antique, collectible, untested, and one-of-a-kind merchandise may show age, wear, or imperfections consistent with its disclosed condition;
  5. only the limited circumstances stated in this Policy qualify for Marketplace review;
  6. visible shipping damage should be reported within three calendar days whenever reasonably possible;
  7. other reasonably discoverable covered merchandise claims should be reported within seven calendar days after confirmed delivery or completed local pickup, as applicable;
  8. damaged merchandise and all packaging must be retained during review;
  9. merchandise must not be repaired, altered, or returned without Marketplace authorization;
  10. an authorized return generally must be shipped within seven calendar days after authorization unless otherwise stated;
  11. buyer's remorse, fit, preference, failure to read the listing, and disclosed conditions are not return reasons;
  12. fraudulent return, damage, nonreceipt, or payment claims are prohibited; and
  13. final-sale language does not eliminate rights that applicable law does not permit the Marketplace to waive.

Returns are considered only for:

Wrong Item · Materially Not as Described · Qualifying Shipping Damage · Confirmed Authenticity Problem · Confirmed Marketplace Error · Remedy Required by Law

Changed your mind? Doesn't fit? Didn't read the listing? Don't like it? Found it cheaper elsewhere?

Those are not return reasons.