Legal
Marketplace Buyer & Seller Protection
Last updated: January 2026
For buyers
- Secure payments. All transactions are processed by Stripe. Hometown Hub never stores card numbers.
- Item not as described. Report within 7 days for a full refund if an item arrives broken, counterfeit, or significantly different from the listing.
- Item not received. If a shipped item never arrives, you are eligible for a full refund.
- Dispute mediation. Our team mediates buyer/seller disputes that cannot be resolved directly.
For sellers
- Guaranteed payment. Once a buyer confirms receipt (or after the dispute window closes), funds are released to your account.
- Fraud protection. Stripe screens transactions for fraudulent payment methods.
- Chargeback support. We help you respond to chargebacks with evidence from the transaction.
How disputes work
- Buyer contacts seller through the order page.
- Seller has 3 business days to respond.
- If unresolved, either party can escalate to Hometown Hub.
- Our team reviews evidence (messages, photos, tracking) and makes a binding decision within 5 business days.
- Refunds are processed by Stripe and arrive in 5–10 business days.
What is not covered
- Buyer's remorse on non-defective items.
- Items sold "as-is" where the condition was clearly disclosed.
- Transactions completed off-platform (cash, external apps).
- Items prohibited by our Community Guidelines.
Contact
Open a case: support portal · marketplace@gethometownhub.com