What is the Buyer Protection Fee

When you purchase an item on Culture Closet, you pay a 7.5% buyer protection fee on top of the item price. This fee funds:

• Secure payment processing through Stripe
• Payment held in escrow until you confirm receipt
• Dispute resolution by the Culture Closet team
• A refund guarantee for items significantly not as described

What is Covered

• Items that are significantly not as described in the listing
• Items that are not received by the buyer
• Items that arrive with undisclosed significant damage
• Items that are a different garment from what was listed

What is not Covered

• Change of mind returns
• Minor colour variations due to photography lighting or screen display
• Sizing issues where the listing accurately described the size and measurements
• Disputes raised more than 72 hours after confirmed delivery
• Items damaged after delivery
• Buyer dissatisfaction where the item matches the listing description accurately

How Payment Escrow Works

• You complete your purchase and payment is processed by Stripe
• Funds are held by Stripe — the seller cannot access them yet
• The seller dispatches your item within 3 business days
• You receive your item and have 72 hours to raise any issues
• If no dispute is raised within 72 hours of delivery, funds are automatically released to the seller
• If you raise a dispute, funds continue to be held while we investigate

How to Raise a Dispute

• Email hello@culturecloset.co.uk within 72 hours of your item being marked as delivered
• Include: your order number, your name, a clear description of the issue
• Attach photographs showing the item received and the specific issue
• We will acknowledge your dispute within 24 hours on business days
• We will contact both you and the seller and review all evidence
• We will reach a decision within 5 business days
• If your dispute is upheld: a full refund of the item price and buyer protection fee will be issued
• If your dispute is not upheld: funds are released to the seller and the transaction is final

Our Decision

Culture Closet's decision on disputes is final. We act as a neutral mediator and base our decisions on the listing description, photographs provided by both parties, and the evidence submitted. We do not take sides — we assess the evidence fairly.

Contact

To raise a dispute or ask about buyer protection, email hello@culturecloset.co.uk with your order number in the subject line.