Terms & Conditions

Castoffs (operated by Castoffs Marine Ltd, company number SC890681, registered in Scotland, registered office Clyde Offices, 2nd Floor, 48 West George Street, Glasgow G2 1BP) runs castoffs.co.uk — a marketplace for marine parts, gear, and electronics finding a second working life. We connect buyers with individual sellers and marine trade sellers (“Pro” / chandlery accounts).

We are a marketplace, not a retailer: for peer-to-peer and standard listings, the contract for sale is between buyer and seller. Castoffs provides the platform, payment handling (via Stripe Connect), and the escrow arrangement described below.

Castoffs exists so that gear that would otherwise go to waste finds someone who needs it. Listings must fall into one of these categories:

• Secondhand — used marine parts, gear, or electronics in working or repairable condition, accurately described.
• Chandlery clearance / ex-demo / off-cuts — trade stock that is excess, discontinued, ex-display, or genuine off-cut material.
• Genuinely distinguishable inventory — new items that are individually distinct (one-offs, small batches, made-to-order) rather than commodity stock.

Whole vessels. The listing and sale of whole vessels (keelboats, motorboats, sailing cruisers, powerboats, or any craft with an enclosed cabin or accommodation space) is not permitted. Dinghies, tenders, and similar open craft under 5 metres are permitted.

Not allowed: bulk drop-shipping of new, identical, mass-produced goods. Listings for the same commodity item in volume, or imported goods without genuine marine sourcing, are prohibited and may result in listing removal and account suspension.

Standard accounts are for individuals selling personal gear. Pro accounts are for marine trade sellers (chandleries, riggers, brokers) at £39/month. Castoffs may require evidence of an active marine-sector business — including Companies House registration and a genuine business address — and may suspend or withdraw Pro status where it is not provided.

The following must never be listed, in line with Stripe's requirements for marketplaces:

• Counterfeit or unauthorised branded goods.
• Dangerous materials — including out-of-date flares and pyrotechnics, banned antifouling chemicals, and damaged or unstable batteries and fuels.
• Weapons-adjacent items — including signal and flare guns.

Castoffs may remove any listing it reasonably believes falls into a prohibited category, without prior notice.

Profiles are verified. You can follow sellers and message before you buy. Buyers and sellers rate and review each other after every transaction — this is the thing that keeps everyone honest before a dispute even starts. Reviews and ratings are public and form part of Pro account standing.

Castoffs may review listings from new sellers before or shortly after they go live, and may remove anything that does not meet these terms. This is the practical backstop that catches problems automated screening alone would miss.

Payment is held in escrow by Castoffs (via Stripe) until you confirm receipt, or until the auto-release window (2–3 days after confirmed delivery) closes. To trigger the auto-release you must have confirmed delivery — if you've received your item and it's as described, please confirm promptly so the seller gets paid. You can raise a claim before the window closes; after release, claims are at Castoffs' discretion.

For in-person collection, you must inspect the item before releasing escrow. Once you confirm collection, the transaction is complete.

Consumer rights. Nothing in these terms limits your statutory rights as a consumer under UK law, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (quality and description of goods) and Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 (right to cancel distance contracts). Where there is any conflict between these terms and your statutory rights, your statutory rights prevail.

Payment for an item is held in escrow and is not passed to the seller at the point of purchase. It is released to the seller when you confirm you have received the item as described, or when the automatic release period ends, whichever comes first.

Because the money has not left, a transaction that is refunded is refunded from funds still held. If an item is not received, or is significantly not as described, you may raise a dispute while the payment is still held; the dispute process and its time limits are set out in section 12. The transaction fee is refunded whenever the transaction itself is refunded.

This is an escrow arrangement, not insurance and not a guarantee. Castoffs does not undertake to compensate you out of its own funds, and no separate protection product is offered or implied. Once a payment has been released to a seller, recovering it is a matter between you and that seller, subject to your statutory rights and to any card chargeback rights you may have.

Payments are processed by Stripe (stripe.com). Castoffs operates as the merchant of record and carries liability for losses, refunds, and chargebacks — not Stripe. By selling on Castoffs you acknowledge that Castoffs, not Stripe, is your counterparty for payment disputes.

Castoffs' total liability to any buyer or seller in connection with any single transaction is limited to the transaction value. Castoffs is not liable for consequential, indirect, or speculative losses.

You must accurately describe items. You are responsible for safe and appropriate packaging and dispatch within 2 business days of a sale. You must provide a tracking number for postal sales. You warrant that you have the right to sell the item and that it complies with all applicable law.

Payout is made to your connected bank account after the buyer confirms receipt (or auto-release fires), minus the platform fee. Castoffs deducts fees before transfer; no separate invoice is raised.

Castoffs may suspend or remove accounts that breach these terms, list prohibited items, generate a disproportionate number of disputes or complaints, or whose conduct is reasonably considered harmful to the Castoffs community. We will give reasonable notice except where immediate action is necessary to protect buyers or the platform.

If something goes wrong, the first step is always direct communication between buyer and seller. Castoffs provides in-platform messaging for this purpose, and the review and rating system gives both parties an incentive to resolve issues reasonably before escalating.

When a dispute is raised we are notified straight away, and we may contact both the buyer and the seller to understand what happened and to offer help. Most problems turn out to be a misunderstanding and end there. Where an account attracts repeated disputes — whether or not each one is upheld — we will review that account, and section 11 applies.

If direct resolution fails, Castoffs will mediate. We aim to respond within 5 business days of receiving a fully evidenced claim, and to reach a decision as quickly as the evidence allows. Castoffs is not currently registered with an approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) body and does not offer ADR. This does not affect your right to take a dispute to court, or any statutory rights you have against the seller.

These terms are governed by the law of Scotland. Any disputes that cannot be resolved by Castoffs mediation are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Scottish courts, except that consumers in England and Wales may also rely on the courts of England and Wales.