Your guide to CoralBay Protection

1. What CoralBay Protection means

The listing seller supplies the goods. CoralBay handles the protected purchase process, with payments processed through Stripe. Seller payment stays held until the relevant completion checks are met and CoralBay approves the transfer, provided there is no unresolved claim or payment hold.

1. Pay onlineReview the item, delivery or collection choice, fee and saved protection terms.
2. Receive your purchaseThe seller dispatches with tracking, or you arrange a paid collection.
3. Check and respondInspect the goods. Accept them when satisfied, or report a covered concern in time.
4. CoralBay reviews completionSeller transfer follows approval. Open claims are reviewed before further release.

Protection is a defined payment and claim-review process. It is not insurance, a guaranteed refund for every loss or a promise that every delivery will succeed. This guide explains the platform process; your purchase’s saved terms, published policies and applicable legal rights remain relevant.

2. Buying and paying online

1. Read the whole listing. Check the condition, photographs, included items, seller and any coral care or transport requirements. Ask questions before buying.
2. Choose an offered option. Select a delivery service or collection paid online. The seller decides which options and postage charges to offer.
3. Review the full quote. Check the item price, delivery charge, any buyer protection fee, address and purchase terms before paying.
4. Complete the protected checkout. Pay online through the CoralBay process using Stripe. An unfinished checkout or a failed payment is not a completed purchase.
5. Open your purchase record. Use Protected purchases & sales to follow payment, dispatch, collection, claims and completion.

3. Fees and the amount you pay

For ordinary community protected purchases, the advertised buyer protection fee is 50p plus 4% of the item price and delivery charge combined. The delivery charge includes any agreed postage and packaging. The protection fee itself is excluded from the percentage calculation.

Protection fee = £0.50 + 4% × (item price + delivery charge)

Ordinary Community Corals and Marine Marketplace listings have no CoralBay listing fee or seller commission. The seller’s normal share is the item price plus agreed delivery, subject to any approved refund, adjustment or payment hold.

The final quote shown before you commit is the amount to review. A purchase keeps its recorded prices and terms; later changes to fees or delivery-service settings do not rewrite an already-created order.

4. Receiving delivered equipment

After payment is verified, the seller records dispatch and the tracking number for the selected service. Follow the carrier’s tracking, keep an eye on the purchase page and inspect promptly when the parcel arrives.

For delivered Marine Marketplace equipment, the default inspection allowance is 24 hours from the recorded verified-delivery notice. The purchase page shows the actual inspection deadline. Delivery verification is reviewed by CoralBay; a tracking number being entered does not by itself confirm delivery.

• Check that the item, quantity and included parts match the listing.
• Check for transit damage, undisclosed faults and significant differences from the description.
• Where safe and practical, carry out the checks needed to establish that the equipment is as described.
• Keep the packaging and take clear photographs or video of any concern.

Covered equipment concerns include non-delivery, damage, undisclosed faults and material misdescription, under the saved rules. Change of mind is outside the ordinary protection process. Contact CoralBay promptly if dispatch or delivery is overdue.

5. Coral delivery and dead-on-arrival claims

Live coral has its own arrival process. The seller must arrange appropriate next-day live-coral transport, suitable packaging and availability with the buyer. Be ready to receive and inspect the coral promptly.

1. Submit the report first. Open the purchase, choose the relevant problem and describe what happened. For DOA or material misdescription, enter the actual UK delivery date and time and confirm the arrival information is accurate.
2. Then upload evidence. The default initial evidence allowance is a further 2 hours after submitting the report. The claim page displays the actual evidence deadline.
3. Show each affected coral clearly. Photograph the coral, preferably in its original bag or container, plus packaging and the delivery label. Supply an unboxing video if available and keep the original files.
4. Explain the concern. Identify which corals are affected and what you observed. Closed polyps alone do not establish that a coral is dead.

CoralBay reviews delivery timing and evidence from both parties. It can decide a full or partial refund, including cases where only part of a bundle is affected. Delivery delays, missed delivery and disputed delivery records receive individual review. No coral return is required under the coral claim process. Both parties can continue written responses; the seller’s evidence is not limited by the buyer’s initial upload deadline.

Coral protection covers non-delivery, evidenced DOA and material misdescription under the saved rules. It does not cover change of mind or later losses after acceptance. If a technical or delivery problem affects evidence submission, contact CoralBay immediately; any evidence extension needs to be recorded.

The 2-hour figures above are plugin defaults, not a promise that every purchase has the same allowance. The saved reporting and evidence terms apply. Coral collected in person follows the handover process below, with no later delivery DOA window.

6. Collection paid online

Protected collection means paying through CoralBay before collecting. Use the contact/message action on the purchase page to agree the time and place with the seller.

If collection is delayed

The default collection allowance is 14 calendar days after payment confirmation. Check the actual deadline on the purchase. Buyers can request an extension through the purchase page; it must be approved and recorded. If collection is already under review, CoralBay must handle the extension.

If the deadline passes, seller payment stays held and CoralBay reviews the circumstances. Respond to the review within its displayed allowance; the default is 48 hours. A missed collection does not automatically cause a refund, forfeiture or late fee. A reviewed cancellation where collection has not occurred normally receives a full refund.

7. What to do if something goes wrong

1. Open the right purchase. Sign in and go to Protected purchases & sales. Check its current stage and deadlines.
2. Use the formal report action. Choose the covered problem that matches what happened and give clear details, dates and evidence. Before dispatch, the problem choices are limited; more arrival-related choices become available after dispatch. For a collection awaiting handover, use its collection cancellation or review controls.
3. Preserve evidence. Keep photographs, videos, packaging, tracking information and relevant messages. For coral claims, submit the report first, then upload initial evidence before its separate deadline.
4. Follow the recorded next step. Both parties should respond to CoralBay’s requests through the purchase/claim record. An open platform claim blocks further seller release while it is reviewed.

Use the private claim uploader and follow its displayed file types and size limits. Keep original media and avoid putting addresses, payment information or private claim evidence into a public listing.

Equipment returns

Wait for CoralBay’s authorised return instructions before posting. The purchase records the return address, packing instructions, required tracked service and who pays the return postage. Follow those instructions and add the return tracking number. A proposed new buyer-paid return cost needs the buyer’s explicit agreement before posting.

Return-postage responsibility follows the saved checkout terms and the recorded decision for the case. Do not assume returns are always free. A recorded return dispatch is not confirmation that a refund has been approved or completed.

Refunds and decisions

A covered equipment claim may require a tracked return and receipt checks. Coral claims are assessed from evidence without a coral return. CoralBay records the decision and any approved refund. An approved full purchase refund includes the item price, original delivery and protection fee paid by the buyer; buyer-paid return postage remains separate. Partial outcomes depend on the recorded decision.

Check for payment-provider confirmation of a refund. A decision, a parcel being posted back or a “refund requested” stage is not the same as the money reaching your account. Bank processing times can vary.

8. Selling with CoralBay Protection

1. Complete seller payments first. Go to My Account → Buy & Sell → Protected purchases & sales → Seller setup and use “Set up / continue seller payments”. Supply the identity, business and bank details Stripe requests. Connection alone is not completed onboarding; resolve any outstanding requirements.
2. Create or edit your listing. Choose protected delivery, collection paid online, or both. Online protected payment requires a fixed price for the whole listing. Describe the exact item or bundle, condition and known faults.
3. Set realistic delivery choices. Select the enabled services you actually offer and set each postage and packaging charge. Confirm the carrier accepts the contents and destination. Adding a new service in site settings does not automatically add it to your listing.
4. Wait for verified payment. Check the protected sale record before dispatch or collection. A buyer saying they paid, an unfinished checkout or an auction result alone is insufficient.
5. Fulfil the saved agreement. Dispatch using the selected service and record tracking before the displayed dispatch deadline, or arrange collection and use the handover code correctly. For corals, record the carrier and agree suitable arrival arrangements.
6. Respond if a concern is raised. Provide your explanation and evidence through the claim record. Seller payment stays held while the claim or another payment hold is unresolved.

You can add protection to an eligible existing listing without creating a replacement. Editing can be locked once a purchase is reserved or an auction has commitments. Manage the recorded sale or auction instead of changing agreed goods, prices or fulfilment.

9. Follow the stages and deadlines

Use Needs your attention for the next actions waiting on you. My purchases and My sales have Current, History and All views. My protected listings shows eligible listings; an unsold listing is different from an actual purchase record.

These are software defaults. Settings can change, and a purchase saves its own terms and deadlines. Check the purchase page rather than relying on this table or waiting for a notification. Acceptance can close ordinary claims before a time allowance ends.

10. Common questions

Ready for your next step?

For an existing purchase, open its record to pay, arrange collection, record dispatch, inspect, report a concern or respond to a review. For a technical problem, email support@coralbay.uk with your purchase or order reference.