Terms & Conditions

1. About CoralBay and these Terms

CoralBay UK is a platform for UK marine and reef aquarium hobbyists, bringing together Shop products, approved Vendors, Community Corals, Marine Marketplace, auctions and discovery tools. These Terms cover use of the service and the purchase routes described below.

Please read the relevant listing, checkout information and policies before placing an order, paying for a protected purchase, listing goods or bidding. Your purchase route and seller determine which parts apply. Use of general information pages alone does not amount to agreement to pay a fee.

The Shipping, collection & delivery , Refunds, returns & DOA and auction rules explain the relevant detailed procedures. Mandatory legal rights take priority. Specific terms agreed and saved for a purchase or auction govern that transaction; later general website changes do not silently rewrite them. How CoralBay UK works provides a practical overview.

2. Who sells and what CoralBay provides

CoralBay sells its own Shop goods. The named Vendor sells Vendor goods, even where CoralBay provides checkout and support. For Community Corals and Marketplace, including protected purchases and auctions, the listing seller sells the goods; CoralBay provides the relevant platform and eligible payment/claim process.

Seller identity and, where relevant, business details must be clear before commitment. A "hobby" description does not determine whether a seller is legally a trader. Traders must disclose their status and meet their own consumer, product, tax and business obligations.

CoralBay is responsible for its own services and commitments. Providing a platform does not mean every item has been inspected or that CoralBay guarantees every third-party statement or private transaction. Conversely, using a third-party seller does not remove CoralBay's responsibility for the service it has agreed to provide.

3. Accounts, eligibility and communications

To buy through protected payments, bid or sell through account features, you must be at least 18, able to enter the agreement and provide accurate required information. Do not share accounts, impersonate another person, create accounts to evade restrictions or use another person's payment credentials without authority.

Keep login details secure, maintain a current email address and tell support promptly about suspected unauthorised access. You are responsible for actions you authorise; a report of account misuse will be assessed on the facts, not automatically treated as your liability for every action taken by an intruder.

Important transaction information appears in My account . Email and other notifications depend on preferences and delivery systems, so check the record and deadlines directly. The absence of an email does not by itself cancel a valid bid or extend a saved deadline. Contact support promptly about access problems.

CoralBay may require identity, payment or seller verification for an eligible feature. Payment onboarding is not a guarantee of an item's condition, seller performance or general business approval.

4. Shop and Vendor orders

Before submitting an order, check the seller, product description, quantity, delivery options, address and total including any applicable tax and charges. You must be able to correct errors before confirming. Payment must be successfully received before dispatch.

Unless the order-specific terms expressly confirm earlier acceptance, a Shop/Vendor order is your offer to buy and is accepted when the responsible seller sends a dispatch confirmation. An automated acknowledgement or payment receipt alone acknowledges the order. The confirmation should identify the seller and agreed goods and terms in a form you can save.

If stock, a genuine pricing error, inability to fulfil or a payment/security issue prevents acceptance, we will explain and arrange the appropriate refund of any payment taken. An obvious error is not an unrestricted power to change an agreed price or cancel an accepted contract. Any later cancellation must have a lawful basis or be agreed.

Vendor orders follow the shared published Shop/Vendor shipping and refund procedures. The Vendor remains responsible for supplying conforming goods and remedies required by law; CoralBay coordinates support. Material exceptions or additional terms must be made clear before purchase and cannot remove mandatory rights.

5. Direct listing transactions

For direct Community Corals and Marketplace sales, buyer and seller agree the goods, price, payment, collection or delivery and any additional promises between themselves. CoralBay does not receive a direct cash/bank payment or apply the protected-purchase refund and seller-release process to it.

Ask questions and carry out sensible checks before paying. Sellers must have the right to sell, describe honestly and honour the agreement. Buyers must pay as agreed, cooperate with fulfilment and not make false complaints. The parties' relevant legal obligations apply alongside their agreement.

Report suspected fraud or service misuse to CoralBay. We may review listings or accounts, but cannot guarantee recovery of payments made outside the protected process.

Free community listings: Eligible Community Corals and Marine Marketplace listings currently have no CoralBay listing fee or seller commission. A listing seller is not required to become a Vendor simply to use these community services. This does not remove the seller's own legal, tax, licensing or product responsibilities.

6. Protected fixed-price purchases and charges

Where an eligible listing offers CoralBay Protection, the buyer reviews the goods, seller, fulfilment, total, fee and saved terms, then pays online using Stripe. For a protected fixed-price listing, the seller offers the goods on the displayed terms and a purchase agreement is made when the online payment is successfully confirmed, subject to any applicable legal cancellation right.

Community Corals and Marketplace currently have no CoralBay listing fee or seller commission. The advertised protected-purchase buyer fee is 50p plus 4% of the item price and delivery charge combined ; the percentage applies to the item price plus any agreed delivery, postage and packaging charge, before the protection fee itself is added. The actual fee and total must be shown before commitment and are saved for the purchase. A £20 item with £6 postage has a £1.54 fee and £27.54 total at this rate: 50p + 4% of £26.

Protected collection also uses online payment and the fee shown; it is different from paying directly at collection. With no delivery charge, the percentage applies to the item price alone: a £20 protected collection has a £1.30 fee and £21.30 total at this rate. Shop/Vendor checkout prices are separate and do not automatically attract the community protection fee.

Sellers must complete the required payment onboarding and wait for verified payment in the purchase record before dispatch or handover. Do not bypass the agreed checkout or arrange an outside transfer for an auction winner.

CoralBay Protection is a defined platform process for eligible concerns, not insurance or an escrow service. Seller transfer is subject to confirmed payment, appropriate delivery/handover checks, acceptance or the relevant inspection process, no unresolved claim or provider hold, and CoralBay approval. Stripe bank payout timing is separate; no instant bank receipt is promised.

Fees, payment limits, services and platform reporting windows may change for new transactions. The quote and terms agreed for an existing purchase remain recorded. Refunds, adjustments and return-postage responsibility follow the saved terms and applicable law.

Transaction records: Eligible protected purchases and sales can be followed in the signed-in protected-purchases account area. The applicable saved purchase terms, fulfilment choice and recorded deadlines - not this general summary alone - determine the relevant process.

7. Auction participation and commitments

Read the auction guide and rules before bidding or listing. An auction offers one complete lot at the opening price or above. A seller must be prepared to supply it on the saved terms. An active auction is not simultaneously a normal fixed-price sale.

• Bid only if you genuinely intend and are able to complete the purchase if you win. A valid bid is a commitment subject to applicable legal rights. Sellers, connected accounts and collaborators must not bid to inflate the price, and sellers must not bid on their own lots.
• New auctions normally use private maximum bidding. The system raises the public price only as needed up to the highest ceiling; earlier equal maxima take priority. Raising a leading ceiling does not alone raise the public price. Older simple auctions keep their displayed method.
• The private maximum covers the item price. The protection fee and chosen postage are additional. The protection fee is 50p plus 4% of the final item price and chosen delivery charge combined, before the protection fee itself is added; review the maximum possible total before bidding. The final charge is based on the public winning price, not automatically the private maximum.
• A bidder can increase a maximum but cannot normally reduce or withdraw it using the ordinary interface. Report a genuine error immediately; a support request does not itself retract the bid or pause the auction.
• Sellers must keep the lot available. After the first bid, normal editing and cancellation are restricted. A serious problem needs CoralBay review and a recorded decision; do not sell elsewhere or substitute goods.
• The recorded auction ending, including any enabled and disclosed extension, determines eligibility for bids. A stopped countdown can precede final processing. Check the recorded result.

When the system finalises an eligible auction, the recorded winner and seller enter the purchase agreement at the final item price and saved fulfilment/fee terms, subject to applicable legal rights. The lot is reserved awaiting payment; winning does not mean paid or authorise dispatch. The winner pays through the provided checkout by the recorded deadline. Bidding itself does not automatically charge a card.

The initial payment default is 24 hours after winner confirmation; the actual auction deadline applies. A missed deadline can lead to release or expiry under the saved rules after payment checks. Uncertain payment remains held for review. There is no automatic runner-up sale or automatic monetary non-payment penalty.

CoralBay may review deliberate non-payment, manipulation or abuse and take proportionate account action. An exercise of a valid legal cancellation right must not be treated as bid abuse merely because a sale does not proceed.

Current eligible lots are listed at CoralBay Auctions. Auctions are not necessarily collection-only: the fulfilment options offered and saved for each lot determine whether protected delivery or collection is available. Do not rely on older collection-only auction guides for a different listing format.

8. Seller, listing and content responsibilities

• Only list goods you own or are authorised and legally able to sell. Meet applicable product safety, wildlife, sourcing, licensing and tax requirements. Keep relevant records; species and circumstances determine any permit requirements.
• Describe the exact item or bundle, quantity, meaningful size, condition, known defects, missing parts, repairs and relevant livestock health or pest issues. Do not conceal a material problem or claim guarantees you cannot support.
• Use recent photographs of the actual item where possible. Mark representative images clearly. A WYSIWYG offer must supply the actual item shown. Do not use filters or editing that materially misrepresent appearance.
• Set realistic prices, postage, availability and fulfilment options. Check the carrier accepts the contents and that the service and packaging are suitable. Confirm arrangements before taking an obligation you cannot fulfil.
• Disclose trader status and required business information honestly. A business seller remains responsible for consumer rights whether selling at fixed price or by auction.
• Post content you have the right to use. Do not publish another person's private information, copied images without permission, fraudulent claims, abusive material or unlawful goods. Public listing media currently supports images; private claim evidence is a separate process.

By submitting listing content, you give CoralBay a non-exclusive permission to host, display, format and reproduce it as reasonably needed to operate and present the listing, maintain transaction records and handle reports. You keep ownership of your content. This permission does not authorise unrelated use of private claim evidence as public marketing.

CoralBay can request corrections or supporting information and can refuse, restrict or remove material under the moderation rules below. A review or approved listing is not an inspection or certification of the goods.

9. Livestock, photographs and aquarium suitability

Corals and other living products can vary naturally in colour, growth and appearance. Lighting, camera settings and viewing conditions affect photographs. Sellers must still supply what was promised and must not use natural variation to excuse the wrong item, an inaccurate quantity or a material discrepancy.

Buyers should check compatibility, tank maturity, water parameters, lighting, flow, feeding, space and transport needs before committing. Follow suitable acclimation and ongoing care, and seek competent advice where needed. Do not use equipment unsafely or assume every installation is suitable for every aquarium.

Later loss caused by the buyer's aquarium conditions, incompatibility or handling is outside the ordinary DOA/Protection cover where that cause is established. This does not excuse a seller's supply problem or remove a remedy that the law requires.

10. Delivery, collection, claims and legal rights

The shipping and collection policy explains seller dispatch, buyer receipt, suitable services and protected handover. The refund, return and DOA policy explains reporting, evidence and remedies. Review these before commitment.

For protected delivery, inspect promptly and report a covered concern through the purchase page before acceptance or its applicable deadline. Coral DOA reporting runs from carrier-recorded delivery; equipment inspection uses the recorded verified-delivery/inspection notice. Check actual saved timings and do not wait for email.

For paid collection, inspect before confirming receipt and acceptance with the handover code. There is no later ordinary platform inspection/DOA window after accepted collection. Never confirm a handover in advance.

Short DOA/Protection windows govern those processes. Acceptance, a closed platform claim or seller payment does not remove mandatory rights. Trader distance purchases can have cancellation rights, with exceptions depending on the actual goods. Online-only auctions do not automatically create the public-auction exemption.

For a covered problem, report truthfully and preserve relevant evidence. Follow authorised return instructions, and do not return livestock without suitable explicit arrangements. CoralBay may record a partial or full resolution and hold seller transfer during a claim; this is separate from any court or payment-provider decision.

11. Fair use, moderation and account restrictions

Do not use CoralBay for fraud, price manipulation, counterfeit or stolen goods, harassment, unlawful content, unauthorised access, malicious software, payment evasion or interference with other users or the service. Do not misuse contact details obtained from a transaction for unsolicited marketing.

We may correct formatting, ask for changes, hide or remove content, restrict a feature or suspend an account where reasonably needed to address a breach, safety/security risk, suspected fraud or legal obligation. Action should reflect the seriousness and evidence; urgent restrictions may be needed before a full review.

Where reasonably possible, we will explain material account action and provide a way to ask for review through support@coralbay.uk . We may withhold details where needed to protect another person, an investigation or the service's security.

An account restriction does not automatically confiscate money, cancel a paid purchase or erase an existing refund duty. Outstanding transactions and payment holds must be resolved under their terms and applicable law. Keep records you need before closing your account and contact support about unfinished purchases.

12. Discovery tools, external sites and availability

UK Reef Market, shop-directory information, route tools and reefing resources help users discover products and plan decisions. Prices, stock, opening hours and routes can change. Verify important details with the relevant retailer or source before travelling, buying or relying on them.

A purchase completed on an external retailer's site is with that retailer, under its terms. It is not covered by CoralBay Protection just because you followed a CoralBay link. External payment-provider terms may also apply to use of their services.

We aim to keep the platform useful and available, but maintenance, outages or technical faults can occur. Report errors promptly. A fault does not give CoralBay a general right to choose a different auction winner or rewrite a completed sale; a material auction or payment error needs evidence-based review and an appropriate recorded remedy.

New features can be added, changed or withdrawn with reasonable regard to active obligations. Existing paid purchases, valid saved terms and mandatory rights must still be addressed.

UK Reef Market aims to present retailer products believed to be available at the latest catalogue update, but listings are not a live stock guarantee. A product appearing there does not mean CoralBay is its seller, holds its stock or dispatches it. The retailer's own current product page and transaction terms must be checked.

13. Personal information and records

Account details, transaction information, messages and private evidence are handled under CoralBay's separately published Privacy and Cookie policies. Payment processing also involves Stripe and its applicable information. These Terms are not a substitute for those disclosures or a blanket marketing consent.

Provide only information reasonably needed for a listing, purchase or claim. Do not put addresses, financial details or sensitive evidence in public descriptions. Use the private reporting route and share another person's information only as needed and lawfully.

Keep copies of important confirmations, agreements and evidence. Public listings and media may later be removed; necessary payment, dispute or legal records may need different retention. An account or listing deletion is not a promise of immediate deletion of every transaction record.

14. Our responsibility and limits

CoralBay must provide its own services with the care and skill required by law and honour its stated commitments. A listing seller remains responsible for the goods and promises they supply. We do not guarantee every third-party listing or an outcome for every private transaction.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, death or personal injury caused by negligence, or anything else that cannot lawfully be limited. Nothing excludes mandatory consumer rights.

For a consumer using CoralBay, we are responsible for loss or damage that is a foreseeable result of our breach or failure to use reasonable care and skill. We do not accept responsibility for loss caused solely by another user's conduct or your own actions where we have not contributed to it or assumed that responsibility.

We do not promise compensation for business losses arising from consumer use, such as lost profit or business interruption. This wording must not be read as excluding a direct, foreseeable consumer loss or our own failure to provide an agreed protection service. No blanket "all livestock at buyer's risk" rule applies.

15. Complaints and disputes

For a service complaint, email support@coralbay.uk with the account email, relevant order/listing/purchase reference, what happened and the resolution you seek. For a time-sensitive protected concern, also use the purchase's report action promptly. We will review the information, seek clarification where needed and explain the outcome.

For a Vendor sale, CoralBay coordinates contact with the Vendor; the Vendor remains the seller. For a direct sale, raise the transaction issue with that seller. Report platform misuse to CoralBay separately. If you disagree with an outcome, ask for review and explain the part disputed and any new evidence.

We do not represent that a particular independent dispute-resolution scheme applies unless it is identified in the relevant information. Where the law requires information about an appropriate ADR body after a deadlock, it will be provided with any required statement about participation. You remain free to obtain independent advice or use an available legal remedy.

Tell us about an overlapping payment-provider dispute or refund so it can be handled consistently. You must not obtain duplicate recovery for the same loss. A platform review does not replace any mandatory right against the seller or CoralBay.

16. Changes, governing law and contact

We may update these Terms for future use as the service or law changes. We will identify the effective version and give reasonable notice of material changes where appropriate. A change does not retrospectively alter an existing purchase or auction's saved terms without a lawful basis or the necessary agreement.

If a provision cannot be enforced, the remaining provisions continue where they can sensibly operate. Failure to act immediately on a breach is not a promise never to act. These clauses do not allow unfair interpretation against a consumer.

These Terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, subject to any mandatory protections available to a consumer in their place of residence. Consumers in Scotland or Northern Ireland may bring proceedings in their home courts where applicable. Nothing here requires a consumer to give up a court or protection the law makes available to them.

Contact support@coralbay.uk about accounts, orders, listings, auctions and service complaints. The legal operator and geographic contact details appear at the start of these Terms.