Frequently asked questions
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How does bidding work?
The seller sets a starting price. Bidders push it up until the listing ends, and whoever holds the highest bid when the clock runs out wins. Sellers can also set a reserve price — a hidden floor the winning bid has to clear, or the item goes unsold.
What's Buy It Now?
An instant purchase at the seller's set price — no bidding, no waiting for a clock to run out. The first buyer to click Buy It Now gets it.
Can a listing have both an auction and a Buy It Now price?
Yes. Bidders can push the price up the normal way, but if someone wants it badly enough to skip the wait, they can buy it outright at the Buy It Now price — whichever happens first.
Are there listing or final-value fees?
No — posting and bidding are always free, on every plan. The Free plan is limited to 30 listings per month, Member to 300, and Pro to 3,000.
What does membership include?
Free covers 30 listings a month with 4 photos each. Member ($10/month or $100/year) raises that to 300 listings a month with 8 photos each. Pro ($25/month or $250/year) allows 3,000 listings a month, 12 photos each, auction auto-extend, priority support, and a customizable store page (banner, accent color, an about section, and featured listings). Every plan, including Free, gets a public store page. Cancel anytime from your profile; you keep your benefits through the end of the current period.
What's a Founder?
The first 200 people to subscribe to Member, and separately the first 200 to subscribe to Pro, become Founders on that plan. You get a numbered Founder badge and keep the price you signed up at (monthly or yearly), even if we raise prices later, for as long as you stay subscribed. If your subscription ends, you lose Founder status and the spot is retired, so it can't be reclaimed.
Ship or pickup only — how do I choose?
Sellers pick per listing: ship it, or offer pickup only for items that are bulky or expensive to ship. Listings marked pickup only show a badge so buyers know before they bid.
Does Sell For Free process payment for the item or handle shipping?
No. Once an auction ends or a Buy It Now purchase completes, payment and delivery happen directly between buyer and seller, on whatever terms the listing stated.
Can I buy several items from one seller in one order?
Yes. Add Buy It Now items to your cart, then check out once for each seller: one order, one payment, one shipment. Sellers can set shipping prices (a first-item price, a lower price for each extra item, and free shipping over an amount) and bundle discounts like 10% off 10 or more items, and the cart shows the total before you order. Sell For Free still doesn't take the payment: you pay the seller directly, and they confirm it.
What happens after I win or sell something?
An order appears on the listing page. The buyer has 48 hours to pay, and the seller marks it paid once the money arrives. For shipped items the seller then has 48 hours to ship and can add tracking. The buyer confirms when it arrives, or it completes on its own after 14 days. Missing a deadline lets the other side cancel and gives you a strike. Three strikes suspends your account.
What is a store page?
Every seller gets a public store page at sellforfree.app/store/ followed by their store name. It shows all of their live listings, which you can filter by category and sort by ending soon, newest, or price, plus their completed orders, feedback, and any buyer terms they've set. Sellers can copy their store link from their profile and share it anywhere. Pro sellers can also add a banner, an accent color, an about section, and featured listings.
How do I follow a seller?
Tap Follow on a seller's store page or on any of their listings. When they post something new, you get one combined email at most once a day covering everyone you follow. Under Following in your profile you can switch each seller to daily, weekly, or no emails, or unfollow. Every email also has a one-click unsubscribe link. Sellers can see how many people follow them, never who.
What's a want list?
A want list is where you tell us what you're hunting for: a name like "Charizard holo", an optional category, and an optional max price. When someone lists a match after you add it, we email you, in one combined email at most once a day. Listings already live when you add a want show up on your Want list page. Sellers can see which items are in demand, but never who wants them.
How does feedback work?
After an order completes, the buyer and the seller can each rate the other positive, neutral, or negative and add a short comment, for up to 30 days. Feedback is public and final once it's submitted, so it can't be edited or deleted. The percentage shown is positive ratings divided by positive plus negative ones, with neutral ratings left out of the percentage.
What are repeat buyers and the thank-you card?
A repeat buyer is someone who has completed two or more orders with the same seller, and stores show how many a seller has. Sellers can also list buyer terms, like a combined-shipping policy or a repeat-buyer discount. Sell For Free doesn't take payment, so a discount is something the buyer and seller agree on in the order messages, not something applied automatically. From a paid, shipped, or completed order, sellers can print a thank-you card with a QR code that takes buyers back to their store.
What if there's a problem with an order?
Keep the conversation in the order messages. Messages can't be edited or deleted once they're sent, and either of you can download a plain-text record of the order and its conversation from the order page to attach to a payment dispute. When sellers mark an order shipped they can tick a short checklist (photos before packing, tracking added, and signature confirmation on orders of $200 or more), and it's saved with the order. Sell For Free doesn't hold the money or verify delivery, so tracking and good records are your best protection.
How do I see listings near me?
Enter your zip in the "Near You" section on the homepage or the toggle on the Browse page. Sellers who post a listing also add their own zip, so nearby buyers can find them first.
How do I get help, and what does priority support mean?
Sign in and open a request from Get help. Tell us what's going on, optionally attach the order it's about, and we reply on the site and by email. You can follow the whole conversation under Your requests in your profile. Pro members' requests are marked priority, go to the front of the queue, and we aim to reply within 1 business day; everyone else's get a reply within 3 business days. Weekends don't count. To appeal a strike or suspension, choose the appeal option (suspended accounts can still send requests). If you can't sign in, email us from the Contact page.