Version 1.1 — last updated: 4 May 2026
Operator: Photon Labs Ltd (Shelfd)
This Trade Protection Agreement ("Agreement") applies to a specific trade between you and another Shelfd user when Trade Protection is activated on that trade.
It supplements, and does not replace, the Shelfd Terms & Conditions (the "Main Terms"), which govern your general use of the Platform. If there is any conflict between this Agreement and the Main Terms, this Agreement prevails for the relevant protected trade.
You enter into this Agreement when both parties opt into Trade Protection by signing the in-app trade contract. This Agreement applies from that point until the trade is completed, cancelled, or resolved through the dispute process.
Shelfd is operated by Photon Labs Ltd ("Shelfd", "we", "us", "our"), a company registered in the United Kingdom. Full company details are set out in the Main Terms.
Trade Protection is a platform feature designed to reduce the risk of unfair outcomes in user-to-user trades of collectible items.
It operates through:
Trade Protection does not:
Shelfd does not act as buyer, seller, agent, or broker in the underlying trade. The trade remains a private arrangement between users. Trade Protection is a facilitation and dispute-resolution layer applied to that arrangement.
Trade Protection applies on a per-trade basis and must be accepted by both parties before any items are shipped.
Trade Protection is mandatory where:
In all other cases, Trade Protection is optional but recommended.
All Stake amounts and applicable fees are displayed clearly before you accept the trade.
By opting into Trade Protection, you expressly request that the service begins immediately upon signing the trade contract.
You acknowledge that Trade Protection is a digital service which begins performance immediately, including payment authorisation and dispute-readiness functionality. As such, you lose any statutory right to cancel under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 once the service has commenced.
This does not affect your statutory rights.
The Stake is a refundable amount agreed between both parties. Each party must provide an equal Stake.
The Stake represents a financial commitment to completing the trade in good faith. It is refundable on successful completion and is only at risk if a dispute is resolved against you.
If you do not confirm receipt within 7 days of confirmed delivery, the Platform will automatically mark the trade as complete.
You are responsible for monitoring delivery and raising any dispute within the permitted timeframe.
The Trade Protection Fee consists of:
Fees are shown clearly before acceptance.
Fees are quoted inclusive of any applicable VAT or equivalent tax where required by law.
Additional charges imposed by your bank or card provider (such as foreign transaction fees) may apply and are outside our control.
The Trade Protection Fee is non-refundable except where explicitly stated in this Agreement.
Disputes may be raised under the following categories:
You must raise disputes:
You must provide supporting evidence.
Shelfd will review disputes on the balance of evidence using its published dispute framework.
Shelfd acts as a contractual adjudicator for Trade Protection disputes. Decisions are binding for the purposes of platform operation (including fund release and account actions), but do not limit your legal rights outside the Platform.
We aim to resolve disputes within 14 days but may take longer where necessary.
Accounts may receive strikes based on dispute outcomes:
Strikes expire after 12 months.
Where a dispute is resolved against you:
Where a dispute is resolved in your favour:
Notwithstanding sections 8.1 and 8.2, we may vary the financial outcome where reasonably necessary, including:
In such cases, we may apply an alternative outcome, including:
We will provide a written explanation for any such decision.
Where applicable, payouts require identity verification via Stripe Connect.
Failure to complete verification within 30 days may result in a refund-only resolution.
Refunds are initiated by us immediately upon the triggering event.
Your bank may take 5–10 working days to process the refund.
We are not responsible for delays caused by your bank or payment provider.
Trades may be cancelled by mutual agreement before shipment.
Once items have been shipped, cancellation is no longer possible and disputes must be used instead.
Trade Protection is a facilitation service. We do not guarantee outcomes.
Our liability is limited to the total amount you paid for the protected trade.
We are not liable for:
Nothing in this Agreement excludes liability for:
Shelfd does not hold customer funds.
All payments are processed and held by Stripe Payments UK Limited, an FCA-authorised electronic money institution.
By using Trade Protection, you may be required to enter into a direct agreement with Stripe.
Shelfd does not take ownership of or custody user funds and only instructs Stripe to process transactions.
Trade Protection involves additional data processing, including:
Full details are set out in our Privacy Policy, in particular the section on Trade Protection: Additional Data Processing.
We may update this Agreement from time to time.
Changes apply only to new trades and will not affect trades already in progress.
This Agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales.
If any part of this Agreement is invalid, the remainder remains enforceable.
If you have any questions about this Agreement, please contact us: