Terms of Use

1. Account Registration and Verification

To maintain a safe marketplace, all users must register for an account.

• Payments and identity verification (KYC) are securely handled by our third-party provider, Stripe (via Stripe Connect).
• You must provide accurate and verifiable information during registration.
• Galopa reserves the right to suspend accounts that fail KYC verification or engage in fraudulent activity.

2. Platform Fees

Galopa charges fees to maintain the platform, hold funds securely during the inspection window, and provide buyer/seller protections.

If a listing offers local pickup and the buyer selects it, neither the shipping insurance nor the delivery fee apply — only the 3% buyer service fee is charged.

Free resell: If a buyer completes a purchase and the saddle turns out not to suit their horse — while otherwise matching how it was listed — they keep the saddle and are not entitled to a refund. Instead, Galopa will waive the standard selling commission on that buyer's own next listing of that same saddle, so they can resell it on the platform at 0% commission. This is applied by Galopa on a case-by-case basis and is not an automatic feature of your account.

Seller responsibility for delivery orders: the buyer has already paid for Australia Post's Extra Cover (for the full sale value) and Signature on Delivery as part of your payout, but Galopa cannot add these on your behalf. You must select both yourself when you lodge the parcel — Australia Post does not apply them automatically.

3. Listing Rules and Accuracy

Sellers must ensure all listings are veridical and highly accurate.

• The physical condition of the saddle must exactly match the photos and written description provided.
• Any existing damage, wear, or alterations must be explicitly documented.
• Galopa reserves the right to immediately unpublish products that do not follow our publication rules, appear fraudulent, or lack sufficient detail.

4. Communication and Privacy Pre-Sale

To protect our users and prevent off-platform transactions, strict communication rules apply.

• Until a formal offer is made and accepted through the platform, users may not share Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
• Prohibited information includes email addresses, phone numbers, physical addresses, or links to external websites.
• Violating this rule will result in immediate account suspension.

5. Payments and the Inspection Window

To protect both buyers and sellers, payments are processed through Stripe and held securely by Galopa for the duration of the 48-hour inspection window.

• Authorisation: When a buyer makes an offer or buy-now request, they provide a payment method that is authorised, but not charged, while the request is pending.
• Capture: If the seller accepts, the buyer's card is charged in full immediately and the funds are held securely by Galopa. If the seller declines, doesn't respond within 48 hours, or the buyer cancels first, the authorisation is released and the buyer is never charged.
• Inspection window start: The 48-hour inspection window does not begin at acceptance. It begins once the seller has confirmed the saddle was shipped or handed over and the buyer has confirmed receiving it — both confirmations are required.
• Inspection window end: The buyer may confirm the saddle is as described at any point within the 48 hours, which finalises the sale immediately. If the buyer takes no action, the sale automatically finalises at the end of the 48-hour window and both parties are notified. Alternatively, if the saddle is not as described, the buyer may report an issue and request a refund within the 48 hours instead — see Section 6.
• Once a sale finalises (by buyer confirmation or automatically at the end of the 48-hour window), the funds — minus the seller's commission — become payable to the seller. The seller is only asked to confirm anything further if the buyer instead reports an issue and requests a refund, in which case the seller confirms the returned saddle's condition (Section 6).

6. Refunds and Disputes

Refunds are available only when a saddle is not as described — damaged, inauthentic, or materially different from the listing — not simply because it does not suit the buyer's horse. If a saddle is exactly as described but is not the right fit, the buyer keeps it; see Section 2 for how Galopa supports reselling it on the platform at 0% commission instead.

• Reporting an Issue: The buyer may report an issue and request a refund at any point during the 48-hour inspection window if the saddle received does not match its listing.
• Return Shipping: If a refund is approved because the saddle is not as described, the buyer arranges and pays for return shipping themselves — or returns it in person for a local-pickup order.
• The Refund: Once the seller receives the returned saddle and confirms it is in the identical condition in which it was sent, the buyer is refunded everything they were charged — the item price, the buyer service fee, and (for a delivery order) the shipping insurance and delivery fee. The only cost the buyer does not recover is what they pay to ship the saddle back.
• If the Seller Disputes the Return: If the seller believes the saddle was damaged during the inspection window rather than returned in its original condition, this is handled as a dispute — see Section 7.

7. Managing Disputes and Conflict Resolution

Even with a clear inspection process, disputes can occur on high-value items. Galopa acts as the final arbitrator in all platform disputes.

The Evidence Mandate (Prevention)

• Sellers: Must upload high-resolution, timestamped photos of the saddle (especially girth points, pommel, and cantle) immediately before boxing.
• Buyers: Must take timestamped photos immediately upon unboxing the saddle.
• Failure by either party to provide this baseline evidence automatically forfeits their right to win a dispute.

Dispute Outcomes

If funds are locked due to a disagreement, Galopa will review the unboxing/re-boxing evidence. Our decision regarding the release of held funds is final and binding.

If a user rejects Galopa’s binding decision, their only recourse is to take the other user to a small claims tribunal (e.g., NCAT, VCAT) at their own expense. Held funds will remain disbursed according to Galopa’s ruling.

8. Australian Consumer Law & Liability

For peer-to-peer sales where the seller is a private individual (not a business), standard consumer guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) may not apply.

• Galopa acts solely as a facilitator. We do not own, inspect, or guarantee the condition of the saddles.
• Galopa is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from transactions on the platform.
• These Terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia.