The platform is not always the seller

When you buy on a marketplace, your contract is not automatically with the company running the platform you order from. On many marketplaces, independent retailers offer their goods through the platform, while the marketplace itself only provides the shop window, the payment handling and sometimes the logistics. If a purchase contract is formed in that case, you enter into it with the individual retailer, not with the marketplace.

This is more than a legal technicality. Who deals with questions, complaints or a cancellation depends precisely on who is named as the seller on the order.

How to spot the actual seller

The product page usually carries a note such as "Sold by" or "Offered by", followed by a retailer's name that may differ from the name of the marketplace. That name belongs to the party you actually have the contract with. An additional note about shipping, such as the delivery being handled by the marketplace itself, does not change this: the platform can take care of shipping while the purchase contract is still with the retailer. How to check such a seller in general before you buy is described in the article How to check a marketplace seller.

Why the invoice makes things clear

At the latest, the invoice shows clearly who the seller is, with full name and address. If this name differs from the platform's name, that is not a mistake but the normal case with a marketplace model. For questions about the order, a complaint or a missing delivery, the seller named on this invoice is the right contact, not the platform's general customer service, even though that is often the first point of contact you can reach and it passes requests on.

An everyday example

Say you order an item for 45 euros on a marketplace. The product page says "Sold by Retailer XY, shipped by the marketplace". The parcel arrives with the marketplace's logo, but the invoice names Retailer XY as the seller. If you want to send the item back, your cancellation goes to this retailer, even if the return label is generated through the marketplace's system. The refund usually goes back via the same payment method, regardless of who actually shipped the goods.

Right of withdrawal and legal guarantee with the seller

In the EU, the legal 14-day right of withdrawal for online purchases applies against the party you actually have the contract with, meaning the seller named on the invoice. The same goes for the legal guarantee of at least two years if there is a fault. These are EU rules; outside the EU, for example in the UK, the US or Canada, your own country's consumer law sets the rights and time limits. The marketplace itself is usually not the party your claim is against, even though it often runs its own buyer protection scheme that can apply on top of your legal rights, but does not replace them.

When several parties are involved in one order

• The seller is responsible for the purchase contract, the price and the goods themselves.
• A separate logistics service used by the marketplace is usually only responsible for the physical delivery, not for the contract.
• Payment is often handled by the platform, but that does not change who legally counts as the seller.

Why this matters when you make a complaint

If an item arrives damaged or does not match its description, the complaint should go to the seller you have the contract with, not simply to the platform. Many marketplaces offer their own form or chat for this, which automatically forwards the request to the right retailer, so as a customer you do not always have to go looking for the right contact yourself. If that does not work, the name and address on the invoice help you contact the seller directly.

When the marketplace does sell the item itself

Some marketplaces carry their own goods alongside the offers from independent retailers, buying them in directly and selling them themselves. In that case the marketplace really is the party you have the contract with, and the invoice names the platform itself as the seller, not a third party. From the outside, such an offer often looks much the same on the product page as a third-party offer, which is why it is always worth checking the seller details, however familiar the platform is to you as a brand.

The difference matters most when you put several items from different sellers into the same basket on a larger order. Each line can then have its own seller, even if you make one payment at the end and the parcels may even be shipped separately.

Check who you are dealing with before you order

A look at the seller's name and, if it is linked, their seller profile often shows before you buy whether you are dealing with an established retailer with lots of ratings or a new vendor with little history. How to put such ratings into context is described in the article How to read seller reviews properly. Comparing several offers via the shop overview on daily-coupons.info also shows whether the same item is available from another, possibly better-known seller at a lower price or on clearer terms.

Frequently asked questions

Is the marketplace responsible for a faulty delivery?

Usually not directly. That falls to the seller named on the invoice, who is the party you actually have the contract with. The marketplace may also offer its own buyer protection scheme that adds to your legal rights, but does not replace them.

Does the right of withdrawal also apply to a marketplace purchase?

In the EU, yes: the legal 14-day right of withdrawal for online purchases applies whether you bought from a standalone shop or through a marketplace, as long as you are buying as a private individual from a business seller. Outside the EU, your own country's rules apply.

Why is the name on the invoice different from the marketplace's name?

Because the marketplace usually only provides the sales platform, while the actual purchase contract is with an independent retailer. That retailer is named on the invoice, regardless of how the parcel is branded on the outside.

Who do I complain to if the marketplace handled the shipping?

Usually still the seller named on the invoice. Shipping by the marketplace only concerns the logistics, not the purchase contract itself.