These Terms of Sale ("Sales Terms") set out the rules governing every purchase of a graded trading card through the Graded Market platform (gradedmarket.eu). They apply in addition to our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Refund Policy. By placing an order you confirm that you have read and accept these Sales Terms.
1. Parties
The sale is concluded directly between the Seller (a professional entity identified on each listing and on the order summary) and the Buyer. Graded Market acts as an online intermediation platform and as payment facilitator through Stripe; it is not a party to the sale and does not transfer title to the card.
Buyers may be either consumers (natural persons acting outside of a business or professional activity) or professionals (business entities buying in the course of their activity). The applicable rules differ and are flagged explicitly throughout these Sales Terms.
2. Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years old and legally capable of entering into a binding contract. Orders placed by minors are void.
3. Listings, prices and availability
Prices are displayed in Euros (€), inclusive of any applicable VAT where the Seller is VAT-registered, and exclusive of shipping charges, which are shown at checkout before payment. Every graded card is a unique item (identified by a certificate number): only one unit is available per listing. Once a listing is purchased it is removed from sale.
4. Order process
- The Buyer adds a card to the cart and proceeds to checkout.
- The Buyer provides or confirms shipping and billing details.
- The Buyer expressly accepts these Sales Terms and the Refund Policy.
- Payment is processed securely through Stripe. The order is confirmed only once payment has been authorised.
- A confirmation e-mail is sent to the Buyer, summarising the order and referencing the accepted legal documents with their version numbers.
5. Payment and escrow
Payments are handled by Stripe Payments Europe Ltd., acting as the payment services provider. Funds are held in escrow by Stripe and released to the Seller only after delivery of the card and expiry of the inspection window (see Section 7). Graded Market never holds Buyer funds in its own name.
Accepted payment methods include credit/debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), SEPA instant transfer and local payment methods supported by Stripe in the Buyer's country.
6. Shipping and delivery
Cards are dispatched from a European vault within three (3) business days of payment confirmation, with tracking and insurance at full sale value. Orders above €500 require signature on delivery. Risk of loss or damage passes to the Buyer upon delivery by the carrier (or, for professional Buyers, upon hand-over to the first carrier, Article L216-4 of the French Consumer Code).
7. Inspection and claims
The Buyer is invited to inspect the slab upon delivery. Any claim for non-conformity, damage in transit, or discrepancy with the listing must be reported through the "Open a claim" action in the Buyer's order page within three (3) calendar days of delivery, with clear photographs of the slab (front, back, label) and the packaging. Beyond that window, the escrow is released to the Seller, but legal warranties remain available (Section 8).
8. Legal guarantees
The Seller is liable for any lack of conformity of the card within the meaning of Articles L217-3 to L217-17 of the French Consumer Code, and for hidden defects within the meaning of Articles 1641 to 1649 of the French Civil Code. The Buyer may choose between repair or replacement of the card (when feasible given the unique nature of graded cards), or, where that is impossible or disproportionate, a reduction of the price or cancellation of the sale.
9. Consumer mediation
Pursuant to Article L616-1 of the French Consumer Code, consumer Buyers who are not satisfied with the platform's handling of a claim may refer the dispute to a consumer mediator (details provided in the Legal Notice). Consumer Buyers may also use the European Commission's online dispute resolution platform at ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.
10. Force majeure
Neither the Seller nor Graded Market is liable for any delay or failure to perform attributable to a force majeure event within the meaning of Article 1218 of the French Civil Code, including without limitation strikes of carriers, customs blockages, natural disasters or cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure.
11. Governing law
These Sales Terms are governed by French law. For consumer Buyers, the mandatory consumer-protection provisions of the law of their habitual residence remain applicable. Disputes are submitted to the competent courts, with consumer Buyers retaining the right to sue or be sued in the courts of their habitual residence (Article 18 of Regulation (EU) 1215/2012).
