Refund & Returns Policy

Disc.Market is a marketplace where independent Pro Shops (Pro Shops) sell their listings directly to buyers. Each Pro Shop sets their own return policy — return window, accepted conditions, who pays return shipping, exchanges vs. refunds. You'll find the Pro Shop's specific policy on the listing page under "Shipping & Returns" and on the Pro Shop's Pro Shop page.

On top of the individual Pro Shop policies, Disc.Market provides a platform-level safety net for problems like items that never arrive, items that arrive damaged, or items that are significantly different from what was described. That safety net is backed by our escrow payment system — your money doesn't move to the Pro Shop until delivery is confirmed and the dispute window passes.

When you place an order, here's the money flow:

1. Your full payment (subtotal + shipping + tax) is charged to your card and lands in Disc.Market's Stripe account — not the Pro Shop's.
2. The Pro Shop receives the order and ships it within their stated handling time.
3. When the carrier confirms delivery, a 3-day dispute window opens.
4. If no dispute is opened within those 3 days, we release the Pro Shop's share (item + shipping, minus our 10% platform fee on item + shipping — never on tax) via a Stripe transfer to the Pro Shop's connected account. Sales tax stays with us and is remitted to the state. Stripe's processing fees are absorbed by Disc.Market, not deducted from the Pro Shop.
5. If you open a dispute during those 3 days, the payout is frozen until the dispute is resolved. If you win the dispute, you're refunded directly from the escrowed funds — we don't need to claw anything back from the Pro Shop.

This is why you'll occasionally see a "processing" status on a Pro Shop's payout while a dispute is pending. It's designed to protect you.

Pro Shops set their own parameters, within limits. Typically:

• Return window: anywhere from "no returns" to 30 days (14 days is most common)
• Condition requirements: unopened, unthrown, original packaging, etc.
• Return shipping responsibility: buyer-pays for buyer's remorse, Pro Shop-pays for defects or misdescription
• Restocking fees: some Pro Shops charge 10–20% on opened/returned items
• Refund type: full refund, partial refund, store credit, or exchange

Where to find a Pro Shop's specific policy:

• The listing page (in the "Shipping & Returns" section near the top of the listing)
• The Pro Shop page (under "Policies")
• By messaging the Pro Shop directly through Disc.Market before you buy

Regardless of a Pro Shop's policy, you are always entitled to the platform-level protections described in the next section — Pro Shops cannot override those. Within the scope of a Pro Shop's own policy (return windows, restocking fees, exchange eligibility, return-shipping responsibility for change-of-mind returns), the Pro Shop's policy supersedes any default for items purchased from that Pro Shop. That's why we link directly to each Pro Shop's policy on the listing page and on their Pro Shop profile — check it before you buy.

These protections apply to every order, regardless of the Pro Shop's individual return policy. If your issue falls into one of these categories and the Pro Shop won't make it right, open a dispute and Disc.Market will step in.

Your order never arrives

If tracking shows no delivery within a reasonable window after the Pro Shop's stated handling + transit time (generally 15 business days for domestic orders), you're entitled to a full refund. Check with the carrier first — sometimes packages are marked delivered but are at the local hub or a neighbor's porch — and always contact the Pro Shop before opening a dispute.

Your order arrives damaged

Disc golf gear is durable, but shipping damage happens. Take clear photos of the damaged item and packaging, contact the Pro Shop within 48 hours of delivery, and request a refund, replacement, or partial refund.

Your order is significantly not as described

Examples: a disc listed as "New" arriving with ink and trees, the wrong mold shipped, the wrong plastic, a size/ weight significantly different from the listing. Document with photos. Small aesthetic variations are normal; it's the mismatched material facts that qualify.

What's not covered

• Buyer's remorse after the Pro Shop's return window has closed
• Items showing additional wear from throwing or use
• Missing accessories that weren't explicitly listed
• Aesthetic disagreement on condition grading within the stated grade (e.g., "7/10 used" is subjective)
• Cancellations after the Pro Shop has shipped and you haven't tried to return the item

We strongly recommend starting with the Pro Shop before escalating to Disc.Market. Most issues resolve at that first step.

Step 1 — Contact the Pro Shop

1. Go to your Order History and click the order in question.
2. Use the "Message Pro Shop" button to open a conversation. Describe the issue clearly. Attach photos.
3. Give the Pro Shop 3–5 business days to respond. Pro Shops have different workloads; patience goes a long way.
4. Agree on a resolution: full refund, partial refund, exchange, or store credit. The Pro Shop will initiate the refund on their end, which flows through Stripe and back to your original payment method.

Step 2 — If the Pro Shop doesn't respond or refuses unfairly

1. Within the 3-day dispute window after delivery, open a dispute from the order page.
2. Provide a description of the issue and upload supporting evidence (photos, screenshots of messages, tracking pages).
3. Our team reviews both sides and issues a decision — usually within 3–5 business days.
4. If we decide in your favor, you're refunded directly from the escrowed funds. If we decide in the Pro Shop's favor, the funds release to them as scheduled.

Returning the item

If the resolution is a return, the Pro Shop will give you a shipping address or a prepaid label. Ship it back with tracking, save the receipt, and hold onto the tracking number until your refund is fully issued. The Pro Shop issues the refund after receiving and inspecting the returned item.

Important: don't return items without the Pro Shop's address

Some Pro Shops ship from a fulfillment center rather than a retail location. Always get a return address from the Pro Shop or Disc.Market support before shipping anything back — otherwise your package may not make it to them and you could lose both the listing and the shipping cost.

Typical timeline

• Pro Shop processing: 3–7 business days after they receive the returned item (or after you reach an agreement on a refund-only resolution)
• Stripe processing: the refund is queued immediately after the Pro Shop issues it; funds are typically released to your bank within 3–5 business days
• Your bank: most credit/debit refunds post within 5–10 business days of Stripe releasing them, though some banks are faster

So, worst-case end-to-end, a straightforward refund usually clears within 2 weeks of you receiving the return address. Disputed refunds that go through our resolution team may take longer.

Refund method

Refunds go back to your original payment method. We cannot redirect a refund to a different card or bank account, and we don't issue store credit unless the Pro Shop explicitly offers it.

Full vs. partial refunds — what each one does

How a refund is sized changes more than just the dollar amount; it changes what happens to the listing on the marketplace:

• Full refund (refunded amount equals the order total). The sale is unwound: the listing is automatically revived to "live" on the marketplace so the Pro Shop can sell it again. Any sales tax we collected on the order is reversed in our nexus records. Browse and search update immediately so the listing reappears for other buyers. If the order had not yet paid out to the Pro Shop (most common — payouts are 3 days after delivery), the escrowed funds are simply released back to you.
• Partial refund (you and the Pro Shop agree on a discount; you keep the item). The sale stands at the adjusted amount. The listing does not come back to the marketplace, sales tax on the retained portion is not reversed, and the Pro Shop's payout is reduced by the refunded amount (if not already paid out) or recovered (if already paid out).

Both refund types follow the same payment method and timeline described above. The difference is only in what happens to the listing and the records.

What counts as "refunded"

An order is fully refunded when the refund is issued by the Pro Shop (or our admin team) and the Stripe refund completes. You'll receive an email confirmation at each step, and the order status on your dashboard will update to "refunded."

Return shipping responsibility depends on the reason for the return:

Pro Shop's error or fault

If the item was damaged, defective, significantly misdescribed, or the wrong item was shipped, the Pro Shop is responsible for return shipping. They should either email you a prepaid label or reimburse your return shipping cost.

Buyer's remorse or wrong-pick

If you've changed your mind, don't like the feel of the disc, or picked the wrong mold/weight, you're typically responsible for return shipping unless the Pro Shop's policy explicitly says otherwise.

Shipping best practices

• Use a tracked shipping method. If the item is lost in return transit, tracking is your proof.
• Keep the tracking number, receipt, and any label costs until the refund is fully issued.
• Pack the item as carefully as the Pro Shop packed it to you — a disc damaged in return shipping is your responsibility.
• Ship within a reasonable timeframe after the Pro Shop provides the return address (within 7 business days is typical).

Before the order ships

Message the Pro Shop as soon as possible through the platform. If they haven't shipped yet, they can cancel and issue a full refund. Pro Shops process orders at different speeds, so the faster you reach out, the better your chances.

After the order has shipped

Cancellation is no longer possible once a label has been purchased and the shipment is on its way. You'll need to wait for delivery and then request a return per the Pro Shop's policy and these platform protections.

Pro Shop-initiated cancellations

Pro Shops occasionally need to cancel an order — out of stock, a pricing error, a shipping-to-your-address issue. If this happens, you'll be refunded in full to your original payment method, usually within a few business days.

We understand that mistakes happen and sometimes buyers go straight to their card issuer. But chargebacks on a marketplace with an escrow system and a formal dispute process are counterproductive — here's why:

• Our dispute process is faster than a bank chargeback (days vs. weeks)
• We can refund you directly from escrowed funds without involving your bank
• When the bank contacts us about a chargeback for an order that was delivered and wasn't previously disputed, we typically win — because our records show delivery confirmation, the 3-day window, and no prior complaint

Filing a chargeback without first attempting to resolve through our dispute process is a violation of our Terms of Service and may result in account restrictions or termination.

If you genuinely believe you were scammed, your card was used fraudulently, or you never received an order that should have been delivered, please reach out via the Contact page first — we're faster and more flexible than a chargeback, and we have full visibility into the order, the Pro Shop, the carrier tracking, and the dispute history.

What happens if we lose a chargeback

If a chargeback is decided in your favor by your card issuer (a "lost" chargeback from our side), the order is treated the same way as a full refund: the sold listing is automatically revived to "live" on the marketplace, our sales-tax records for the order are reversed, and any payout already released to the Pro Shop is recovered. We do not separately re-refund you — the chargeback itself returned your funds.

Buyer Protection is the platform-level safety net that backstops every order on Disc.Market. It's funded by the escrow flow described above — because we hold your payment until delivery + the 3-day dispute window passes, we can refund you directly from those funds when something goes wrong, without having to claw back from the Pro Shop.

What Buyer Protection covers

• Item not received. Carrier tracking shows the package never arrived, or shows delivery to the wrong address through no fault of yours.
• Item arrived damaged in transit. Photos of the damage and packaging required. We coordinate carrier-insurance claims when the carrier is at fault.
• Significantly not as described (SNAD). The item received is materially different from the listing — wrong mold, wrong plastic, wrong weight band, undisclosed ink/damage, or condition substantially worse than the grade claimed.
• Counterfeit. The item is a counterfeit, replica, or unauthorized reproduction. Counterfeits are also a Terms violation by the Pro Shop.
• Order never shipped. Pro Shop failed to ship within their stated handling time and several days of additional grace period have passed without communication.

What Buyer Protection does NOT cover

• Buyer's remorse. You changed your mind, ordered the wrong thing, found a better price elsewhere, or the disc doesn't fly the way you hoped. Each Pro Shop sets their own return-for-remorse policy; check the listing.
• Items damaged after delivery. Once a carrier confirms delivery and the disc is in your possession, post-delivery damage (dropped, run over, cracked stepping on it, lost on a course) is not covered.
• Disagreement over subjective grading. Disc condition grading is partly subjective (a Pro Shop's "Field Tested" may be slightly stiffer than yours). Modest grading drift is not SNAD; significant misrepresentation is.
• Buyer-provided wrong shipping address. If the address you provided at checkout was incomplete or incorrect and the carrier delivered to that address, Buyer Protection does not cover the loss. Check the address before paying.
• Items refused at delivery. Refusing a package or marking it RTS at your local post office without a valid claim ends Buyer Protection eligibility.
• Disputes opened after the 3-day window. The 3-day dispute window starts when carrier tracking confirms delivery. Disputes filed after the window may still be reviewed but are not guaranteed to be honored.

How to claim Buyer Protection

1. Open the order page in your account.
2. Click "Open dispute" within the 3-day post-delivery window.
3. Pick the reason that fits and provide a description.
4. Upload photos and any other evidence (carrier tracking screenshots, message threads with the Pro Shop, comparison shots).
5. The Pro Shop has up to 3 business days to respond.
6. If it can't be resolved between you and the Pro Shop, our team reviews the evidence and decides — typically within 3–5 business days of escalation.

Outcomes

• Full refund — you get your money back from the escrowed funds; no return required for items that never arrived or that were counterfeit / clearly fraudulent.
• Refund on return — you ship the item back (Pro Shop pays return shipping when the issue is the Pro Shop's fault) and we refund on receipt.
• Partial refund — used for cases where the item is partly usable but undisclosed flaws materially reduce its value.
• Replacement / exchange — when the Pro Shop has identical inventory and you both prefer it.

Lost in transit

If carrier tracking has been stalled with no movement for an extended period (typically 7 business days after the last scan, or 14 calendar days from the ship date with no delivery, whichever comes first), we treat the package as potentially lost. Open a dispute with reason "Item not received." We'll coordinate with the carrier (USPS, UPS, FedEx) on the claim and refund you out of the escrowed funds either when the carrier confirms loss or earlier at our discretion if the evidence is clear.

Damaged in transit

Open a dispute with reason "Damaged on arrival" within the 3-day window and include photos of:

• The outer shipping box, including any visible damage to the box or label
• The interior packaging
• The damaged item itself, with the damage clearly visible

Carrier-damage claims often involve the carrier's insurance program (USPS Indemnity Claims, UPS / FedEx declared-value coverage). We'll handle the claim with the carrier on your behalf when applicable; you'll be refunded from the escrowed funds without having to wait for carrier reimbursement.

Marked delivered but not received

If the carrier marks a package "Delivered" but you don't have it: check with neighbors and household members first; check around the property (carriers sometimes hide packages to protect them); wait 24 hours (sometimes packages are scanned early). If none of that resolves it, open a dispute with reason "Item not received" and include a screenshot of the tracking page and a statement that you didn't receive the item. We'll review the carrier scan data, the geocoded delivery confirmation if available, and the Pro Shop's evidence before deciding.

For refund or return questions, the fastest path is:

1. Message the Pro Shop first from the order page — most issues (replacement, condition adjustment, return-shipping label) can be resolved directly with them.
2. Open a formal dispute from the order page if the Pro Shop can't or won't resolve it. Disputes flow through our team and are backed by the escrowed funds.
3. Use the Contact page for anything that doesn't fit — questions about a closed dispute, escalations, suspected Pro Shop policy abuse, or anything else.

We aim to respond to Contact-page messages within 24 business hours and to formal disputes within 3–5 business days. Including your order number and any relevant photos or screenshots speeds resolution significantly.