A fair question, and the answer should be mechanism rather than reassurance. So here is what actually stands between you and a bad outcome.
The money does not go to the seller
Not when you pay. It comes to us and is released after the item reaches you. If nothing arrives, the money has not gone anywhere. The full explanation.
This is the single most important thing on this page.
Sellers are checked before they can take money
Identity, and a payout account in that same verified name. That does not prove somebody has good taste or packs well. It proves there is a real, identifiable person behind the shop, and that money cannot be collected by somebody untraceable.
A dispute reaches a person
Within 48 hours. Photographs, the order, both sides, a decision.
What we do not do, and you should know it
- We do not authenticate items. We check the seller, not the stock. For categories where fakes are a real problem, the judgement is yours — ask the seller to show the tells, and treat a refusal as an answer.
- We do not value things. What something is worth is what the room pays.
- We cannot help with a deal taken off Metzee. No held money, no record, nothing to act on.
- We do not mediate taste.
A marketplace that claims to protect you from everything is lying about at least one of them.
What you can do
Ask for the detail. Measurements, the back, the hallmark, the label, the flaw. It is normal and a good seller expects it.
Watch what the seller does when asked something awkward. That is more informative than any badge.
Questions people ask
Is my payment information safe?
We never see your card. Payment is handled by the payment provider; what reaches us is whether it succeeded.
What does Metzee do with my phone number?
It verifies your account and carries notifications. Sellers do not get it.
Can a seller see my address?
After you have paid, yes — they have to send you the thing. Not before.
What if a seller turns out to be fake?
Report them from the show or the listing. The money has not reached them.
How do I know a show is not staged?
Sellers bidding on their own items is banned and acted on. If something looks wrong, report it.
Does Metzee own what is being sold?
No. You are buying from the seller; we handle the room, the money and the dispute.