Terms of Service

Simplify & Sell runs a website where estate sale companies hold timed online auctions and buyers bid on the items. These terms apply to everyone who uses the site. By creating an account, bidding or listing a sale, you agree to them. Our Privacy Policy explains what we do with your information.

1. Who sells what

Every sale is run by an independent estate sale company (the “seller”). The seller owns or has the right to sell each item, writes and approves its listing, sets its terms and hands it over at pickup. Simplify & Sell provides the venue and handles payment. We are not the auctioneer, we don't own the items, and we don't inspect them.

2. Accounts

• You must be 18 or older and give accurate details, including a phone number we can verify.
• To bid, you add a payment card. You are responsible for everything done through your account.
• We may suspend accounts that break these terms, don't pay, repeatedly miss pickups, or misuse the site.

3. Bidding

• A bid is a binding offer to buy the lot at that price plus the buyer's premium and any tax. If you are the highest bidder when the lot closes, you have bought it.
• You set a maximum bid; we bid for you, only as much as needed to keep you in the lead, up to that maximum.
• Lots close one after another. A bid in the last minutes of a lot extends that lot's close so everyone gets a fair chance.
• Bids can't be taken back, so check the amount before you bid. If you make an obvious mistake, contact us straight away; we may cancel it, at our discretion.
• When your bids are winning more than $500 in total across open lots, we may place a temporary hold on your card for that amount before accepting another bid. A hold is not a charge; it is released when the lots close or after six days.
• Sellers and their staff can't bid in their own sales.

4. Price, premium and tax

• Each sale shows its buyer's premium, a percentage added to the winning bid. The lot page shows what you would pay before tax.
• As the marketplace, Simplify & Sell collects and pays the sales tax that applies to your purchase. Buyers with an approved resale certificate aren't charged tax in that state.

5. Payment

• When a sale closes we charge the card on your account for everything you won in it: winning bids, buyer's premium and tax. You authorize these charges when you bid.
• If a charge fails, we tell you and try again. If it still can't be collected, the lot may be offered to the next highest bidder and your account may be suspended.

6. Pickup and abandoned lots

• Items are picked up in person at the seller's location, during the pickup times the seller offers. After you pay, you book a time; the address is shared then.
• Bring help and transport for large items. The seller's crew checks your pickup pass.
• If you don't collect your items within 48 hours after the sale's last pickup time, they are forfeited: they are no longer yours, and you are not refunded.

7. Condition, problems and refunds

• Items are used and sold as described in the listing and photos. Inspect them at pickup; signing for your order confirms you received it.
• If an item is missing, damaged or significantly different from its listing, report it from your order page as soon as you can. We review reports with the seller and may refund all or part of the price.
• Please contact us before disputing a charge with your bank; a dispute pauses the review of your report.

8. For sellers

• You confirm that you own or have the right to sell every item you list, that your listings are accurate, and that you hold any licence your state requires to run an auction.
• You don't list items that are illegal to sell or restricted, such as firearms, ivory, taxidermy and other protected wildlife, prescription drugs, alcohol, recalled products or goods that can't legally be exported. The site flags some of these, but the responsibility is yours.
• You are the seller of record and are responsible for your items, their condition and the pickup. You deal fairly with buyers and honour every sale.
• Fees: Simplify & Sell keeps 4% of winning bids, capped at $1,500 per sale. You receive the winning bids and the buyer's premium, less that fee. We pay card processing fees and handle sales tax.
• Payouts: each order is paid out to your bank account through our payment processor once the buyer has signed for it and the sale's last pickup time has ended. Lots your crew marks as missing aren't paid out. If a buyer is refunded for a problem with your item, the refunded amount may be taken from your payouts.
• If a buyer disputes a charge with their bank, we may hold or recover the payout for that order until the dispute is resolved.
• Payouts and tax forms are handled through your account with our payment processor, Stripe.

9. Acceptable use

Don't use the site to defraud, harass, scrape, bid without intending to pay, bid on your own lots, or interfere with how it works. We may remove listings or content that break these terms.

10. Liability

The site is provided as is. To the extent the law allows, Simplify & Sell is not liable for the items sold, for sellers' or buyers' conduct, or for indirect losses, and our total liability to you is limited to the fees we earned from your transactions in the 12 months before the claim.

11. Disputes and the law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Washington. If you have a problem, contact us first and we will try to resolve it.

12. Changes

We may update these terms. We will post the new version here with its date, and tell account holders about significant changes. Continuing to use the site after that means you accept them.