General terms and conditions of platform use

1. Who we are

BidRoom.pt is an online auction marketplace operated by BidRoom Unipessoal Lda, based in Lisbon, Portugal, registered with the Lisbon Commercial Registry. BidRoom acts as a technology intermediary between buyers and sellers and is not a contracting party in transactions on the platform.

2. Eligibility

To use the platform, you must be at least 18 years old and have legal capacity to enter into contracts. By creating an account, you declare that you meet these requirements.

3. The platform

BidRoom offers two listing formats:

• Auction (Highest Bid): buyers place real-time bids. The highest bid at the end of the period wins automatically.
• Best Offer: buyers submit offers. The seller chooses their preferred offer before the deadline. The seller is not obliged to accept any offer below the minimum price set.

BidRoom may also offer Private Rooms, an optional feature where the seller invites selected bidders to an additional round after the public auction ends.

4. Fees and payments

BidRoom charges the seller a commission on the final value of each completed transaction:

A BidRoom service fee is charged to the buyer, added to the final transaction amount. Payments are processed by Stripe and funds are held until the buyer confirms receipt.

5. Seller obligations

• The seller declares they are the legitimate owner of the listed item.
• The description and photographs must be true and complete.
• The seller has 5 business days to ship the item after payment confirmation.
• Failure to meet the shipping deadline results in automatic cancellation and a refund to the buyer.
• Prohibited items include: live animals, controlled substances, weapons, and any item illegal under Portuguese or EU law.
• Deleting a listing: the seller may delete (cancel) a listing that is still a draft, awaiting approval, or active, provided that (a) for Best Offer, there is no accepted offer and no pending offer at or above the minimum offer price; (b) for Highest Bid auctions, there are no bids; and (c) there is no winner and no active transaction. Below-minimum pending offers are automatically rejected when the listing is deleted. Listings that have already sold or have qualifying bids/offers cannot be deleted unilaterally.

6. Buyer obligations

• Auction bids are binding from the moment they are placed and cannot be withdrawn. By placing a bid, the buyer commits to pay if they win.
• Payment must be made within 48 hours of auction close or offer acceptance. Failure to pay within the deadline results in transaction cancellation, a loss of 20 reputation points, and — if the buyer has a saved payment method — a financial penalty of €10 to the seller + €20 to BidRoom. The seller is free to relist the item.
• The buyer must confirm receipt of the item within the stipulated period.
• Best Offer — withdrawing an offer: while an offer is still pending (not yet accepted or rejected by the seller), the buyer may withdraw it at any time from the listing page or from My Bets. Once the seller accepts an offer, it becomes a binding sale and can no longer be withdrawn — payment and fulfilment then follow the transaction rules.

7. Right of withdrawal and returns

BidRoom is a peer-to-peer (C2C) auction platform. In online auctions between private individuals, the right of withdrawal under Decree-Law No. 24/2014 does not apply. When one party is a professional seller (business or trader), the consumer buyer has 14 days to exercise the right of withdrawal without giving a reason, under applicable law. Returns are handled directly between buyer and seller, with BidRoom mediation in case of dispute.

8. Identity verification (KYC)

For transactions of €5,000 or more, BidRoom requires user identity verification (Know Your Customer — KYC) before allowing listing publication or auction participation. This requirement stems from anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing obligations (Law No. 83/2017). The user must provide valid identification. Refusal to complete KYC prevents use of features subject to this threshold.

9. Account suspension and closure

BidRoom may suspend or close an account in the following circumstances:

• Automatic suspension — whenever a dispute is opened, both accounts involved are automatically suspended until resolution.
• Administrative suspension — in case of suspected fraud, breach of these Terms, or activity that puts other users at risk.
• Permanent closure — in case of serious or repeated violations, or at the user's own request.

Suspended users are notified by email and may challenge the decision via contact@bidroom.pt. Transactions in progress at the time of suspension are handled case by case by BidRoom.

10. Disputes between users

In case of dispute between buyer and seller, BidRoom provides an internal mediation mechanism. Both accounts are automatically suspended during the dispute period. BidRoom's decision is binding within the platform. For unresolved disputes, users may refer to the Portuguese Centre for Consumer Conflict Arbitration (CNIACC) at cniacc.pt.

11. Reputation system and automated decisions

BidRoom operates a reputation system scored from 0 to 100, calculated automatically based on reviews received, completed transactions, and disputes. This system has concrete effects for users:

• Score ≥ 60 and zero dispute losses — eligibility for Private Rooms
• Suspicious review patterns — automatic fraud detection
• Very low score — may result in restricted functionality

Under GDPR Article 22, you have the right not to be subject solely to automated decisions that produce significant effects. To challenge an automated reputation decision, contact contact@bidroom.pt.

12. Minors

BidRoom.pt is intended exclusively for users aged 18 or over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If we learn that a minor has created an account, we will close it immediately and delete associated data. Parents or guardians who suspect a minor has created a BidRoom account should contact us at contact@bidroom.pt.

13. Intellectual property

All content on BidRoom.pt — including design, code, brand, and text — is owned by BidRoom Unipessoal Lda. Users may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works without express written authorisation.

14. Limitation of liability

BidRoom acts as a technology intermediary and is not responsible for the quality, authenticity, or legality of listed items. BidRoom's maximum liability to any user, in any circumstance, is limited to commission fees paid in the last 12 months. This limitation does not affect consumers' mandatory rights under Portuguese and EU law.

15. Applicable law and jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by Portuguese law. In case of dispute, the parties agree to submit to the courts of Lisbon, without prejudice to consumers' rights under applicable EU legislation.

16. Changes to the Terms

BidRoom reserves the right to change these Terms at any time, with at least 15 days' notice to registered users. Continued use of the platform after that period implies acceptance of the changes.

17. Non-payment penalty

When the payment deadline expires without the buyer completing payment, the following consequences are automatically applied:

• The transaction is cancelled and the listing is automatically relisted with the same conditions.
• Loss of 20 reputation points from the buyer's score.
• If the buyer has a saved payment method: automatic charge of €30 — €10 transferred to the seller and €20 retained by BidRoom as a penalty.
• A 2/5 review from BidRoom is automatically added to the buyer's profile.
• On the third payment default, the buyer's account is permanently closed.

The financial penalty applies regardless of any reason given by the buyer. By placing a bid or accepting an offer, the user expressly agrees to these terms.