Terms of service
The commercial basis on which TrustDeal administers a protected deal. Signed deal terms take precedence wherever they are more specific.
These are summary website terms. The signed deal terms and the payment partner's conditions govern each transaction.
1. Who we are
TrustDeal Ltd., Company No. 20481937, registered at 12 Vitosha Boulevard, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria. “TrustDeal”, “we” and “us” refer to that company. “You” means the buyer, the seller or both, as the context requires.
We administer protected transactions for qualifying high-value goods. We are not the seller, the buyer, an authenticator, a broker or an insurer.
2. What escrow means here
Escrow means funds are held by a neutral party and released only when the agreed conditions are satisfied. Once a deal is funded, neither party may unilaterally retrieve or redirect the principal. Release follows the accepted terms, a written variation or a dispute determination.
3. Eligibility & verification
Both parties must be at least 18, legally able to contract and pass our KYC/AML checks before funding. We may request photo ID, proof of address, liveness, company documents, beneficial-ownership data and source-of-funds evidence.
We may decline or pause a deal where verification is incomplete, where title is unclear, where sanctions or PEP matches arise, or where the item falls outside scope. A declined deal costs nothing if no funds have moved.
4. Deal terms
Every deal requires written terms accepted by both parties covering at minimum: item description, price and currency, inspection window, transit method, fee arrangement, release conditions and dispute path. Chat messages supplement but do not replace the accepted terms unless both parties and the desk record a written variation.
By accepting terms you confirm the description is accurate and that you have authority to sell or funds to buy, as applicable.
5. Fees
Escrow fees follow the published sliding scale with a €95 minimum, or a private-office quote. The fee, payer and any third-party costs are fixed in the terms before funding. Additional costs (authentication, transit, insurance, FX) are quoted separately and passed through at cost.
The fee is earned once funds are secured and the deal room is live. It is retained on a full refund after funding and remains based on the original value after a partial adjustment.
6. Funding & custody
Funding instructions are issued only in the deal room or by the assigned desk from our official number. Client funds are held in segregated client accounts with a regulated payment institution, separate from our operating funds. A deal is funded only when cleared funds are visible to us.
The buyer bears its own transfer and FX costs. Funds sent to incorrect details by the buyer without confirmation are recovered where possible but remain the buyer's risk.
7. Inspection & release
The buyer must inspect within the agreed window, using an independent authenticator where the category requires it. Release may be given at any time. If the buyer neither confirms nor disputes within the window, auto-release applies as stated in the terms.
Release is irrevocable once paid out, except in cases of proven fraud or title defect identified under the dispute path.
8. Disputes
A party disputes by notifying the desk in writing with evidence before the release deadline. Funds are paused. The desk reviews the terms, reports and submissions and may propose a return, adjustment or full release. If agreement fails, the dispute desk issues a written determination based on the evidence and the accepted terms.
Determinations are commercially binding on the escrow instruction. Underlying sale contract claims remain between the parties.
9. Cancellation & refunds
Either party may cancel before funding at no charge. After funding, cancellation requires both parties' written agreement or a dispute determination. Approved refunds are returned to the original funding source after deduction of the earned fee and third-party costs.
10. Title & authenticity
The seller warrants good and marketable title, free of liens, and that the item is lawfully theirs to sell. Authentication opinions come from independent specialists and are recorded, not adopted as our own. A failed authentication during the window is treated as a material non-conformity.
11. Transit & insurance
Transit method and insurance are agreed in the terms. High-value goods require tracked, insured, signature-on-delivery carriage. Risk passes per the carrier's conditions and the agreed terms. The desk records dispatch, tracking and handover.
12. Limits of our role
We provide administration, not a guarantee of the item's quality, rarity, investment performance or fitness for purpose. Our aggregate liability in a deal is capped at the greater of the escrow fee or the principal held, except for fraud or wilful misconduct. We are not liable for indirect or consequential loss.
13. Complaints, data & governing law
Complaints: write to [email protected] with your deal reference; a named manager responds within two business days. Data handling is described in our privacy & AML notice. Bulgarian law governs; the courts of Sofia have jurisdiction, without prejudice to mandatory consumer protections.
Questions about these terms? Contact the desk before funding.