Your shopping bag is empty

Go to the shop

Quality Standard

1.Introduction and objective of the Quality Standard 

At LOOP we care about the satisfaction of the Buyers – and of the Sellers. To achieve this, we need to ensure that: 

  1. The rules of the marketplace are clear;
  2. The rules of the marketplace are fair to both Buyers and Sellers;
  3. The customer experience on Refit is as good or even better than the standards to which Users have become accustomed on other leading websites and marketplaces.

This Quality Standard agreement (hereinafter “Quality Standard”), on one side, serves as a support to the Sellers as they operate on LOOP marketplace (helping them identify the appropriate actions to be taken in various situations), and, on the other side, defines the rules and legal clauses that Sellers contractually agree to follow and to be bound to (and which define the remedies that LOOP can enact if the Sellers do not comply to the rules.)

Quality Standard defines, among others, the rules related to:

  • Cosmetic and functional specifications for the products sold on LOOP;
  • Accessories;
  • Packaging, shipping and delivery of Product;
  • Returns and warranty;
  • Customer service management;
  • Gestures of goodwill 

A great customer experience is a key driver for Sellers’ performance on LOOP – and a mutually beneficially relationship between, on one side, Sellers and Buyer, and, on the other side Sellers and LOOP.

 2.Definitions and Disclaimers

  • Business Day: A business day (hereinafter "Business Day(s)") is a day of the week from Monday to Friday, excluding United States of America Federal Holidays. Weekend days (Saturday and Sunday) and Federal Holidays are not considered Business Days.
  • Business Hours: Business hours are between 8 AM and 6 PM of Business Days in the US Central Time Zone (hereinafter "Business Hour(s)").
  • When the term Business Day is used to define a period of time (for example, setting the period of time within which Seller needs to respond to an inquiry from Buyers), one Business Day indicates the amount of time lapsing between the triggering event (for example the moment of time in which a Buyer sends a communication to the Seller) and the following Business Day at the same hour. If the triggering event happens outside Business Hours, the triggering event is considered to have happened at 8 AM US Central Time Zone of the following Business Days. Examples (all hours are considered US Central Time Zone):
    • If Seller receives a request from Buyer on Friday (e.g. August 1) at 10 AM and the Seller is required to respond within one Business Day, the Seller must respond no later than the following Monday (e.g. August 4) at 10 AM (assuming that neither that Friday nor Monday are Federal Holidays);
    • If Seller receives a request from Buyer on Saturday (e.g. August 2) at 10 AM and the Seller is required to respond within one Business Day, the request is considered to have been received on Monday (e.g. August 4) at 8 AM and Seller must respond no later than the following Tuesday (e.g. August 5) at 8 AM (assuming that neither that Monday nor Tuesday are Federal Holidays).
  • Capitalized terms shall have the meaning set forth in this Quality Standard or in the Sellers Agreement.
  • This Quality Standard complements the Sellers Agreement. It must be considered an integral part of the Sellers Agreement and it does not replace nor limit the Sellers Agreement.
  • LOOP will from time to time update Quality Standard and will revise the version number and the “Last Updated” date of Quality Standard. Any changes to the Quality Standard will be effective immediately for new Seller (i.e. Seller enrolling after the date in which a new version of Quality Standard has been updated) and will be effective thirty (30) days after posting notice of such changes on the Seller portal for existing Sellers. If LOOP makes any material changes, LOOP will also send an email to existing Sellers at the last email address provided to LOOP and any material changes shall be effective for existing Sellers upon the earlier of (a) thirty (30) days after posting notice of such changes on the Seller Portal and (b) thirty (30) days after dispatch of an email notice of such changes to existing Sellers. LOOP might require existing Sellers to provide consent to the updated Agreement in a specified manner before use of the LOOP Properties is permitted. Sellers that do not agree to any change after receiving notice of such changes shall stop using the LOOP Properties. Sellers continued use of the Website, the Services and/or the Software constitutes their acceptance of such changes.
  • Sellers agree to regularly check LOOP website to view the then-current agreement.

 3.Seller commitments

This clause defines the rules to which Seller commits. In case of non-compliance with these commitments Refit has the right to intervene to solve Buyer’s issue and to charge any reasonable costs incurred to Seller.

     3.1 Functional tests

All Products sold using LOOP marketplace must undergo a thorough                  series of tests before being listed and sold on the Website. Only Products          that have completed and passed all the test and diagnosed as 100%                  functional can be sold on the Website.

 Seller must perform functional tests with one of the leading industry devices testing Software (hereinafter “Testing Software”):

 

  • Blancco
  • Blackbelt
  • FutureDial
  • PhoneCheck

Seller using a different Testing Software must either change Software and use one of those listed above or ask written confirmation from LOOP to use a different Testing Software.

LOOP reserves the right to ask Seller to provide the testing logs for the phones sold on the LOOP platform, and to block the account of Sellers that do not want or are unable to provide such logs. 

LOOP reserves the right to change the list of approved Testing Software at any time and for any reason.

Seller commits to performing all the necessary checks to ensure the device is 100% functional. For smartphones, the functional tests to be performed must include (where applicable depending on smartphone model), among others:

  • Clean IMEI (not blacklisted for either theft or outstanding financial payments)
  • All activation locks disabled (e.g. iCloud)
  • Data clear
  • Power on
  • Battery charge
  • Battery health
  • Network connection and compatibility (3G/ 4G / 5G / LTE, etc.)
  • Carrier lock and compatibility (unlocked or compatible with at least one US Carrier)
  • Microphones
  • LCD
  • Dead pixel
  • Burn-in
  • Backlight
  • Digitizer function
  • Touch sensitivity
  • Speakers
  • Cameras (front and rear, cameras and video functions)
  • Wi-Fi
  • Bluetooth
  • GPS
  • Proximity sensors
  • Accelerometer
  • Screen rotation
  • Vibrator
  • Fingerprint and facial recognition function (Face ID, Touch ID)
  • Camera flash
  • Charging port
  • Headphone jack
  • SIM card holder
  • Exterior Buttons (home, volume, mute, power, etc.)
  • Operational Reset
  • Jailbreak
  • Oxidation
  • LDI (Liquid Damage Indicator)

Every smartphone sold on LOOP marketplace must have a battery health of at least 80% (vs. its optimal capacity). If the battery does not have achieve this standard Seller must replace it with a new one. 

Seller is not allowed to sell Product with LDI that indicate that the Product has liquid damage. 

Seller must be able to accurately identify the carrier network compatibility of each smartphone and provide the information to LOOP in order to be communicated and displayed on the Website. 

Seller is responsible for the quality of the Product. Seller understands that Products with low quality might result in high return rate and understands that this might result in lower sales and, if the problem is persistent, in the suspension or closing of the Seller’s account. 

3.2 Cosmetic grading

 The cosmetic grade (also known as external grade) of Products is a key element of the Product quality and of the consumer experience. The cosmetics of the Product is the first thing that consumers see and analyze when receiving the Product from Sellers and must strictly correspond to one of the three grades listed below. One scratch or a chip is enough to make a Product drop into a lower grade and runs the risk of generating an unwanted return from a dissatisfied Buyer.

 The table below provides some definitions of terms used in the grading table.

Table 1:  Grading Definitions

 

The following table shows the three grades allowed on the Website as they are communicated to the consumers. Note that:

 

  1. This table mixes functional and grading tables;
  2. Both the functional and cosmetic information are, on purpose, a simplified version of the information and requirements communicated to Sellers

Table 2: Consumer Grading Table

 

The following table shows the technical cosmetic grading definition that Sellers need to follow when assigning a grade to the Products sold on Website.

 

Table 3:  Technical Grading Definitions

 

 

 

  • Product information

 

Seller must communicate complete and correct information about the Product and the terms and conditions of the sale to the Buyer at all times during the interaction with the Buyer. Seller must also provide to the Buyer all the pre-contractual information required by law including the Buyer’s legal right of withdrawal.

 

  • Inventory Management

 

Seller must regularly check and update the inventory available on the Website and ensure that the inventory listed on the Website is actually available for purchase for Buyers.

 

In case of inventory error and inability to fulfill the order placed by Buyer, Seller must communicate the order cancellation to the Buyer within and no later than one (1) business day from the order being placed by Buyer. In order to avoid order cancellations, LOOP authorizes Sellers to offer the Buyer an alternative similar Product (hereinafter “Similar Product”) within one (1) business day of the order being placed.

 

Similar Product must have the following characteristics:

 

  • Same brand as original order (e.g. Apple)
  • Same model or more recent model than the original order (e.g. iPhone 7 or 8 in exchange of an iPhone 7)
  • Same or different color than original order
  • Same of higher storage capacity than original order
  • Same or higher cosmetic grade than original order

 

Similar Product must be explicitly approved by Buyer, even if of higher quality. Seller may not send a Product of lower quality than the initial order. Similar Product must be offered at the same price as the original order. The workflow below summarizes the options available to Seller as it relates to orders and inventory issues:

 

Workflow 1: Inventory Issues Management 

If Seller’s order cancellation rate exceeds 5% due to Seller failure, LOOP reserve the right charge Seller a fee equal to fifty percent (50%) of LOOP’s lost commissions on the canceled order in the previous sixty (60) days until and / or to temporarily suspend Seller’s Website account until LOOP assesses that the issues leading to the excessive cancellation rate have been resolved.

 

  • Accessories

For Smartphones and Tablets, Seller must include the following accessories with the following specifications:

 

Accessories to be Included

Specifications

Charger

o   Compatible with Product

o   Cube (wall charger) and cable in case these are two different units (e.g. Apple iPhones)

o   MFi certified for all Apple product

o   Compatible with US plugs: no adaptor allowed

 

If Seller does not include the Compatible charger or if the charger sent to Buyer does not conform with the specifications included in Quality Standard, LOOP reserves the right to offer a Gesture of Goodwill (as defined in Section 3.8.4. of Quality Standard) to the Buyer in case the Seller does not respond to a complaint from the Buyer or a request from LOOP.

  • Packaging

The Seller must follow the following packaging guidelines:

 

  • Use box that is rigid and has flaps intact
  • Do not reuse a box that has been previously used to ship different products
  • Wrap each item individually (product and accessory)
  • Use at least two inches of cushioning between each of items and inside of the box
  • Do not leave empty space (having insufficient filler material in package causes products to bounce around inside the box and get damaged along the way)
  • Do not overfilled box (to avoid box bursting during shipping or delivery)
  • Consider adding a printed copy of the invoice (see section 7.4)
  • Include the LOOP delivery slip, which can be found in the Seller Portal Orders page after an order is accepted by Seller (As a reminder, it is essential to include this as they include instructions for the Buyer to open a Customer Service Request on the LOOP platform)
  • Do not include marketing/branding belonging to the Seller, neither outside nor inside the box
  • Do not include any suggestion, invitation or details that would allow the Buyer to contact Seller directly (this includes, bit is not limited to, email address, phone number, cell phone number, etc.)
  • Use strong shipping tape
  • Do not use string or paper over-wrap
  • Use a single address label with clear delivery and return information
  • Do not bundle several boxes together
  • Follow all applicable laws and regulations regarding packaging and shipping, especially regarding the shipping of products containing batteries (e.g. use of UN 3481 label)
  • Take a picture of the front and back of the Product and keep them in file
  • Take a picture of the inside of the box and the outside of the box and keep them in file

 

 

  • Shipping and delivery

 

  • Shipping time

 

Seller understands and agrees that fulfilling the delivery within the delivery estimate is essential for a good customer experience.

 

Seller will indicate on the Website the delivery time by considering

 

  • The time needed to prepare the shipment (maximum one (1) Business Day from the moment the order has been placed by the Buyer (see section 2)), and
  • The time needed by the carrier to ship and deliver the package.

 

Seller shall respect the delivery time displayed on its listings. Seller will communicate any shipping and / or delivery delays (including a new expected delivery date) to Buyer as soon as this information is available in order to limit customer dissatisfaction.

 

 

  • Shipping options and cost

 

Seller must provide a minimum of two (2) shipping options to Buyer. At least one of those option must be free of any cost for Buyer. Seller is allowed to charge to Buyer the difference of the cost between the free option and any other faster option that might selected by Buyer.

 

  • Order tracking information 

Seller must set up the shipping to Buyer using the tools available on the Website.

Seller must communicate to the Buyer through the Website the name of the shipping carrier and the tracking number corresponding to the Buyer’s order as soon as the information is available, no later than one (1) Business Day after the order has been placed.

 

Seller must ensure that the package leaves its premises not later than one (1) business day after the Buyer receives the tracking number.

 

Seller understand that the tracking number cannot be changed once it is uploaded on the Website.

 

 

  • Invoicing

 

Seller is responsible for sending the Buyer an invoice. Invoice must include all mandatory information required by law.

 

Seller must include Product’s IMEI number (or the Serial Number of Product does not have an IMEI number) on the invoice. If the IMEI and/or serial number was not provided by the Seller, LOOP will

decide in favor of Buyer any claims and / or dispute that might have been (more easily) solved by having the IMEI number on the invoice.

 

 

The Seller can send the invoice to the Buyer either by (a) printing it and including it in the box containing the Product, or (b) electronically via the tool available on the Website.

 

In the event that Buyer requests their invoice via the LOOP interface, Seller must send it within one (1) Business Day even if it has already been sent previously.

 

Seller is responsible for any losses or theft that happen before the Product is received by the Buyer. Seller shall cover each shipment with an appropriate insurance policy.

 

 

  • Customer support

 

Seller shall offer a customer support service to the Buyer in line with the best reasonable industry standard, to achieve a great and positive customer experience.

 

 

  • Communication with the Buyer

 

Seller must manage all communications and customer service requests with the Buyer the Seller Portal. If a Buyer attempts to contact the Seller outside of the Website, the Seller must reroute the conversation back to the Website. Seller understands that is key in order to allow LOOP to stay up to date on the in interaction between Seller and Buyer and, where necessary, intervene and/or respond directly to Seller or Buyer questions.

 

Seller is responsible for the protection of Buyer’s information and will treat all communication and with Buyer and Buyer’s confidential information with the highest confidentiality standard.

 

If requested by Buyer and if this makes the resolution of the issue more efficient, Seller may contact the Buyer by phone directly. In that case, Seller must record all interactions on the LOOP platform.

 

Seller shall answer Buyer’s requests within no more than one (1) business day from Buyer’s request. If Seller does not comply with this timing, LOOP reserves the right to intervene directly to accelerate support.

 

Seller shall communicate proactively, sending a message to inform of any event and progress in the process (for example, sending a message when a return has been received, at the start of diagnostics, at the start of repair, with the details of the repairs performed, with detailed repair costs breakdown, when Product is shipped out to the Buyer). Regular updates help manage customer expectations and are important for managing Buyer’s satisfaction.

 

Seller should write well-structured, professional and pleasant messages, using full sentences, addressing the customer by name (e.g. “Hi John”), acknowledging Buyer’s issues (e.g. “We are very sorry”) and ending with polite salutations (e.g. “Best regards”). In order to minimize the number of exchanges, Seller should communicate concisely and clearly, addressing each and all of the issues and questions raised by Buyer.

 

 

  • Shipping disputes

 

If the package gets lost during shipment before being delivered to Buyer, Seller shall reimburse to Buyer the cost of the Product and any shipment costs incurred by Buyer. Seller shall reimburse Buyer within maximum three (3) business days from the moment in which the shipping carrier has confirmed the loss or theft of the Product. Seller will communicate the status of the search and actions taken to Buyer all along the process.

 

If Buyer does not receive a package or receives the package without the Product despite the shipping carrier’s delivery confirmation Seller shall file a claim with the shipping carrier. LOOP will send an email explaining the process to be followed. Seller will follow the process, request evidence to Buyer (Buyer Photo ID; Sworn statement confirming the Buyer did not receive the Package and that he/she will notify the Seller he/she does; Any proof the Buyer is able to provide – e.g. picture of the damaged box) and file a claim. Seller shall reimburse to Buyer the cost of the Product and any shipment costs incurred by Buyer within maximum three (3) business days from the moment in which it has filed the claim. Seller will communicate the status of the search and actions taken to Buyer all along the process.

 

These two processes described above in this section 3.8.2 are further detailed in Workflow 2:

 

Workflow 2: Shipping Disputes – Missing Package or Product

               

 

If Buyer receives a damaged parcel with damages to the Product and requests a refund Seller must:

 

  1. Ask Buyer to provide the following within 24 hours from receiving the parcel
    1. Picture of the damaged package
    2. Picture of the damaged product
    3. Picture of the package label with tracking number
  2. Send a pre-payed shipping label to Buyer and ensure Buyer sends the product back
  3. File a claim with the shipping carrier
  4. Within three (3) Business Days from receiving the Product, send a similar product to Buyer or refund to Buyer the cost of the Product and any shipment costs incurred by Buyer.

 

If Seller receives a return (that is not a warranty claim) with missing or severely damaged Product, Seller should follow the process indicated below:

 

Workflow 3: Shipping Disputes – Return with Missing or Broken Product

 

 

 

If Buyer requests to change the shipping address after having issued an order, Seller shall:

 

  • Notify Buyer that Seller is unable to do so for fraud liability reasons;
  • Offer to cancel the order and invite Buyer to issue a new order with the correct address;
  • Cancel initial order only after receiving confirmation from Buyer not to ship;

 

Seller should connect with LOOP support for any issue not covered in the Quality Standard.

 

  • Returns

 

Following a return request from Buyer, Seller should:

 

  1. Communicates clear return instructions, ensuring Buyers is informed to, among others:
    1. Delete all personal information from Product, including passwords, Google account etc.
    2. Unlock Product (e.g. iCloud lock)
    3. Reset Product
    4. Include Product and all accessories
    5. Package product in a secure way
  2. Where applicable, provide a return label (see section 3.8.3.3. for additional information)
  3. Use the same template with all Buyers (recommended templates can be provided by LOOP upon request).

 

  • 30 days returns 

In accordance with the applicable laws and the Sellers Agreement, Seller must accept returns for 30 days from delivery to client. When an order is refunded, the refund must include:

  • The total amount of the order (taxes included)
  • Shipping costs paid by the Buyer upon placing the order
  • Any other costs incurred by the Buyer in order to return the Product.

Sellers shall not charge a restocking fee, defined as any fee that is charged for accepting returned goods.

 Seller is however allowed to deduct the reasonable cost of accessories (e.g. no more than $15 for a charger) from the refund amount if Buyer does not return the accessories.

 Warranty returns

 Troubleshooting

 Seller shall have and perform a remote troubleshooting process to diagnose most common Product functionality issues with Buyers and avoid an unnecessary return.

Examples of common issues and troubleshooting are provided below:

 Change of address

If, following a Product return under warranty, Buyer requests a Product to be delivered to a different address than the one initially mentioned in the order, and if this request is clearly made before the shipment of the new or repaired Product, Seller must agree to it. If Product is delivered to the wrong address, Seller will have to find a solution for the Buyer and will bear all associated costs. Seller shall always confirm the shipping address of Buyers for Product return.

 Accessories 

Accessories have the same warranty as the Product. If Buyer sends the Product with accessories or screen protector, Seller must send Product back to Buyer with same or new equivalent accessories / protectors.

 Multiple returns

If Buyer has to send back the Product a second time for technical issues, Seller must swap the Product with an identical product or, if that same product is not available, Seller must refund the entire purchase price and costs incurred by Buyer. 

If Buyer has to send back the Product a third (or more) time for technical issues, Seller must offer to refund the entire purchase price and costs incurred by Buyer. If the offer is not accepted it must swap the Product with an identical product or, if that same product is not available, Seller must refund the entire purchase price and costs incurred by Buyer.

 Shipment timing 

Seller shall repair or replace and ship the Product back to Buyer, or refund Buyer, no later than five (5) Business Days after receiving the returned Product under warranty from Buyer. If Seller is not able to repair or replace the product within ten (10) Business Days, Seller shall refund Buyer. 

Seller shall send new tracking information to Buyer for all packages sent to Buyer.

 Warranty extensions 

“Warranty Process Business Days” is defined as the number of Business Days between the day Seller receives the warranty return from Buyer and the day Seller ships the Product, or its replacement, back to Buyer.

“Warranty Process Days” is defined as the number of calendar days between the day Seller receives the warranty return from Buyer and the day Seller ships the Product, or its replacement, back to Buyer. 

Seller will extend the warranty for each Product subject to warranty return under the following circumstances:

  1. If Warranty Process Business Days is longer than seven (7) Business Days, Seller will extend the warranty by Warranty Process Days;
  2. Following the repair of a specific problem, Seller will warranty that repair for the longest between (i) three (3) months from the day Buyer receives the Product back from Seller and (ii) the remainder warranty period on the Product;
  3. Following the exchange of a Product under warranty, Seller will warranty the replaced Product for the longest between (i) three (3) months from the day Buyer receives the replacement Product from Seller and (ii) the remainder warranty period on the original Product. 

If the Seller does not honor the warranty extension, LOOP reserves the right to enforce the warranty extension and to charge Seller any cost incurred by LOOP, up to the cost to replace the Product with an equivalent one.

Warranty exclusions 

Seller is not required to cover under the warranty a Product returned by Buyer if the defect of the Product is due to a cause that is not included in the Seller’s warranty.

If Seller receives a Product that is not covered under Seller’s warranty the Seller shall within three (3) Business Days from the receipt of the Product:

  1. Communicate to Buyer the warranty exclusion;
  2. Communicate to Buyer the reasons and proof for this exclusion;
  3. Offer Buyer to repair the Product (offering a repair quote) and / or to ship Product back the Product at Buyer’s cost. 

If Seller does not provide this information within on time, Seller will have to cover the costs of the repair or the exchange and of the shipment of the repaired or exchanged Product to the Buyer.

 In the event that the cause of the defect is oxidation and Buyer disputes the warranty exclusion, Seller has to prove (via product tests and / or relevant photo) that the Product delivered to Buyer was not oxidized prior to shipping. Seller shall honor the warranty if it is not able to provide such proof. 

Warranty is offered by Seller and Seller is responsible for honoring the warranty, even if it uses a third party to repair or exchange the Product.

 Prepaid return label 

Seller shall send pre-paid (i.e. pre-paid by Seller) return label in the following cases:

  • During the 30-day return period if the Product is defective
  • During the 30-day return period if the Product was listed incorrectly
  • During the warranty period if Product is defective 

Seller does not need to provide a return label if the Buyer chooses to return the Product during the 30-day return period for non-defective reasons (“Buyer’s Remorse”). Seller shall however provide detailed instructions to ensure Buyer understands his/her obligations (see beginning of clause 3.8.3.) 

Where applicable, Seller shall provide the return label to Buyer within one (1) Business Day following Buyer’s request.

Seller shall be responsible for any theft, loss or damage during transportation and shall reimburse Buyer if the return label has not been sent via the regular return process and as a consequence of that Buyer sent the return via an uninsured shipment.

 Gestures of Goodwill

“Gestures of Goodwill” are discounts, small refunds, free products or accessories that Seller could offer to Buyer if it has not fulfilled all of its obligations according to the Quality Standard and / or when Buyer reports an unsatisfactory experience. LOOP strongly advises Seller to consider offering Gestures of Goodwill when appropriate, and specifically in the cases listed in this clause. LOOP reserves the right to offer Gestures of Goodwill directly to Buyer if and when LOOP believes that its appropriate, either if Seller does not offer a Gesture of Goodwill and/or Seller does not offer a Gesture of Goodwill in a timely manner (typically within one (1) Business Days from an issue arising) and/or in addition to the Gestures of Goodwill offered by Seller.

The table below shows example of suggested Gesture of Goodwill 

 4.LOOP support

LOOP will appoint an Account Manager to Seller. The Account Manager will be Seller’s point of contact and will provide:

 

  • General support, particularly during the first few weeks from registering on LOOP
  • Tools necessary to improve your commercial performance
  • Training and testing on the platform
  • Issue-specific support
  • Administrative support
  • Regular updates on sales and quality performance
  • Potential opportunities to increase sales and quality performance

 

During your first few weeks live on LOOP, LOOP might limit, at its sole discretion, the number of sales Seller can make per day. Once LOOP is satisfied that Seller is complying with the terms of Quality Standard, LOOP will notify Seller and will remove the limits on the number of sale transactions.

 

LOOP may communicate with Buyers and Sellers via the Customer Service Requests section in the Back Office, in order to support Seller through its Service Requests management.

 

The Account Manager will be available on Business Days during normal business hours.

 

img

Added to cart successfully!

×
Welcome Newcomer