Buyer protection & marketplace rules

Last updated 3 October 2026

Stall connects students and campus businesses at schools across Nigeria. These rules keep buying and selling safe. By using Stall you agree to follow them.

How your order is protected

Pay only through Stall's checkout. Never send money to a seller outside the app. Payments made outside Stall are not covered.
Keep your chats in Stall. Message sellers with the in-app chat so there's a record if anything goes wrong. A seller asking you to pay them directly or by bank transfer is a red flag: tap Report in the chat.
Your release code is your proof of delivery. After your payment is confirmed you get a release code. Give it to the seller only after you have the item in your hands and have checked it.
Check before you hand over the code. Make sure the item matches the photos and description (model, size, colour, condition, quantity).
Stall holds your money until you have your order. The seller is paid when they enter your release code or when you tap "I've got it".
Giving your release code means you accept the item. The handover is final, so check first. Stall's part ends at the handover.
Once the order is released, it is complete and treated as delivered.

Fair for both sides

The same rules protect buyers and sellers, so neither side can hold the other's money or walk away unfairly. You agree to them when you pay for an order or first list an item.

Cancelling. Buyers can cancel for free, with a full refund, until the seller marks the order packed. A seller can cancel at any time and the buyer is refunded, but cancelling after packing counts as a strike.
Sending on time. If the seller doesn't move an order on (packed, on the way or ready for pickup) within 24 hours of the last step, the buyer is refunded automatically and the seller gets a strike.
Paying on time. Once an order is on the way or ready for pickup, the seller is paid automatically after 24 hours unless the buyer reports a problem. We remind the buyer a day before.
Handover without the code. If the buyer has the item but won't give the code, the seller taps "I handed it over". The buyer then has 30 minutes to confirm or report a problem, or the seller is paid.
No-shows. If the buyer doesn't come to collect or can't be reached, the seller can cancel. The buyer is refunded and gets a strike, which they can remove within 24 hours by saying it isn't true.
Settling it yourselves. After a problem report, the other side can tap "Accept" (the seller refunds, or the buyer releases the money), or the side that reported can withdraw it. Settling never gives anyone a strike.
Ratings both ways. Buyers rate sellers and sellers rate buyers. Sellers can post one public reply to each review. Seller profiles show how many orders they cancelled or didn't send in the last 90 days.
Strikes. A strike is given for a late cancel, a no-show, not sending in time, or a problem report you lose or don't answer. 3 strikes in 30 days is a warning. 5 pause the account for 14 days (no buying or listing; paid orders carry on).

If something goes wrong: buyers, don't give the release code. Either side can open the order and tap Report a problem before it is released, with a photo if possible. The money stays on hold. The other side has 4 hours to accept it or give their side; if they don't, it's decided for the side that reported it. Otherwise we look at both sides, the order details, photos and your chat, and decide. If the item never came or wasn't as described, the buyer is refunded in full. If the seller delivered as described, the seller is paid. Reports that turn out to be false count as a strike.

How we check listings

Every new listing's photos are checked automatically against its title and description before buyers can see it. Anything unclear is reviewed by a person.
Photos must show the actual item for sale, not stock images, screenshots or someone else's photos.
Stock counts must be honest. When an item runs out, mark it sold out or update the number.

Sellers must

Describe items truthfully, including faults, and deliver what was shown.
Deliver or hand over within the time agreed, and move orders on in the app (packed, on the way, ready), or cancel before packing if they can't.
Let the buyer check the item before asking for the release code.
Never ask for the release code before the buyer has the item.
Use their own real name and a bank account in their own name.

Items you can't sell on Stall

Weapons, ammunition, explosives or anything designed to hurt people
Drugs, including prescription-only medicine, codeine syrups, tramadol and similar, and drug paraphernalia
Alcohol and tobacco or vapes, to anyone, on any campus
Exam questions, leaked papers, "expo", assignment or project writing for submission, or fake certificates and documents
Stolen goods, counterfeit or fake-brand items sold as original
Adult or sexual content or services
Live animals, human hair or body parts obtained illegally, or anything else illegal in Nigeria
Bank accounts, SIM cards registered to someone else, ATM cards, or login details
Get-rich-quick schemes, forex or crypto "investment" offers, loans, and betting services

We remove listings that break these rules and may suspend or ban the account, and report serious cases to the school or the police.

Meeting safely

Meet in busy, public places on campus during the day.
Bring a friend for expensive items. Test gadgets before you hand over the code.
Never share your password, bank PIN or OTPs with anyone, including anyone claiming to be from Stall.