Information for traders
Plenty of local businesses use Thanet Market: shops, dealers, tradespeople, landlords and people who buy and sell for a living. You’re welcome here. The only rule is that buyers must be able to tell you’re a business, because the law gives them different rights when they buy from one.
- No fees
- No commission
- No payments through the site
Are you a business seller?
Under UK consumer law, including the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, you count as a trader if you’re selling as part of your trade, business, craft or profession. In practice that includes you if any of these apply:
Setting up a business account
Go to your account and switch the account type to Business. Your listings then carry a Business seller badge, and you get a storefront page that collects everything you’ve posted. You’ll be asked for the details the law says a trader must show:
- your trading name and the legal name behind it, if different;
- a geographic address (not just a PO box) and a way to contact you;
- your company number if you’re a company, and your VAT number if you’re VAT-registered.
These show on your storefront. Posing as a private seller when you’re trading is a breach of consumer protection law and of our community rules. Anyone can report it using the report form, and we remove listings and suspend accounts over it.
Switch to a business accountWhat buyers can expect from you
When someone buys from a trader, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies. Goods must be as described, of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose. If they aren’t, the buyer has the right to reject them for a full refund within 30 days, and after that to a repair or replacement, or a partial refund, for up to six years.
Because sales on Thanet Market are agreed and completed in person, the 14-day cooling-off period for distance selling does not usually apply. A buyer who inspects an item, pays and takes it away can’t simply change their mind. But faulty-goods rights apply regardless of where the sale happened, so describe things honestly and say clearly if something is sold as seen for parts or repair.
Private sellers don’t have these obligations, which is exactly why buyers need to know which one you are.
Vehicles, phones and other watched categories
If an account posts a few vehicle or phone listings within 90 days, we ask a simple question: are you a business? Answering yes switches you to a business account. Answering no when it’s plainly a trade will get the listings taken down. It’s not a punishment, just the point at which the law expects buyers to be told.
Anything else?
No fees, no commission and no payments go through the site, so you deal with customers directly.