BBBBarbertonBidding Battles

Buyer Protection

Your money is safe. Here's how we protect every purchase.

The BBB Guarantee

Your payment is held in escrow from the moment you win an auction. Funds are never released to the seller until the collection code is verified and BBB administration approves the payout.

How escrow protects you

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Payment held securely

When you win or use Buy Now, your payment is collected via PayFast and held in escrow by BBB — not sent to the seller until collection is confirmed.

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Unique collection code

Once payment is confirmed, you receive a unique BBB-XXXXXXXX code and QR in your dashboard. Only you have this code — the seller must enter it to confirm the handover.

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Admin-reviewed release

After the seller enters your collection code, BBB administration is notified and manually reviews the transaction before releasing funds. Payouts are typically processed within 24 hours.

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Dispute window

If something goes wrong after collection, raise a dispute within 24 hours. Funds remain frozen until the dispute is resolved by BBB administration.

When to raise a dispute

  • Item is significantly not as described
  • Item has undisclosed damage or defects
  • Item is different from what was listed
  • Seller does not show up within the collection window
  • You suspect the item may be stolen (report to SAPS immediately)

Disputes must be raised within 24 hours of collection or the collection deadline. Once funds have been released by admin the sale is considered final.

What you are NOT covered for

  • Change of mind after funds have been released
  • Defects that were clearly disclosed in the listing
  • Items collected without using the official BBB collection code process
  • Transactions completed outside of the BBB platform (side-deals)

Never complete a transaction outside of BBB. Buyer protection only applies to in-platform purchases verified with the collection code system.

Your rights as a consumer

Under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, you have rights regarding the quality and honest representation of goods. Sellers provide an implied warranty that items are free of undisclosed defects. BBB's dispute system operates within these rights. For unresolved platform disputes, you may also approach the National Consumer Commission (NCC) at ncc.org.za or the Consumer Goods & Services Ombud (CGSO) at cgso.org.za.