Verified Sellers Program – Opal Auctions

We take great pride in hand picking our sellers and constantly checking the standard of products that are being offered in our marketplace. Our valued customers know and trust that we will approve only the sellers that tick all the boxes and offer a great buying experience.

To be eligible to become a Verified Seller you must:

Have a passion and knowledge of the Opal / Gemstone / Jewelry Trade Industry
Be able to offer our customers competitive prices
Provide business and personal references to prove your an established business
Offer high business standards in every transaction
If you are a seller on other platforms, provide the username which you use to sell with so we can assess your business practices
It is a bonus if you are a member of a trade or jewelry organization, but it is not required

The Verified Seller application process includes:

Sellers wishing to join a website within The Live Platforms Network have to first register as a buyer using their intended Store Name (i.e. MarksGems)
IP address checked
Trade References checked
Photo Identification checked
Phone numbers checked including face to face verification Skype phone call if applicable
Sellers will be notified if they have been approved or disapproved at the discretion of the Sheriff and management. No further communication will be entered into, this decision is final
At the discretion of the Sheriff and management, approved new sellers may be required to pay a bond of $200 (via PayPal only) which is payable before you can sell. This bond will be held by Live Platforms, interest free for a period of 12 months

Fees

We encourage you to read our Commission Bills and Selling Fees Explained help article to fully understand the selling fees, seller plans and listing features that are available for you.

If you wish to become a Verified Seller, click the link below and complete the application form.

Become A Seller

Probation Period

Once a seller is accepted into the Verified Sellers Program they will be in a probation period which will run for a minimum of 3 months
During the probation period verified sellers will be on the Starter Plan which will allow them to list 50 items at a time
During the probation period the Sheriff will conduct an audit on each listing which will be visible to buyers for the life of the listing

The probation period will cease at the end of 3 months of active selling with the following conditions met:

Feedback above 95%
20 or more positive Feedback
Minimal listing errors and discrepancies
Minimal issues between seller and their buyers
Evidence that a high level of professionalism has been upheld at all times.

At the end of the standard 3 month probation period we will reflect and communicate with you on your overall professional performance. At our discretion we may:

End your probation period and allow you to apply for the next selling plan which will allow more items to be listed
Extend your probation period if we feel you are not ready to move to the next selling plan
Cancel your selling account if we feel you are not up to the required standard of the Verified Sellers Program.

Verified Seller Program Rules

To uphold the high standards of our Verified Seller Program we operate a “3 Strikes and You're Out” policy. Failure to meet any of the rules or failure to abide by the Terms and conditions may result in the Verified Seller getting a strike against their seller account. These strikes are at the discretion of the Sheriff and Management. They are non-negotiable.

We encourage you to read our "3 Strikes And You're Out Policy" help article to fully understand how the policy works.

Terms and Conditions

Pay your fees by the 8th of each month. You'll get a commission bill on the 1st of each month.
Please note that failure to pay by the 8th of each month will result in automatic charges to your stored credit card. If the payment is not approved, your account will be suspended until the invoice is paid. Once payment is processed, you can resume selling on our marketplace.
Verified Sellers are not permitted to bid on family, their own or any related companies listings on any of The Live Platforms Network websites
Verified Sellers are not permitted to have links to other external web sites or email addresses from any site within The Live Platforms Network. This includes their listings
Verified Sellers have an obligation to sell at whatever price the auction items sell for
Sellers must abide by shipping processing times (1 - 2 business days) as well as processing returns for refunds (7 days from receipt of the item)
Refund Policy – all wins have a 7 day period for return if the buyer is not 100% satisfied with their purchase. The refund amount to the buyer must equal the original transaction (stones/s + shipping + shipping protection where applicable) but does not have to include the cost of the item being posted/returned to the seller. Sellers are not permitted to charge a restocking fee for returned items
Verified Sellers can contact their buyers regarding a specific purchase and are NOT permitted to contact buyers who have not purchased from them or shown interested in an item. Sellers are NOT permitted to messages to any buyer regarding self promotion, ‘spammy’ messages and harassment
Verified Sellers found ‘handing over’ or selling their store to another individual will be terminated immediately and legal action may be taken
If a bond is returned to the seller without permission from The Live Platforms Network your sellers account will be closed immediately without notification
If your seller account is suspended for any reason, any amounts owed will become due and payable immediately
Verified Sellers must not defame or criticize or slander The Live Platforms Network including stock, sellers or customers in any external circumstances. This includes but is not limited to social media, Facebook, Twitter, forums or print media
Verified Sellers on Opal Auctions or Gem Rock Auctions are eligible to apply for a Sellers account on Jewelry Auctioned and/or Coins Auctioned
Verified Sellers may not entice customers to purchase items outside of the Live Platforms Network
The Live Platforms Network reserves the right to remove, suspend and ban any store or individual without notice
If an item is purchased, then the buyer pays for testing at a gemstone lab of their choice, and the item is found to be incorrectly described when it was sold, the seller may be liable to refund the full price of the item, as well as reimburse the buyer for any fees that they incurred while getting the item tested
Physical Object Assessment - Either we or a third party acting on our behalf may acquire an object you offer for sale via Opal Auctions to conduct a physical assessment of its legitimacy and quality. These assessments are conducted randomly and are not specific to any particular object. The main criteria for such assessment are to verify if the object matches its description and adheres to our submission guidelines. Following the assessment, if the object fails to meet these criteria, the sale will be cancelled, and the object will be returned to you, unless agreed otherwise. You will be responsible for refunding us the purchase price paid for the object
Costs of the assessment and measures - if your object successfully passes the assessment, you'll just need to refund us the purchase price, and we'll cover all the expenses associated with it. However, if your object doesn't meet the assessment standards, you agree to refund us the purchase price along with any reasonable costs we incurred during the process. These costs may include shipping expenses (both ways), any customs duties or taxes that we paid upfront, as well as the audit fees, such as those incurred for hiring a third-party expert.
Our internal messaging system allows Verified Sellers to interact directly with their customers, ensuring safe and consistent communication between them. This system offers option for text, images and videos attachment. Sellers are not allowed to reach out to their customers externally through channels like WhatsApp or email. Customers are not permitted to contact Sellers via email or WhatsApp to discuss the accuracy of the items they've received, including sending photos and videos of those items. Customers must discuss these matters through our internal messaging system.

Code of Conduct

Verified Sellers must professionally supply orders to the 100% satisfaction of customers and must uphold The Live Platforms Network integrity in the industry
Verified Sellers are to adhere to the highest level of professional conduct at all times
We encourage you to read our Verified Sellers Code of Conduct

Seller Plan Progression

Sellers will spend a minimum of 3 months on the Starter Plan during their Probation Period
Sellers then must spend a minimum of 1 month on each Plan as they progress consecutively up to Gem Harlequin Plan.
The seller must list close to the maximum allowed listings for a plan before requesting an upgrade
All plan changes must be requested by the Seller via the Selling Preferences tab in Account Settings. The request may be approved or denied at the discretion of management.