Refund policy

1C. RETURN & REFUND POLICY

CavCollects.com — Effective: August 20, 2026 — Last Updated: August 20, 2026

We sell rare, authenticated, and often one-of-a-kind memorabilia — so our return policy is built around one principle: honest returns are easy; fraudulent returns are impossible. If we got something wrong, we make it right at our expense, every time. If you simply change your mind on a standard item, you have a full 30 days. And if an item is designated Final Sale, we tell you before you buy, not after.

1. The Short Version

Scenario	Window	Who Pays Return Shipping	Restocking Fee (CavCollects.com)
We shipped the wrong item	30 days	We do (prepaid label)	None — full refund incl. all shipping
Item arrived damaged or defective	48-hr report / 30 days	We do (prepaid label)	None — full refund incl. all shipping
Item materially not as described	30 days	We do (prepaid label)	None — full refund incl. all shipping
Changed your mind (Category A item)	30 days	You do (insured + tracked)	20% of product price
Changed your mind (Category B / Final Sale item)	—	—	Not returnable

Marketplace orders (Amazon, eBay) follow that platform’s returns process and rules where they differ — see Section 9. In particular, no restocking fee is charged on eBay orders, and Amazon orders follow Amazon’s returns program, under which no restocking fee applies to items returned unopened and in original condition within the return window.

2. Category A — Standard 30-Day Returns

Category A Items may be returned for any reason, including a simple change of mind, within thirty (30) calendar days of confirmed delivery, subject to the conditions below.

•           Condition Requirement: The item must be returned in Original Unused Condition (defined in Section 3) with all Authentication Components intact.

•           Return Authorization: All returns require a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) issued under Section 6 before shipping anything back.

•           Return Shipping (change-of-mind): You are responsible for return shipping. Trackable shipping is required on all returns; insurance for the full purchase price is required on any return valued at $100 or more.

•           Return Shipping (our fault): Where we shipped the wrong item, the item arrived damaged or defective, or the item was materially not as described, we provide a prepaid, insured return label and refund your original shipping charges in full.

•           Restocking Fee (CavCollects.com purchases only): Change-of-mind returns are subject to a restocking fee of twenty percent (20%) of the product price (excluding shipping), where permitted by applicable law. The fee is waived in full — and all shipping refunded — whenever the return is due to our error, transit damage, a defect, or a material listing inaccuracy. The restocking fee applies only to purchases made directly on CavCollects.com; see Section 9 for marketplace orders.

•           Refund Timeline: See Section 7.

3. “Original Unused Condition” — Defined Precisely

A returned item is in Original Unused Condition only if ALL of the following are true:

1.         Unused and unworn: The item shows no signs of use, wear, handling beyond visual inspection, cleaning, polishing, restoration, or alteration of any kind.

2.         Tags and inserts attached: All original tags, labels, inserts, cards, and packaging materials are present, attached where originally attached, and undamaged.

3.         Authentication Components intact: Every COA, hologram, matching sticker, serial-number label, and Tamper-Evident Seal is present, unbroken, undisturbed, and unaltered.

4.         Serial match: The tamper-evident seal and/or hologram serial number matches the serial number recorded in our pre-shipment documentation for your exact order. A mismatched or absent serial number is treated as a presumptively fraudulent return under Section 8.

5.         Slabs uncracked: Graded items (e.g., PSA-slabbed cards) remain in their original, intact, un-cracked slab with all labels, flip inserts, and protective sleeves. A cracked, re-holdered, or re-slabbed item is not returnable under any circumstance.

6.         Original packaging: The item is returned in (or with) its original product packaging, protective case, and presentation box, where supplied.

An item failing any of these tests is not eligible for a refund as a change-of-mind return. Where an item is returned in diminished but non-fraudulent condition, we may, at our discretion and where the sales channel permits, offer a partial refund reflecting the item’s loss in value in lieu of outright refusal.

4. Category B — Final Sale / High-Value / One-of-a-Kind

Category B Items are sold on a Final Sale basis on CavCollects.com. This designation applies to items whose replacement cost, rarity, grading, or authentication make them non-substitutable, and it is disclosed conspicuously in the product listing, the order confirmation, and the packing slip before and after you buy.

Notwithstanding the Final Sale designation, we will always review a Category B return request on these grounds:

1.         Wrong item shipped, verified against the order record and our pre-shipment photographs and video;

2.         Verified transit damage, reported within 48 hours under the Shipping Policy and confirmed through the carrier’s claim process;

3.         Undisclosed material defect existing at the time of shipment that would have materially affected the purchase decision of a reasonable collector. (Inherent variation in hand-signed or game-used memorabilia — signature placement, ink tone, patina — is not a defect; see Terms of Service, Section 3.2.)

Not eligible: buyer’s remorse; a better price found elsewhere; decline in market value or failure of an anticipated event (induction, grading outcome, championship, retirement, death); minor cosmetic variation inherent to memorabilia; post-purchase grading results on items sold raw; and any return with a broken seal, removed hologram, or serial mismatch.

Marketplace note: Where a Marketplace’s rules limit Final Sale designations or provide buyers non-waivable return rights (such as the eBay Money Back Guarantee for items not as described, or Amazon’s returns program), those rules control for purchases on that Marketplace. See Section 9.

5. Transit Damage & Carrier Claims

Our transit-damage protocol follows USPS, FedEx, and UPS documentation and packaging-retention requirements so that carrier insurance remains available to support your claim. Report damage within 48 hours of the delivery scan to Cav@CavCollects.com with: photos of the damaged item; photos of the outer box (all sides), inner packaging, and shipping label; a photo of the tamper-evident seal as it arrived; and a brief written description. Retain all packaging until the claim closes — the carrier may require inspection at a retail location or by scheduled pickup, and cooperation with that inspection is a condition of transit-damage refund eligibility.

Where the carrier accepts the claim, we issue a full refund (including all shipping) or, where feasible and mutually agreed, a replacement. Where the carrier denies the claim despite your compliance, we evaluate in good faith against our pre-shipment record and may refund in whole or in part.

6. How to Return an Item (RMA Procedure)

1.         Request: Email Cav@CavCollects.com within the return window with your order number, the item, the reason, and any required documentation (Sections 3–5). Marketplace orders: initiate through the Marketplace’s returns flow instead — do not ship a marketplace purchase to us without a label issued through that platform’s returns system.

2.         Authorization: We respond within three (3) business days. Approved requests receive a written RMA number and return instructions; our-fault returns receive a prepaid, insured label.

3.         Ship: Send the item, insured and trackable, in its original packaging, with the RMA number written on the outer box only (never on product packaging).

4.         Verification: On receipt we verify seal integrity, serial match, and condition against the pre-shipment record — typically within five (5) business days.

5.         Refund: Approved refunds are issued per Section 7. Refused returns (seal, serial, or condition failure) are, at your written election and expense, shipped back to you or retained pending investigation.

Unauthorized returns — shipments without a valid RMA (or marketplace return label) — are refused at the door and returned to sender. We are not responsible for unauthorized returns lost or damaged in transit.

7. Refund Mechanics & Timing

•           Method: Refunds go to the original payment method only. Marketplace orders are refunded through the Marketplace’s payment flow (Amazon, eBay Managed Payments, etc.) on that platform’s timeline. Loyalty or store credit used at checkout is refunded as credit.

•           Inspection: Up to five (5) business days after we receive the return.

•           Issuance: Within ten (10) business days after inspection and approval — and on marketplace orders, always within the maximum refund window the platform mandates.

•           Posting: Your bank or card issuer typically posts the refund within 3–10 business days after issuance; we have no control over this window.

•           Carrier-claim refunds: May track the carrier’s investigation timeline, which can extend 30 days or more; we keep you informed throughout.

•           Amounts: Refunds are based on the net amount actually paid after discounts. Except where the return is our fault (or applicable law requires otherwise), original outbound shipping, insurance, expedited-handling, and gift-presentation upcharges are non-refundable, and the 20% restocking fee applies to CavCollects.com change-of-mind returns.

•           Cancellations: You may cancel before shipment for a full refund by emailing Cav@CavCollects.com. Once a label is generated or the order is packed, cancellation is not guaranteed and standard return terms apply.

•           Undeliverable/refused shipments: If a package returns to us as undeliverable, refused, or unclaimed, we will contact you to either (a) re-ship at your cost, or (b) refund the product price less outbound and return shipping, insurance, and — for Category A CavCollects.com orders — the 20% restocking fee. Category B items refused or unclaimed are refundable only on Section 4 grounds.

8. Return Integrity & Anti-Fraud Notice

We maintain a zero-tolerance position on return fraud, which harms every honest collector. The following constitute fraudulent return conduct and may be reported to payment processors, Marketplaces, Authentication Partners, and law enforcement, and pursued under 18 U.S.C. § 1343, the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, and Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 266, § 30: returning a different item than shipped (“swapping”); returning an item with a broken, removed, altered, or replaced seal or hologram; returning an item whose serial number does not match our pre-shipment record; filing a chargeback or buyer-protection claim after receiving the correct, authenticated item in good condition; filing duplicative claims across channels for the same order; and false non-delivery claims on shipments with signature confirmation or clear proof of delivery.

Where fraud is identified, we will refuse the return, retain the item as evidence pending investigation, report the incident, and where appropriate seek civil recovery including reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.

9. Marketplace-Specific Return Terms

9.1 Amazon. Amazon purchases are governed by Amazon’s return policies and the A-to-z Guarantee. Initiate all returns through your Amazon account; a return label will be issued through Amazon’s returns system. We honor Amazon’s full return window (a minimum of 30 days) on all Amazon orders. Consistent with Amazon policy, no restocking fee is charged on items returned within the return window in original, unopened condition; any refund deduction for items returned used, damaged by the buyer, or materially different from how we shipped them is made only as Amazon’s guidelines permit. We adhere to Amazon’s Sports Collectibles authenticity-documentation standards and cooperate fully with Amazon-initiated authenticity investigations.

9.2 eBay. All eBay listings for standard items carry a 30-day return window. Consistent with eBay policy, we do not charge restocking fees on eBay orders. For items not as described or damaged in transit, we provide a prepaid return label and a full refund, as eBay requires. For change-of-mind returns, the buyer pays return shipping. Where a change-of-mind item comes back used, damaged, or missing components, we may deduct up to 50% of the refund to recover the item’s lost value, strictly in accordance with eBay’s refund-deduction guidelines. Select one-of-a-kind items may be listed with a no-returns designation where eBay permits; all eBay purchases remain covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee and, where applicable, eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee.

9.3 Other Platforms. Walmart Marketplace, Target Plus, Etsy, Whatnot, Facebook/Instagram Shops, Pinterest, and TikTok Shop purchases follow each platform’s posted returns and buyer-protection program. Category B items are designated non-returnable only to the extent each platform permits.

10. Governing Law & Contact

This Return & Refund Policy is governed by Massachusetts law and the dispute-resolution provisions of our Terms of Service. Return requests, documentation, and RMA inquiries: Cav@CavCollects.com — include your order number (and RMA number, if issued) in the subject line for fastest service.