Navigating Legal Requirements for UK Online Marketplaces
Chosen theme: Legal Requirements for UK Online Marketplaces. Welcome to a friendly, practical tour through the rules that shape safer, fairer platforms—so you can build trust, grow confidently, and invite customers back again and again.
Publish your legal name or trading name, company number, registered office, geographic address, contact email, and VAT number where applicable. Link your terms, privacy policy, and complaints process. Share your checklist with us and compare notes.
Essential Legal Identity and Transparency
Consumer Rights, Cancellations, and Returns
Consumers usually have 14 days to cancel distance contracts, then 14 days to return. Refunds follow within 14 days of receiving goods back. State who pays return shipping. Ask questions below if your categories have tricky edge cases.
Consumer Rights, Cancellations, and Returns
Be honest about delivery windows, stock status, and total price upfront. If delivery is delayed, offer meaningful options. Spell out refund steps and timelines. Invite readers to share their best-performing wording for fewer support tickets.
VAT, Duties, and Marketplace Liability
01
UK VAT rules that surprise new founders
Marketplaces can be responsible for collecting VAT on certain consignments and overseas seller goods. Show VAT-inclusive prices to consumers and keep solid evidence for rates. Ask your toughest VAT questions—we will prioritize them in future posts.
02
Cross‑border sales: Northern Ireland and the EU edge cases
Northern Ireland goods may follow EU VAT rules under the Windsor Framework. Selling into the EU raises distance-selling and IOSS questions. Share your expansion plans and we will unpack obligations step-by-step with practical checklists.
03
Practical record‑keeping and invoicing habits
Reconcile payouts to orders, track VAT by jurisdiction, and store invoices, refunds, and adjustments. Automate evidence collection where possible. Want our sample ledger fields and reconciliation cadence? Subscribe and we will send the template.
Product Safety and UKCA Compliance
Manufacturers, importers, and distributors have defined duties. Marketplaces must respond to safety alerts and remove dangerous goods quickly. Share how you verify sellers’ roles and responsibilities, and we will highlight effective workflows from peers.
Advertising, Fairness, and Reviews
Ads must be obviously identifiable. Use upfront labels, not hidden tags. Equip sellers with guidelines and platform tools. Have a great disclosure microcopy? Post it below so others can learn and adapt respectfully.
Advertising, Fairness, and Reviews
Avoid misleading urgency and ensure total prices are visible early. Explain delivery fees clearly. Document substantiation for promotions. Share experiments that improved clarity and conversion while staying firmly within CMA expectations.
Seller Onboarding, KYC, and Risk
Collect identities, addresses, beneficial ownership, VAT, and product categories. Explain why you ask and how data is protected. Share your best low-friction steps so others can refine their onboarding journeys responsibly.
Seller Onboarding, KYC, and Risk
Work with regulated payment providers, apply Strong Customer Authentication, and secure card data via PCI DSS compliant partners. Curious about practical exemption strategies? Comment below, and we will compare notes across platforms.