Frequently asked questions

VaultBase is a marketplace for second-hand jewellery based in Baar, Switzerland. Private individuals and professional dealers offer their pieces at a fixed price, and buyers pay securely through the platform. On top of that there is a free jewellery valuation, a public Pandora database and examination reports that can be verified online.

You never pay the seller directly. Your payment is processed by our payment partner Stripe and is only paid out once the piece has arrived and you have had 14 days to check it. If a piece does not match its description, report it directly in your order. We then hold back the payout until the case is resolved.

Not for browsing. You can also buy as a guest. For offers, your order overview, messages, the wishlist and your Pandora Vault, you need a free account. You can sell from the age of 18 with an account and a username.

As a guest you can buy a piece directly, but you cannot make offers, send messages or track your orders in an account. If you want to buy more often or negotiate, an account is worth it. It is free and takes a minute to set up.

VaultBase shows prices in the currency of your country: Swiss francs, euros, pounds, US dollars or Canadian dollars. The country comes from your account. Otherwise it comes from your choice in the footer or from your location. Pieces from another country are converted. The amount actually charged is shown at checkout and on your receipt.

You choose the language and country at the bottom, in the footer. VaultBase is available in German, English, French, Italian and Spanish. If you have an account, the country is tied to your account and can only be changed by our support team.

All pieces have a fixed price. There are no auctions. With “Buy” you go straight to checkout, or you add pieces to your cart and pay for several at once. The purchase contract is between you and the seller. VaultBase provides the platform and the payment processing.

Yes. In the cart you pay for all pieces with a single payment, even if they come from different sellers. Each seller ships their pieces separately and is paid out separately. You see the shipping costs and delivery time for each order individually.

Yes, on any listing, if you have an account. Your offer is valid for 72 hours. The seller can accept, decline or make a counter-offer. If an offer expires or is declined, you can renew it on the same terms. Nothing is charged until you pay.

You get a notification and an email, and then you pay the agreed price with “Accept & pay”. Accepting does not reserve the piece. Whoever pays first gets it. So pay as soon as you can.

No. As soon as you go to checkout, the piece is reserved for you for 10 minutes. If you do not complete the payment in that time, it is released again.

Very rarely, a purchase is cancelled after confirmation. This can happen with an obvious pricing or system error, if the piece is no longer available, if the payment fails, or if there are signs of a counterfeit or stolen goods. You are informed immediately and get any payment you have already made back in full.

Card (including Apple Pay and Google Pay) and PayPal in all currencies. TWINT for buyers in Switzerland paying in Swiss francs. Klarna for Switzerland, Germany and the United Kingdom in the local currency. You can see which payment methods are available for your purchase at checkout.

Right when you pay. The amount is then held by our payment partner Stripe. It is only paid out to the seller once the check period after delivery has ended, or earlier if you release the purchase yourself.

The price includes everything the seller charges. The shipping costs are shown right below it. With professional dealers, VAT is included. In the USA and Canada, sales tax or GST/HST is added at checkout. Private sellers charge no VAT. Price and shipping together add up to exactly the amount at checkout.

Usually in the currency you see on the site. If a piece comes from another country, the price is converted. The rate includes a small markup to cover the cost of conversion. Your receipt and your order always show the amount your card was actually charged.

Not in the legal sense. VaultBase does not hold an escrow account and is not a bank. Your payment is processed by Stripe and is only paid out once the conditions are met. For you, the effect is the same as an escrow payment. No one earns interest during this time.

A chargeback stops the payout, and we review the case. Whoever caused it bears the costs. For a faulty, counterfeit or wrongly described piece, that is the seller. For an unjustified chargeback, it is the buyer. It is best to report a problem in your order first, because that is faster.

Sellers in Switzerland ship with Swiss Post, and for high values also by courier. Sellers abroad use the carriers of their country. Every shipment has a tracking number, which you see in your order as soon as the piece is on its way.

The seller ships within 3 working days. Then add the carrier's transit time. If the piece goes to VaultBase first for a booked check or polish, expect about 3 more working days. For deliveries from abroad, expect a few more days. The estimated delivery date is shown in the listing.

The listing shows how the piece is shipped. From a value of 1,000 in the seller's currency, it must be shipped insured. If a shipment is lost or arrives damaged, report it in your order with “Report a problem”. We resolve the case with the seller and the carrier, and the payout is held back until then.

Each seller decides which countries they ship to and at what price. If they do not deliver to you, the listing says “No delivery” with your country. With the “Ships to me” filter you only see pieces that can be delivered to you. If VaultBase does not deliver to your country at all yet, you see a notice.

Possibly. You pay import charges such as duty and import tax directly to the carrier on delivery. You see an estimate in the listing and at checkout. Before paying, you confirm that you will cover these charges. If you refuse the parcel, it goes back at your cost, and the return shipping costs can be deducted from the refund.

If a professional dealer in your country offers pickup, you choose it in the cart or when buying. There are no shipping costs. Before buying you only see the town and postcode area. After payment you see the exact address. You arrange the time through messages, and the dealer confirms the hand-over in the order.

14 days from delivery. During this time you check authenticity, condition and description. If you report no problem, the payment is then paid out to the seller. If you confirm receipt in your order, the period starts from that day.

“Confirm receipt” only records the delivery date. Your 14-day check period keeps running. “All good, release the payout” closes the order immediately and releases the payment. This cannot be undone, so only choose it once you have checked the piece.

Open the order and choose “Report a problem”. Give the reason (not received, not as described, damaged or other), describe the problem and upload up to 4 photos. Only VaultBase sees the photos. You get a confirmation by email, and the payout to the seller is stopped immediately.

We review the case with both sides and decide: a refund, a payout to the seller, or closing the case without action. For a refund, you send the piece back in the condition you received it. Depending on the case, return shipping costs or the costs of refused customs charges can be deducted. You get the result by email.

Defects that could not be spotted with a careful check within the 14 days must be reported through our contact form as soon as you discover them. We then decide case by case whether we still handle it under buyer protection.

For a delivery to Germany or the United Kingdom from a professional dealer, you have a statutory 14-day right to cancel as a consumer. You cancel in the order via “Report a problem” with the reason “I'm cancelling my purchase”. You bear the direct cost of returning the piece. The cancellation information is in your order confirmation.

With private sellers and with dealers in Switzerland, there is no general right of return. If the piece matches its description, the purchase is binding. So check the photos, measurements and condition before buying, and ask questions through messages. If the piece differs from its description, report a problem in the order.

This includes false claims of defects, swapping or damaging a piece after receipt, unjustified returns and abusive payment disputes. In cases of abuse we can refuse payouts or refunds and block accounts.

Choose “Sell now”. You need an account with a username. You can work with the assistant, which asks you one question per step, or fill in all details without the assistant on three long pages. Before you publish, you see a preview and exactly what will be paid out to you.

The assistant asks step by step for the brand, category, photos, condition, material and price. It is a good fit for your first listing. Without the assistant you see all fields on three long pages, which is faster if you know what you want to enter. Both routes lead to the same listing.

At least 3 and at most 10 photos in JPEG, PNG or WebP format, each up to 10 MB. Photos in the iPhone HEIC format are not accepted. Set “Most Compatible” in the camera settings, or send the photos straight from your phone via QR code. Show the piece from the front, from the back, the hallmarks and any signs of wear, in daylight.

From best to lowest: “As new (N)” is only for dealers and their own production, unworn in its original packaging. “Mint (M)”: unworn, in its original packaging. “Excellent (M-)”: barely worn. “Very good / fine (VG+)”: light signs of wear. “Good (VG)”: normal signs of wear. “Fair / poor (F)”: heavy signs of wear. “Damaged (B)”: broken, but with material value. If in doubt, choose the lower grade and show any wear in the photos. That avoids complaints.

Say whether the piece is branded and, if so, which brand. Give the metal with its fineness (for example yellow gold 750) and whether it is solid or gold-plated. You enter stones with type, number, carat and cut, and a certificate if needed. Weight, ring size and length help the piece sell. Only VaultBase sees photos of invoices or papers.

When you set the price, you see live what will be paid out to you and the current metal value. If you come from the jewellery valuation, the estimated price range is shown next to it. For Pandora pieces, you see the average of active listings and the original retail price. The minimum price is 1 in your currency. A realistic price sells much faster.

No. Buyers with an account can make an offer on any listing, valid for 72 hours. You decide: accept, decline or make a counter-offer. After you accept, the buyer pays the agreed price. Until then, your listing stays available for everyone to buy.

In the first step, search for the piece by article number or name. VaultBase fills in the details from the Pandora database, shows buyers the data sheet and adds the piece to your Vault. For a piece from the database, a single photo of your own is enough.

Usually right after you publish it. Depending on how many listings are waiting for review, our team may take a quick look at a new listing first. You are informed by email as soon as it is live or if something is missing. Listings have no expiry date.

For jewellery we recommend a parcel with signature or registered mail, and insured shipping for valuable pieces. You either offer shipping for free (it is included in the price) or charge it separately. In that case the buyer pays the shipping costs, and you receive them in full.

From a price of 1,000 in your currency, insured shipping is required. The listing then has it set and locked. Such a piece is also only shipped to countries for which you have set insured shipping.

In the “Sell abroad too?” step, you set a shipping price per country and whether you ship insured. This setting applies to your whole account and can be changed in your account at any time. If you only want to sell in your own country, choose “Don’t ask again”.

Professional dealers can offer pickup in their own country. Before buying, buyers only see the town and postcode area. After the hand-over, you confirm it in the order. From then on, the check period runs until the payout.

As a private seller in Switzerland, you can include the authenticity check (CHF 40, “Certified incl.” badge) and polishing (“RePolished” badge) as a fixed part of your listing. The piece then goes to VaultBase first and from there to the buyer. Professional dealers only state what they have done themselves. These services are not available for sales abroad.

Whoever is responsible for the cancellation bears the costs incurred. If it turns out that a piece is not genuine or defects were concealed, the seller bears the service and shipping costs, and the buyer gets the full price back. If the buyer cancels without a valid reason, these costs are charged to the buyer.

Listing is free. When you sell, the VaultBase fee of 5% and the payment fee of 3% (at least 0.50 in your currency) are deducted from your payout. No VAT is charged on these fees. You see the exact breakdown before you publish and in every order.

Payouts run through Stripe. You choose “Private individual” or “Company” once and enter your bank details and identity information with Stripe. VaultBase does not store any bank details. You can list before that, but the setup must be complete before any money can be paid out.

14 days after delivery, provided the buyer has not reported a problem. Delivery means the buyer's confirmation, or otherwise the shipping date plus 10 days at home or 21 days abroad. If the buyer releases the payment earlier, you get the money earlier. For consumers in Germany and the United Kingdom, the payout waits until the cancellation period has ended.

You get an email and ship within 3 working days. With Swiss Post, you create the shipping label right in the order, and the tracking number is added automatically. If you ship yourself, enter the carrier and tracking number in the order. For shipments abroad, you will find a customs guide and a commercial invoice to download there.

Yes, under “My listings”. You can change the price, description, photos and shipping at any time, as long as the piece has not sold. Changes apply to new purchases. Open offers stay on their original terms.

Professional dealers sell commercially, have their own shop page with a public imprint and are responsible for the authenticity of their pieces themselves. They show the VAT of their country and can offer pickup. Buyers see on every listing whether the seller is private or commercial.

In your account, under the seller settings, enter the name of your business and your imprint. Depending on how many requests are waiting, your account is switched immediately or after a short review by our team. Your imprint is then public on your shop page.

All dealers need a return address. VAT-registered dealers in Germany or the United Kingdom need their VAT number, and dealers in Germany also need their LUCID packaging register number. In the EU, dealers give their tax details for the yearly platform report (DAC7). In the USA you declare your sales tax rate once, and in Canada your GST/HST registration. If anything is missing, the assistant shows you up front.

In Switzerland, VAT is 8.1% of your payout, not of the full price. It is paid out to you in full and you declare it yourself. In Germany (19%) and the United Kingdom (20%), it applies to the full price, unless you use the margin scheme or are not VAT-registered. Exports carry no VAT. You see the breakdown before you publish.

Your listings, reviews, sales, number of followers, how long you have been a member, the services you offer, your imprint and a link to Google Maps. Visitors can follow you and send you a message about a listing directly.

You can sell from the countries VaultBase has opened for selling. Switzerland is always one of them. You sell in the currency of your country. Accounts from Austria, Liechtenstein and other countries can buy but not sell. As soon as you have a listing or a payout account, the country of your address is fixed.

Under “Value your jewellery” you describe your piece and upload photos, also straight from your phone via QR code. You get the material value at the current metal price and a market estimate with “Quick sale” and “Best price”. It is free and needs no account. From the result, you can list the piece straight away.

Not at all. The valuation is a guide based on the metal price and an AI estimate. It is not an expert appraisal and not an offer to buy. The confidence shown (preliminary, medium, high) indicates how well the details allow an estimate. More details and good photos make it more accurate.

Specialists check the piece with non-destructive methods that are standard in the trade, including visual inspection, weight, hallmarks and quick precious metal tests. The result is a professional assessment to the best of their knowledge. It does not replace a destructive lab analysis.

It costs CHF 40 and is available in Switzerland when the seller is private and the delivery is within Switzerland. Buyers add it when they buy, or the seller includes it as a fixed part of the listing. Professional dealers are responsible for authenticity themselves.

Every examination report has a number like VB-PB-2026-0001 and a QR code. The code opens the entry in the register on vaultbase.ch with the same details and photos, and shows whether the report is valid. If the paper differs from the entry, the entry applies. If a number is not in the register, the report may be forged. Please get in touch with us.

Our specialists clean and polish the piece before it is shipped. A tiny amount of material is removed in the process. This is normal and not a defect. With old or heavily worn pieces, polishing can reveal existing weak points such as loose settings.

For pieces without a brand, we offer an optional refurbishment with a permanent VaultBase engraving and an entry in our database. Branded jewellery is excluded. Because the engraving changes the piece permanently, we need your explicit consent.

No. VaultBase is a marketplace. You list your gold yourself and sell it to others. On the “Sell gold” page you find the current gold price per gram by fineness and an explanation of hallmarks. With the jewellery valuation, you can see beforehand what your piece is worth.

A public database of thousands of Pandora pieces: article number, photos, collection, year, original retail price and current offers on VaultBase. VaultBase is independent and not affiliated with Pandora. You can find pieces by searching for name, colour or article number.

On every piece in the database, “I have it” puts it in your Vault, “I want this piece” adds it to your wishlist, and “Sell” opens a ready-filled listing. You need an account for this.

Your Vault is your Pandora collection in your account, with all the pieces you own or have bought, and their collection value. The value is the sum of the original retail prices, not a market value. Your Vault is private. If you like, you can make it public and share the link.

Add it to your wishlist with “I want this piece”. Once a day, in the morning, you get a summary of new offers for the pieces you are looking for, in your account and by email. If other members own the piece, they learn that it is wanted. You can unsubscribe from the emails via the link in every email.

Open the piece in the database and choose “Sell”. The listing is filled in with all the details, and one photo of your own is enough. If the piece is on other members' wishlists, they are told about your offer.

Choose “Suggest a change” on the piece and correct the details. If a piece is missing entirely, suggest it as a new one. Our team reviews every suggestion individually. Accepted changes appear with your username in the piece's change log.

On the “Pandora: real or fake?” page and on every piece in the database, you find the key features such as hallmarks, weight and workmanship. These are pointers for checking, not a guarantee. For private sales in Switzerland, you can also add VaultBase's authenticity check.

Members show photos of their bracelets and tag the pieces on them using the database. This lets you see how charms work together and get to a piece with one click. With an account, you can share your own photo via “Share an inspiration”. It appears immediately and can be deleted at any time.

With an email address and password (at least 8 characters) or with Google. You choose your country and confirm your email address via the link we send you. The link is valid for 24 hours.

Not yourself. The country is set at registration because it determines currency, taxes and payout. If you have moved, write to us via the contact form and we will switch your account. Your address must be in your account's country.

Choose “Forgot password?” when signing in. You get a link that is valid for 60 minutes. You change your email address and password in your account under the settings.

Phone numbers, email addresses and links are blocked in messages so that purchases stay on the platform. Only then do buyer protection and secure payment apply. Payments outside VaultBase are not allowed, even if the other side asks for it.

Chats about an order become read-only 30 days after the purchase. You can still read them. If you have a question about the order after that, get in touch via the contact form.

New messages, offers, order steps and offers for the Pandora pieces you are looking for appear under the bell in your account. By email you get orders, offers and the first unread message in a chat. You can unsubscribe from Pandora notifications and the weekly newsletter via the link in every email.

You find dealers you follow more quickly, and the dealer sees how many followers they have. Emails about new listings from dealers you follow are not available yet.

Once an order is complete, buyer and seller review each other, positive or negative, with optional text. The seller can reply publicly once. Reviews must be factual and true. We remove unlawful or manipulative reviews.

At the very bottom of “My account”, under “Delete account”. We delete your account as long as there are no open orders, disputes or claims, and confirm it by email. We have to keep certain data for a while because of legal retention obligations. You can find the details in the privacy policy.

Under “Terms & conditions” in the footer. Among other things, they set out in detail how contracts are concluded, how payments are processed, buyer protection and liability.

Our privacy policy explains which data we collect, what we use it for and what rights you have.

The company name, registered office and other required details of VaultBase AG are in the imprint.

No. VaultBase is an independent marketplace. Brand names such as Pandora belong to their owners and are only used to describe the pieces offered. The Pandora database is run by VaultBase and is not affiliated with Pandora.