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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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How to add products to the shopping cart?
Our board game list works with a catalog, so when you search for a specific product, 1 overarching result per board game is displayed in the results. Once you have found the desired game in the list, you need to click on it to get an overview of all individual offers for that specific game. Items can be added to the shopping cart on this product page.
How to set a notification when a specific game is offered for sale again on the site?
Each product overview page contains a checkbox to receive a notification every time someone puts that product for sale on the website. This can be done for both sold out products and for products for which a number of versions are already for sale on the website, so that it can also be followed up when other offers that differ in price or language, for example, appear. Notifications appear both on your BGS account and via email if you have not disabled email notifications for your account.
Why can't a message be sent to some sellers but it can to others?
A free standard account does not have access to the message center, only if someone has at least a Plus account can messages be sent. All products that have a premium label are from sellers who have access to the message center. The reason for this is that both the setting up of a communication system and the necessary storage space on the server for this are financed by the small monthly contributions of these sellers.
How does buyer protection work?
When purchasing a second-hand product from a private individual online, there is often a form of uncertainty that BGS wants to eliminate with the optional buyer protection by guaranteeing a refund in the event of dissatisfaction with the condition of the product or a lost shipment. In the first instance, an attempt will be made to resolve any issue with the courier or seller, and if a solution cannot be found, a refund with a limit of €200 per shipment will be provided by Boardgamesswap for products for which buyer protection was purchased.
What are the points that are displayed when purchasing a product?
Every purchase on BGS earns points that can be exchanged for a discount on our BGS merchandise. Points can also be earned by inviting friends or family to create an account on the site. Be sure to regularly check how much you have already saved and what you can buy with it!
How to find out which games are offered by sellers in a certain region?
The search page shows all kinds of possible filters on the left, including the distance to the seller. Only products from sellers who have provided an address can be found this way.
How to find out which other products the seller of a certain item also sells?
Click on the overview page of a product. All sellers who offer this product are listed and by clicking on one of the names you can see which other products that seller also offers.
Can an order be cancelled by the buyer?
Once payment has been completed, an order can no longer be cancelled via the BGS platform. The payment is used at that time to cover costs incurred for BGS (transaction via payment platform, creation of shipping label, etc.). If the seller has at least a Plus account, it can be discussed via a direct message to the seller whether the order can still be cancelled by the seller himself and a mutual arrangement can be made regarding the payment made. However, the seller has no obligation to agree to this.
What if a product is not delivered in the advertised condition or does not arrive?
In the event of damage to the packaging of the package or a package not received, you should first contact the courier service directly via the track & trace that you had received, as there was a problem during transport. If only the product in the packaging is not in the advertised condition, we always recommend that you first discuss with the seller what problem you are experiencing, so that you and the seller can agree on a solution that you are both satisfied with, including for example a return. If the above options do not provide a solution, you can submit the problem to us and provide the steps already taken via the following form: Report problem. Please note: only if you have taken the optional buyer protection when purchasing, your purchase will be refunded by BGS if no other solution is found. Without buyer protection, we can only try to mediate without any guarantees.
Can a product be returned?
If you want to return a product from another user because you are not satisfied, you must follow the instructions in the question above. Products that were delivered as advertised cannot be returned. Our own BGS merchandise is the exception to this. If you are not satisfied with the merchandise you received, you can arrange an exchange or refund within 30 days of ordering via the following form: Returning merchandise. Please note: BGS always requires a return shipment, even for damaged items. Return shipments are not advanced and only refunded in certain cases.
Can a product be physically viewed before purchasing?
If the product has a premium label, you can send the seller a message asking to view the product or send additional photos. However, the product cannot be reserved, so scheduling a viewing does not guarantee that you can purchase the product.
Can a product be picked up or only shipped?
Only products with a premium label may be picked up from the seller, depending on the seller's settings. This is because a pick-up time must be agreed upon and this is only possible if the seller has access to the message center.Sell
What can be offered for sale on BGS?
All types of board games & card games and possible accessories. If it belongs in one of our predefined categories (board game, board game accessories, CCG/TCG, TT RPG, TT miniature wargame, puzzle) then it is allowed (i.e. no video games, food, etc.).
How can a board game be placed for sale?
For board games, BGS works with a catalog so that buyers can set up notifications when someone offers a certain game. Offering can be done easily by clicking on 'add product from catalog' and then clicking on 'sell this' from the list next to the desired game. Additional details such as a description, your own photos of the product, and properties such as the language/state can then be added. We recommend posting your own photos of both the exterior and certainly also the contents of the product to increase the chance that your product will be purchased. Properties such as weight and dimensions for shipping are also visible at this point but can be ignored for board games. Our shipping system takes into account standard values for board games by default to calculate a correct shipping price, only for other products such as a dice tower as an accessory, this data should be completed correctly to avoid the automatically created shipping label being insufficient and having to pay extra. See our getting started page for more details.
How to create a Stripe account for payments?
As a seller, you receive your money via the secure payment environment Stripe. Without an account, customers cannot pay for your products. A stripe account can be linked to your seller panel by clicking on settings at the icon in the top right corner. See our getting started page for more details.
How can products in categories other than board games be offered for sale?
We only work with a catalog for board games, all products that belong in a different category can be created by clicking on 'create new product'. See our getting started page for more details.
What other information should be added when selling a board game?
First of all, clear photos. There is a standard image available per product, but a buyer wants to be able to see the condition of your version by means of photos of the front and back of the box as well as several of the contents of the box with all the different components. Close-up photos also show the quality better than just overview photos. A description is also important in which things can be mentioned such as which expansion is sold with it, whether the game contains deluxe components, explain certain damage, etc. Please note: the description field is language-specific! This means that you can enter different texts per display language (changeable at the top right), but also that if you only enter a description for your default language, only users who view your product in that same language will see your text, while in other languages the field remains blank.
How can you put your products in the spotlight?
By purchasing a Plus account, your products are automatically assigned a premium label. In the case of board games, where all offers from each seller of a specific game are listed, this can help to distinguish your product from the rest. In addition, other types of products (e.g. accessories) from only Plus users are highlighted on the home page.
How to sell a base game with expansions?
There are two ways: 1) The easiest way is to select the base game in our list and then change the option 'including expansion(s)' to 'yes' under properties. In the description and images you can then explain the expansions that you are selling together with the base game 2) You can first offer the base game and the expansion for sale separately, since each expansion has a separate entry in our list. In your overview of products on your profile you can then click on the base game and select 'product bundle' in the overview to offer the base game together with the created expansion as a whole. Please note: this does not prevent someone from buying either the base game or the expansion separately! We therefore do not recommend this option for sellers who only want to sell the game as a whole and not as separate parts.
How can different games be sold as a package?
There are two ways: 1) If you only want to sell a collection of various games as a whole and none of them individually as well, then you can create a product listing under the "bundle" subcategory for boardgames. 2) If you also want to allow to sale of individual items in your bundle, you must first offer the games for sale separately. In your overview of products on your profile, you can then click on one of the games and select 'product bundle' in the overview. There you can create a package to offer different games together, possibly at a special price. These two options are recommended to sell games of low value (due to e.g. damage, age, or size).
Why does a new product from a Plus account not immediately get a label?
Assigning labels to products is done automatically in batches every hour so as not to disrupt the operation of the site, so the label should appear correctly within the hour.
Why are certain properties of products for sale not changeable?
BGS works with 1 entry per board game to keep the search function efficient with all kinds of filters. Certain properties that are specific to the game such as minimum age can therefore not be changed, only variations such as language of publication can be adjusted. If an error is discovered in the data of a game, this can be reported via the following form and we will see if an adjustment is required: Edit property
Can an order be cancelled by the seller?
Once payment has been completed, an order can no longer be cancelled via the BGS platform. If, as a seller, you are unable to complete an order for exceptional reasons, you must report this via the following form: Cancellation. You will receive instructions for refund including additional administrative costs. Repeated cancellations of placed orders may result in your account being blocked.Payment
Why is a Stripe account required to offer products for sale?
BGS strives to provide buyers with a wide range of online payment options to make the user experience as pleasant and safe as possible for all parties. The advantage as a seller is that by creating a free Stripe account once and linking it to your bank account number, you can open up various payment methods for your products to buyers and do not have to share your personal payment details with the buyers but only via the secure Stripe platform. In addition, with online payments, the seller receives the amount before having to send the product.
Which payment methods are accepted?
BGS works together with Stripe to provide a wide range of online payment options. Each seller must create a free Stripe account once and set which payment methods from the BGS range they want to open up to buyers. Consequently, this may depend on the desired product to be purchased.
How to pay with saved points?
With every purchase you receive points based on the amount spent as well as for inviting new users. You can spend these points on our BGS merchandise. With all products in this merchandise category, the option will be visible to pay (part of) the cost with (part of) collected points. This way you can get a discount or even order a product completely free of charge.
Is cash payment upon collection possible?
BGS does not provide an option to reserve a product and pay cash afterwards to protect both parties (including payment guarantees and product security)
How should subscription costs for Plus account be paid?
Outstanding costs will be deducted from the next transaction via BGS, so no separate payment is required.Shipping
How does shipping work?
As a seller, you can print a pre-paid shipping label, attach it to the outside of the packaging in which you will send the game, and take it to a courier's shipping point within 5 business days. NOTE: built-in shipping options are currently only available for the following countries: France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, United Kingdom and Austria. All other countries must arrange the shipping or pickup for the time being via direct contact with the seller, whereby BGS cannot be held liable. See our getting started page for more details.
How to package a game for shipping?
Reuse a suitable box as packaging if possible (or obtain a shipping box at your own expense from your shipping point), fill as much empty space as possible with padding (wads of old paper or plastic, for example) to protect the product during shipping, and ensure that the board game box remains closed by wrapping it with elastic or string. If multiple items need to be sent to the same address, they should be sent together in 1 box as much as possible, as only 1 shipping label is available per order and therefore additional boxes must be paid for. Any box with no side longer than 60cm can be used for most shipping services. If an exceptionally large number of products need to be sent together, meaning that they do not fit in 1 large box, a request can be submitted via the form under "What to do in case of problems with the shipping label?" to compensate for the additional shipping costs incurred.
What to do in case of problems with the shipping label?
If you experience problems obtaining a label or if you have received an incorrect/insufficient label and have had to pay extra, you can request a solution or compensation via the following form: Report shipping problem
How long does a shipment take?
After a completed payment, the seller has 5 working days to post the package with the ordered product, after which, depending on the chosen courier option, the processing service of the courier must be taken into account. This can be followed by means of a track & trace code. Consequently, there is no fixed delivery time.Account
How to leave a review on an account?
On the seller page, there is a search bar at the top with a link to the seller's information next to it. Follow that link and under the seller's information, a review can be left if a product has already been purchased from the seller.
How to update your account details?
Click on the icon in the top right corner and select 'edit profile' from the options. It is important to keep your address up to date if you have games delivered.
How to change an account type (Standard, Plus, Professional)?
In your seller panel, click on the icon in the top right corner and select 'settings'. Navigate to the 'plan' section on that page to change your subscription.
What are the benefits of a Plus account?
As a seller, you have access to the message center, which allows potential buyers to ask questions about your product. All your products will also receive a premium label and will be highlighted on the main page so that your products can be sold more easily.
How much commission must be paid per account type?
BGS offers an extensive platform with all kinds of integrated functionalities including secure online payments, courier service, wishlists, points system, reviews, etc. that should simplify the buying and selling of second-hand games. The costs of hosting and running such a website can only be covered by charging a small contribution of 4% commission. This is because we also want to keep the website free of annoying advertisements. Certain extra services such as the communication system are financed separately by paying accounts based on their small monthly contribution of €1.49 (automatically settled with a next transaction). In return, these paying users do not have to pay extra commission on their transactions and the standard 4% contribution is no longer required. In addition, accounts with a subscription also have the advantage of being able to put their products in the spotlight.General
What does BGS stand for?
That's us, BoardGamesSwap!
Why buy/sell board games on BGS and not elsewhere?
BGS offers several advantages that other second-hand board game options do not, including: a unique notification system when a specific game is listed so you don’t have to scour websites periodically, fully specialized in board games with targeted filters, multiple secure online payment methods and integrated courier services, free of annoying ads, buyer protection options, collect points with every purchase, giveaways, etc.
Our Standards
Products, messages, or other content offered on BGS must not contain anything illegal, obscene, harmful, unethical, or infringe upon public safety, and must not infringe upon our rights or those of anyone else. All reviews of products, transactions, sellers or others must be honest and fair. No other websites or companies may be promoted via our website without our explicit permission, see the section advertising in the FAQ.
How to report abuse?
Does a user violate our community standards? Then you can report it here: Report abuse
Game not found in the list?
The game may be in the list but under the title in a different language. We group all language variants of a game under 1 entry on BGS to simplify the search function. Each game is listed under its original title, so if you can't find a game right away, first check if it has another original title (often in English). For this we recommend using the Boardgamegeek.com database where you can simply enter the title of your board game in the search bar and you will be taken to the page of the game with the original title. If you still can't find that title in our list, you can fill in the following form with the request to add the game to our catalog: Add game. You can't add board games yourself, because we want to avoid duplicate entries so that the notification system can work optimally, among other things. (Products other than board games such as accessories, puzzles, etc. do not have a catalogue or notification system and can be added by yourself)
How can you receive points by inviting new users to BGS?
You receive points primarily by purchasing via BGS, so the link for referral marketing cannot be found on the seller panel but via the search pages. Click on 'my account' in the top right corner and select 'referral marketing'. There you can generate a code that you can send to acquaintances or family to recommend BGS. If these people create a (free or paid) account and make a first purchase via the site, you will receive 40 points per user that you recruit in this way and the new user will also receive 40 points. See our getting started page for more details.
How to solve technical problems with the website?
If you experience a technical problem (pages that do not load, content that is not displayed correctly, etc.) you can report this via the following form and the problem will be solved as soon as possible: Report technical problem
How to win one of our giveaways?
Our seasonal giveaways are announced on our website under board game news as well as on social media. To have a chance to win the item, simply reply to the post on social media or our news page with your username from your BGS account. Then a winner will be chosen at random who has bought or sold at least 1 board game in the past season. The winner will be announced here on the site and will receive the item.
