Buy, sell or edit an item

• Can I cancel a purchase?

You are expected to purchase the offered item for the stated price. Of course you can cancel a purchase when knowledge arises that you did not know when you bought the item, such as unreported damage.

To cancel a purchase, click the 'cancel' button on an item's detail page or in the 'my purchases' menu (for a purchase) or 'my items' menu (for a sale).

After you received the item and payed the seller, you have the right of withdrawal during 14 days. This means that you can give the item back in its original condition to the seller and get your money back from him.  

• How do I ensure the best possible description of my items, increasing visibility?

Provide a clear text description and title. Also select appropriate categories and provide as much specific information about your item as possible. Indicate in your description where and what is damaged and what impact this has on its use.

Also include at least one photo that best portrays your item. It is best to use photos in landscape format with a minimum width of 5OO pixels.

• The descriptions of items are not in my preferred language.

The sharing platform has been developed in both English and Dutch. However, the titles and descriptions entered by users are not automatically translated. Automated translations are still a very difficult task. You can use online websites like Google Translate to quickly translate descriptions to your own language. 

Do you want to make your item easy to find? Then provide a description in Dutch and English.

• Why can't I place a bid on an item?

As stated in the terms of use, the sharing platform has no commercial goal. The emphasis is on the reuse of the items offered. Therefore we did not include an option to place bids on items.  

About items and transactions

• Which items can I sell in the 'thrift shop' module?

The content of this module is less defined than that of the other modules. You can offer a whole range of items, but it is the intention that the items on offer are related to study, student housing or work life.

• Are there items I am not allowed to sell on the sharing platform?

For a list of prohibited items, please check 'offered items' in the terms of use.

• Can I sell or give away summaries of courses or lesson notes on the sharing platform?

According to the Education and Examination Code (EEC), it is not allowed for students to sell any form of course and exam material without permission from the authorized professors. As a student, you may only share lesson notes and summaries with each other free of charge. The exact details can be found in the EEC. Work is currently underway to develop a specific platform for these items.

• How can I see which items a user (still) has for sale?

At the moment this is not yet possible. This feature will be developed later on.

Communication

• Before I buy an item, I first want to ask the seller a question. Is this possible?

You can do this by sending a direct email to the seller. You will always find the email address on the detail page of an offered item. Keep in mind that direct mails are not stored in the 'my messages' menu.

• How can I see if I have new messages?

The newest posts are placed at the top of the 'my message' menu. You can easily see how long it has been since there was a response. In addition, you will receive an email of every communication.

The platform currently does not allow to visually indicate if there is a message in a conversation that you have not viewed yet.  

• Should I send a message or email when I buy or sell an item?

It is best to communicate via the communication tool of the platform itself. This way you can always quickly look back at the communication that took place in relation to this item. In any case, you will always receive the reactions of the other party by email, so that you are always informed.

Direct communication via email is especially useful for communicating before purchasing an item.

• I do not immediately see the response of a seller or buyer in 'my messages'?

The 'my messages' menu is not built as a chat function, but as a place where you can find your current and past conversations.

It can take up to a minute before the other party receives a message. Refreshing the page (F5) also helps in certain cases.

• Why can't I change my email address for notifications?

As a user or administrator you want to know with whom you talk or trade. Your email address is how you can be identified by other members and therefore cannot be changed. This also ensures that emails and notifications always reach their recipient and that your Ghent University email address suffices to use the platform.. 

You can enter an additional email address that members can use if you do not respond because, for example, you are on vacation or are no longer active at Ghent University, so that you no longer have access to the sharing platform.

You can of course also set up a mailbox rule so that all emails from the sharing platform are automatically forwarded to an email address of your choice.

• Can I share items with UGent'ers via social media?

You can do this by sharing the item's detail page. There is no direct share button for your specific social media profiles.

General operation

-> My friend is studying at HOGENT. Can he also get access?
The sharing platform is currently only open to Ghent University students and staff members. In the future, this access may be extended, in the first place to members of the UGent association and/or UZ Gent.

Privacy

-> Why do I sometimes have to set my language and cookie settings again when logging in?
This information is stored in your browser. If you log in with a different device or browser, you will have to go through these short questions again.

-> What information do you keep about me? Can I change or delete this information?
All information about storing your data and safeguarding your privacy can be found in the privacy statement.