How it works
What we check, and what you can expect.
Dark Shop is a marketplace. Independent sellers list offers; we review every seller and every listing before it goes live, run the checkout and step in when something goes wrong.
Verification
How an offer gets on Dark Shop.
Seller checks
A reviewer approves every seller before they can list. Each seller page shows when they were approved.
Listing review
Every listing is reviewed before it goes live: the terms, the price, how it's delivered and any discount claim.
Price evidence
A crossed-out price appears only when we can check it against the provider's public price. Otherwise you see one price.
Ongoing checks
Ended offers come down automatically. Buyer reports go to a review queue, and listings that break the rules are removed.
What we don’t allow
- Countdowns or stock limits that aren't real
- Reviews from anyone who didn't order
- Discounts measured against a price nobody paid
- Badges or rankings sellers can buy
- Shared, pooled or resold accounts
- Codes or keys the seller isn't authorized to sell
Prices
One price, unless we can check another.
Sellers may say an offer is cheaper than the usual price. We show that comparison only when the seller links to the provider’s public price and our review team confirms it. The offer page then says when the price was checked and on which site.
If the claim can’t be checked, or the evidence is rejected, the listing shows a single price with no crossed-out amount and no “save” badge. Suggested retail prices, prices nobody paid and prices from other sellers are never used.
Stock counts and end dates come from the listing itself. We don’t show countdown timers, viewer counts or “selling fast” messages.
Delivery
Know how you’ll get it before you pay.
Every offer uses one of five delivery methods. The method is shown on the card, the offer page, at checkout and in your order.
Refunds
The refund rule is on the listing.
- Refundable until revealed
- Full refund any time before you reveal the code or key. After it is revealed, refunds are possible only if it does not work.
- Refundable within a set window
- Request a refund within the stated number of days of delivery.
- Refund if not delivered
- Full refund if the order is not delivered as described or on time.
- Final sale
- Not refundable once delivered, unless the offer does not work as described.
Whatever the rule, you can request a refund if an item was not delivered, a code was invalid when you received it, or it was not as described. Read the refund policy
Reviews and rankings
Only buyers can review.
A review can be left only for an item that was delivered, once per item. Each one is labelled as coming from a completed order. Ratings appear only after an offer or seller has at least three reviews, so a single opinion is never shown as a score.
Home page sections are filled by published rules, such as the date a listing last passed review, a verified reference price or units sold. Sellers can’t pay for placement.
Reports
See something wrong? Tell us.
Every offer page has a “Report this listing” link. You don’t need an account. Reports go to our review team, not to the seller. We look at every one, and listings that break the rules are paused or removed.
For a problem with something you bought, open the order instead. That keeps the details of your purchase together and starts the refund process where it applies.
Questions
Before you buy.
How are sellers checked?
Before a seller can list, a reviewer reads what they tell us about who they are and what they sell, and approves or declines them. We do not check identity documents. Each seller page shows when they were approved and any brand authorizations on file. Sellers who break the marketplace rules lose approval, and their listings come down.
Are listings checked too?
Yes. Each listing is reviewed before it goes live, including its terms, price, delivery method and any discount claim. You can report a listing from its page at any time, with or without an account.
Are the discounts real?
A crossed-out price is shown only when we have checked it against the provider's public price. Without that check there's no crossed-out price, just the price you pay.
How do refunds work?
Refund terms depend on the listing and are shown on every offer before you pay. Many codes and keys can be refunded until you reveal them. Whatever the policy, you can request a refund if what you received doesn't work as described.
What if a code doesn't work?
Open the order and report the code. We check reported codes with the seller. If the code was invalid when you received it, you can request a refund from the same order.
Am I buying from the brand or from Dark Shop?
It depends on the listing, and every card says which. "On brand site" listings take you to the brand's own website, where you pay the brand's official price; we show that price and check the link. Gift cards and codes are sold by approved sellers on Dark Shop and delivered to your order.
How do I pay, and is my card stored?
Payments go through a hosted checkout run by our payment provider. Your card details go directly to them. Dark Shop never sees or stores your full card number.
Where do I find what I bought?
In Orders. Codes, keys, files, activations and redemption links stay there, with the date you received each one.
How do I start selling?
Apply from Sell on Dark Shop. Tell us who you are and what you sell, then submit your first listings for review. You can sell once your application and each listing are approved.
Why might a seller application be declined?
We decline applications we can't verify, and sellers whose listings don't meet the marketplace rules. You'll get the reason, and you can apply again once it's resolved.
How are the offers on the home page chosen?
By rules you can read under each heading, such as the most recent review date, a verified reference price or real sales. Sellers can't pay to appear there.
