ShipMova Buyer Protection & Refund Policy
Draft — pending New York attorney review before publication as a binding legal document.
1. What ShipMova Is
ShipMova (operated by ShipMova LLC, "ShipMova") is a technology platform that connects independent vehicle sellers in the United States with independent buyers internationally, and independent shipping providers who transport purchased vehicles. ShipMova provides identity verification, listing verification, secure messaging, and payment coordination tools.
ShipMova is not the seller of any vehicle, is not a party to the sale of any vehicle, and does not represent either the buyer or the seller as an agent. ShipMova does not take title to any vehicle at any point, and does not act as a shipping company. ShipMova never holds the vehicle price: it is held by Escrow.com, a licensed escrow company.
ShipMova charges a disclosed fee for its verification, messaging, and payment-coordination tools — not for the vehicle itself.
2. How Your Payment Is Protected
The buyer never pays the seller directly. The vehicle price is paid into an escrow transaction with Escrow.com and held there — not by the seller and not by ShipMova.
Escrow.com releases the vehicle price to the seller only after both of the following have happened:
- the vehicle has passed an independent in-person inspection confirming it matches the listing, including its VIN, mileage, and title; and
- the buyer's chosen shipper has taken custody of the vehicle and its original title.
ShipMova will never send a buyer bank details by WhatsApp, email, or text message, ask a buyer to pay a person directly, or change payment instructions after a purchase has started. Any such request is fraudulent and should be reported to ShipMova immediately.
3. Fee Transparency
All costs are disclosed to the buyer before any payment is made. Example: a $25,000 vehicle, an 8% ShipMova fee ($2,000), an estimated $600 Escrow.com fee, and $2,500 in shipping totals $30,100 shown to the buyer up front. Where a seller has chosen to split ShipMova's fee, the buyer pays 4% and the seller's 4% is deducted from the seller's escrow payout. The ShipMova fee, the vehicle price, the Escrow.com fee, and the shipping cost are separate line items with separate refund rules, described below.
4. When the ShipMova Fee Is Refunded
The buyer receives a full refund of ShipMova's fee if any of the following occurs:
- the vehicle is materially misrepresented (see Section 5);
- the seller withdraws from the sale; or
- the vehicle fails the independent inspection.
5. What Counts as Material Misrepresentation
A vehicle is materially misrepresented if ShipMova's verification process, the independent inspection, or evidence the buyer provides confirms any of the following: the VIN does not match the listing; the title is not as represented or the seller cannot legally transfer ownership; the vehicle has undisclosed material damage; the seller misrepresented the mileage; the seller does not actually possess or have legal authority to sell the vehicle; or the vehicle materially differs from its listed description.
ShipMova verifies the transaction information provided by sellers and provides buyer protection against the specific forms of misrepresentation listed above. ShipMova does not guarantee the condition, value, or performance of any vehicle, and is not responsible for issues not covered by the categories above.
6. The Vehicle Price and the Escrow.com Fee
The vehicle price is held and released by Escrow.com under its own escrow terms, which govern when it is paid to the seller or returned to the buyer. If a vehicle fails inspection, or the seller withdraws before the shipper takes custody of the vehicle and its original title, the vehicle price has not been released to the seller. Escrow.com's own fee is set and refunded under Escrow.com's terms, not ShipMova's.
7. Shipping Refunds
Shipping payments are separate from the ShipMova fee and are refunded under different terms. If the shipping provider has not yet incurred any cost at the time of cancellation, the buyer receives a full refund of the shipping payment. If the shipping provider has already incurred actual costs (pickup, storage, inland transportation, export documentation, port fees, or ocean freight booking), the shipping provider must submit an itemized invoice or receipt documenting the specific costs claimed. ShipMova will deduct only costs that are itemized, documented, and do not exceed the shipping rate originally disclosed to the buyer. Any remaining balance is refunded to the buyer. ShipMova reserves the right to reject an undocumented cost claim and resolve the dispute in the buyer's favor.
8. Dispute Resolution Process
A buyer or seller may file a dispute through the ShipMova platform, describing the issue and providing supporting evidence. ShipMova aims to review and respond within 5 business days. ShipMova will determine, based on the evidence and this policy, whether a refund of ShipMova's fee is owed. Refunds of ShipMova's fee are issued to the original payment method (or original bank transfer account, for bank-transfer payments) within a standard processing window after a decision is made. Disputes over funds held in escrow are also subject to Escrow.com's own dispute process. This process is administered by ShipMova in good faith and is not a substitute for legal remedies either party may separately be entitled to pursue.
9. Legal Notice
This policy is provided for transparency to ShipMova users and reflects ShipMova's intended operating practices. It is not a comprehensive legal contract and is subject to revision following legal review, including review of applicable New York State regulations concerning vehicle sale facilitation and the terms of ShipMova's escrow arrangement with Escrow.com. ShipMova is committed to updating this policy as needed to remain compliant with applicable law.