Our policies

Privacy policy

1. Who we are and what this policy covers

Cuzgem is an online marketplace and jewelry-visualization platform operated from Bangkok, Thailand (“Cuzgem,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). Cuzgem is normally the controller of personal data used for marketplace and account operations under Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Act B.E. 2562 (2019) (“Thai PDPA”) and other applicable data-protection laws. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain and protect personal data when you visit the Cuzgem website, create an account, buy or sell gemstones or jewelry, communicate through the marketplace, submit a gemstone inquiry, contact a gems expert, use AI design or 3D visualization features, or otherwise use our services (together, the “Services”).

For marketplace and account processing, Cuzgem is normally the controller of personal data. A seller that receives limited fulfillment information may be a separate controller for the narrow purposes of performing the sale, complying with law and resolving an order issue. Sellers are contractually prohibited from using buyer data for unrelated purposes.

This Policy does not govern a third party’s own website or service. When you deliberately leave Cuzgem, including by opening WhatsApp to contact the Cuzgem gems expert, the third party’s privacy terms also apply.

2. Personal data we collect

Depending on how you use the Services, we may collect:

• Account and contact data: name, username, email address, telephone number, country, billing and delivery addresses, language, account preferences and login records.
• Seller verification data: legal and trading name, date of birth, government identification, selfie or liveness result, company registration, beneficial ownership, tax and VAT information, licenses, bank or payout details, professional status, sanctions-screening results and verification records.
• Order and transaction data: products viewed, saved, purchased or sold; offers; prices; currency; invoices; payment status; refunds; commissions; shipping, tracking and delivery events; customs information; and dispute outcomes. Cuzgem does not intend to store complete payment-card numbers; payment providers process card information under their own notices.
• Listing and gemological data: product descriptions, stone type and variety, carat weight, dimensions, color, clarity, treatment, origin, certificates, photographs, videos, inspection status and seller-supplied provenance information.
• AI and design data: prompts, selected gemstone data, measurements, reference images, generated sketches, renderings, CAD or 3D files, feedback, usage credits and technical logs. AI-generated images may be visually inaccurate and are not independent gemological or manufacturing reports.
• Communications and support data: marketplace messages, inquiry forms, claim submissions, uploaded evidence, support correspondence, expert-chat requests, call information where lawfully recorded, reviews and reports of suspected misconduct.
• Device, security and usage data: IP address, device and browser type, operating system, identifiers, login time, referring page, pages viewed, search and filter activity, cookie or similar-technology data, approximate location derived from IP, and fraud or security signals.
• Data from third parties: payment, identity-verification, sanctions, shipping, analytics, authentication and fraud-prevention providers; sellers and buyers; public registers; authorities; and permitted business partners.

Please do not upload more personal data than a transaction or support request reasonably requires. Never upload full payment-card details in a listing, message, image, video, AI prompt or claim.

3. How and why we use personal data

We use personal data to:

• create, authenticate and maintain accounts;
• review and verify sellers and determine whether they may sell on Cuzgem;
• display listings, seller profiles and legally required trader information;
• form and administer orders, facilitate payments, payouts, refunds and invoices;
• disclose minimum fulfillment details to the relevant seller after payment;
• support tracked and insured delivery, customs documentation and delivery communications;
• provide gemstone inquiries, expert support, AI design and 3D visualization;
• operate the 72-hour Cuzgem Protection Appeal and resolve disputes;
• authenticate listings, certificates, treatments, provenance and verification badges;
• detect fraud, account misuse, sanctions risk, money laundering, prohibited items, chargebacks, security incidents and policy violations;
• maintain records, comply with tax, accounting, consumer, marketplace, product, law-enforcement and regulatory duties;
• analyze and improve the Services, accessibility, search, recommendations and performance;
• send service notices and, where permitted, marketing communications; and
• establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Where data-protection law requires a legal basis, we rely as appropriate on performance of a contract, steps requested before a contract, compliance with legal obligations, our legitimate interests or those of users in operating a safe marketplace, consent, and the establishment or defense of legal claims. Where consent is the basis, it may be withdrawn without affecting earlier lawful processing.

4. AI inputs, outputs and model improvement

AI and 3D features may process gemstone images, dimensions, product data, prompts and user feedback through Cuzgem and approved technology providers. AI outputs are estimates or visual concepts. They may contain errors, omit structural requirements, differ from the physical stone, or be unsuitable for manufacture without professional review.

Cuzgem will not use a user’s private, identifiable gemstone images, private CAD files or confidential transaction data to train a shared generative model unless the user has given a separate, informed opt-in or the data has been irreversibly anonymized and aggregated. We may use operational logs, safety signals and de-identified usage statistics to secure and improve the Services. The categories of technology providers involved, together with any material provider-specific terms and retention information, are disclosed in this Policy, in the relevant feature, or in the consent interface presented before the data is submitted.

5. When we disclose personal data

We may disclose personal data only as reasonably necessary:

• To the relevant seller: after payment, the minimum recipient name, delivery address, carrier-required telephone number or email, order reference and information legally required for customs, invoicing or a dispute. Sellers may use this information only for the relevant order and may not use it for marketing, prospecting or off-platform sales.
• To service providers: hosting, marketplace software, payment and payout processing (including Stripe and its relevant affiliates), identity and business verification, fraud and sanctions screening, messaging, email, customer support, analytics, security, AI processing, storage, shipping, insurance and professional advisers, subject to appropriate contracts and access controls.
• To authorities and other parties for legal or safety reasons: when required by law, court order or lawful request, or when reasonably necessary to protect users, enforce policies, investigate fraud, defend claims or prevent harm.
• In a business transaction: to advisers and a buyer, investor or successor in connection with a proposed or completed financing, merger, reorganization or sale, subject to confidentiality and law.
• With your direction or consent: for a purpose clearly explained when you choose it.

We do not sell buyer contact details to sellers or data brokers. We do not authorize sellers to copy buyer details into independent marketing databases.

6. Strict seller restrictions on buyer data

A seller must not solicit or collect additional buyer personal data unless Cuzgem has expressly authorized the request and the information is legally necessary for the order. A seller must not:

• scrape, download in bulk, photograph, copy or create a private database of buyer data;
• add a buyer to a CRM, mailing list, messaging list, lookalike audience or advertising platform;
• contact a buyer through WhatsApp, personal email, social media or telephone, except for a carrier-critical delivery event or legal emergency where platform messaging is genuinely unavailable;
• ask for payment-card details, account passwords, unrelated identity documents or payment outside Cuzgem;
• use order data to solicit an off-platform transaction, review, referral or future sale;
• disclose buyer data to another party except a carrier, insurer, customs broker or professional adviser that strictly needs it for the order and is bound to protect it; or
• retain working copies longer than necessary for fulfillment, a dispute or a mandatory legal record.

The fact that a telephone number appears on a carrier label is not consent to call or message the buyer for another purpose. Suspected misuse must be reported through the privacy request form on the Contact Us page or through the support option in the user’s Cuzgem account. Cuzgem may restrict data access, suspend the seller, notify affected persons or regulators, and pursue available remedies.

7. International transfers

Cuzgem is based in Thailand, while sellers, carriers, insurers, customs brokers and other service providers may be located in different countries. Shipping and service data may therefore be transferred from Thailand to the seller’s dispatch country, transit countries and the destination country where reasonably necessary to fulfill the order or comply with law. Where personal data is transferred across borders, we use a mechanism and safeguards permitted by the Thai PDPA and any other applicable data-protection law, which may include an adequacy basis, approved contractual clauses, consent where legally valid, necessity for a contract or claim, and appropriate contractual and technical protections. Details may be requested through the privacy request form on the Contact Us page.

8.  Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described above and to satisfy legal, tax, accounting, fraud-prevention and dispute requirements. We apply the following retention schedule unless applicable law, a regulatory request, fraud review, litigation or a legal hold requires a different period:

Data category	Retention period
Account profile	While active, then up to 2 years unless a longer period is necessary
Orders, invoices, payouts and tax records	7 years after the transaction, or longer if law requires
Seller KYC/AML and verification records	5 years after the seller relationship ends, or the legal period
Claims, chargebacks and enforcement records	7 years after final resolution
Marketplace messages relating to transactions	7 years after the related transaction
AI prompts and private generated assets	While the account is active plus 90 days after deletion, unless the user deletes them earlier or legal preservation applies
Security logs	Normally 12 months, longer for a documented investigation
Marketing preferences	Until opt-out plus a minimal suppression record
Cookie and analytics data	As disclosed in the cookie settings and vendor list

We may retain data longer where litigation, a regulator, fraud review, sanctions review or legal hold requires it. We may retain irreversibly anonymized statistics that no longer identify a person.

9. Security

We use proportionate administrative, technical and organizational measures, including access controls, encryption in transit where supported, logging, backups, vendor review and incident procedures. No system is completely secure. Users must protect credentials, use unique passwords and promptly report suspected unauthorized access.

10. Your choices and rights

Under the Thai PDPA and, where applicable, other data-protection laws, you may have rights to access and obtain a copy of personal data; correct inaccurate data; request deletion, destruction or anonymization; restrict or object to processing; receive portable data; withdraw consent; opt out of marketing; and complain to a competent regulator, including Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Committee where applicable. Some requests may be limited where we must retain data for law, security, fraud prevention, transactions or legal claims.

To exercise a privacy right, submit the privacy request form on the Contact Us page or use the support option in your Cuzgem account. We may verify identity before acting. Authorized-agent requests must include proof of authority. We will respond within the period required by applicable law.

11. Additional disclosures for United States residents

Depending on the state of residence and whether Cuzgem meets the applicable legal thresholds, a United States resident may have rights to know or access categories and specific pieces of personal information; correct inaccurate information; delete information subject to exceptions; obtain a portable copy; opt out of a sale, sharing, targeted advertising or certain profiling; limit certain uses of sensitive personal information; appeal a refusal; and receive equal service without unlawful discrimination for exercising a privacy right.

Cuzgem does not sell buyer contact details for money. Some analytics or advertising disclosures may nevertheless be legally treated as a “sale,” “sharing” or targeted advertising in certain states. Where Cuzgem uses such technologies in a legally covered manner, the applicable notice and opt-out method will be available through Cookie Settings, and legally recognized browser-based opt-out preference signals will be honored where required. This Policy describes the categories collected, sources, business purposes, recipient categories and applicable retention periods for the preceding 12 months or other legally required period.

Requests may be submitted through the privacy request form on the Contact Us page or through the support option in the user’s Cuzgem account. We may verify identity and an authorized agent’s authority. If applicable law provides an appeal right, appeal instructions will be included in our response. These disclosures do not create rights where a state law does not apply.

12. Cookies and similar technologies

We use necessary technologies for login, security, cart, checkout and preferences. With consent where required, we may use analytics, personalization and advertising technologies. The Cookie Settings link in the website footer identifies available controls for optional technologies. Rejecting optional cookies will not disable core marketplace functions.

13. Children

The Services are not intended for anyone under 18, and sellers must be legally capable of entering contracts. If we learn that a child provided personal data without a lawful basis, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

14. Changes and contact

We may update this Policy to reflect changes in law, providers or Services. We will post the updated date and provide additional notice where required. Material changes will not be applied retroactively where law prohibits it.

• Questions, complaints and privacy requests: use the privacy request form on the Contact Us page or the support option in your Cuzgem account.
• Formal correspondence: Cuzgem, Bangkok, Thailand. Request current formal-service instructions through the Legal Notice form on the Contact Us page.
• Regulatory complaints: you may contact the competent data-protection authority where applicable, including Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Committee.

Delivery policy

1. Scope and division of responsibility

Cuzgem provides the marketplace, payment-support and communication tools. Unless checkout expressly says otherwise, the seller—not Cuzgem—is the seller of record and is responsible for preparing, packaging, protecting, exporting and delivering the purchased item. Delivery is carried out by the seller through a carrier selected and contracted by the seller. The buyer and seller form the sales contract directly.

Cuzgem may support tracking, hold or release funds, and assist with a dispute, but does not become the carrier, freight forwarder, insurer, customs broker or physical custodian merely by providing these tools.

Cuzgem maintains an operational office in Bangkok. That office is not a retail store, order-collection point, dispatch counter or public return address. Orders and approved returns may be delivered only through the process stated in this Policy; no in-person collection or return handover is available.

2. Delivery regions, charges and methods

Bangkok delivery zone

For a delivery address inside the Bangkok delivery zone displayed at checkout, no separate delivery fee is charged to the buyer. The seller must arrange and pay for an approved secure delivery method unless Cuzgem has expressly agreed a different commercial arrangement with that seller. Free Bangkok delivery does not reduce the seller’s responsibility for tracking, secure handling, valid proof of delivery and protection of the full order value.

A seller must not use a delivery service whose terms prohibit or exclude gemstones, diamonds, jewelry, precious metals or other valuable goods. Cuzgem may require a specialist secure-logistics provider, identity verification, an appointment and direct signature according to the value and risk of the order.

Other destinations in Thailand

For delivery elsewhere in Thailand, the seller must state the shipping charge, available service, handling time and estimated delivery period in the listing or checkout. The service must be trackable, accept the relevant goods and provide carrier liability plus separate insurance or another approved protection arrangement sufficient for the full order value. A remote-area or special-handling surcharge may be charged only if disclosed before the buyer accepts it.

Nearby Asia and other international destinations

For delivery to Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, China, Japan, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei and any other enabled country or territory, the seller must verify before dispatch that the carrier accepts the item type and value, services the destination, permits the required customs declaration and provides adequate protection. The shipping charge must be displayed at checkout or otherwise accepted by the buyer before the order becomes binding. A delivery estimate is not a guarantee and may be affected by route availability, security review, customs processing or events outside the seller’s reasonable control.

Current charges; no tax calculation in this Policy

Cuzgem does not publish fixed carrier tariffs or tax calculations in this Policy. Delivery charges depend on the seller’s dispatch location, destination, package weight and dimensions, order value, security level, insurance, remote-area status and carrier terms. The current amount displayed in the listing or checkout, or a written quotation accepted through Cuzgem before the order becomes binding, controls. Any import duty, VAT, GST, sales tax, customs fee or other government charge is determined under applicable law and is not calculated or guaranteed by this Policy.

3. Seller shipping obligations

The seller must:

• state the dispatch location, handling time, available destinations, delivery estimate, carrier method and shipping price before purchase;
• dispatch within 3 business days after Cuzgem confirms cleared payment, unless the listing clearly states a longer made-to-order or handling period accepted by the buyer;
• use a reputable, fully trackable service and upload a valid tracking number promptly;
• confirm in writing or under the carrier’s published terms that the carrier accepts the relevant gemstones, jewelry, precious metals and declared value;
• arrange carrier liability plus separate insurance or another Cuzgem-approved protection structure sufficient to cover the full order value; a declared value for carriage alone does not satisfy this requirement where it is only a liability limit;
• use a specialist jewelry-and-gemstone logistics provider or another Cuzgem-approved secure method whenever an ordinary carrier cannot lawfully accept or fully protect the order;
• require signature on delivery and, for any order Cuzgem classifies as high value based on item type, route, value and risk, use identity or age verification where lawful and appropriate;
• package discreetly, securely and in accordance with carrier and insurer requirements, without gemstone or jewelry wording on the exterior;
• retain dated photographs or video of the item, certificate, tamper seals, serial numbers, packaging and handover to the carrier;
• ship only to the address shown in the paid Cuzgem order, unless Cuzgem records and approves a change;
• make complete and truthful customs, value, origin, commodity-code and export declarations; and
• monitor the shipment, communicate delays through Cuzgem and pursue carrier or insurance claims for loss or damage.

Creating a label is not dispatch. Tracking must show possession or an acceptance scan by the carrier.

The seller contracts with, instructs and pays the carrier unless Cuzgem expressly agrees otherwise. Cuzgem’s display of a shipping option, carrier name or tracking link does not transfer the seller’s delivery obligations to Cuzgem.

4. Buyer delivery obligations

The buyer must provide a complete, lawful and deliverable address; monitor tracking; be available for signature; and promptly cooperate with lawful carrier or customs requests. Any government charges that apply to an international shipment are governed by applicable law and the allocation disclosed before purchase; this Policy does not calculate them.

The buyer must inspect the parcel exterior before accepting delivery. If damage is visible, the buyer must, where lawful and practical, refuse delivery or ask the carrier to record acceptance “with reservation.” To support a Cuzgem Protection Appeal, the buyer must photograph all sides of the unopened parcel, seals and label and record one continuous unboxing video showing the sealed package, opening, contents, certificate and any issue.

Failure to make a video does not automatically remove a right that cannot legally be waived, but it may prevent Cuzgem from verifying a voluntary marketplace claim.

5. Delivery communications and personal data

The buyer and seller may discuss carrier, timing, signature, customs and other necessary delivery details only through Cuzgem’s order messaging system. Cuzgem may disclose the minimum fulfillment details after payment. The seller may not use those details for marketing, private prospecting, social messaging or an off-platform transaction.

A carrier, insurer or customs broker may receive only the recipient and order data reasonably needed to deliver, protect or lawfully clear the shipment. A seller must not request a passport, payment-card information or unrelated personal data directly from a buyer. If customs law requires additional identity or tax information, the seller must ask Cuzgem to provide an approved secure workflow. Delivery data may not be copied into a seller’s CRM, personal contacts or marketing systems and must not be used to solicit an off-platform transaction.

6. Risk, loss and damage in transit

For a consumer sale, risk remains with the professional seller until the buyer or a buyer-designated person other than the carrier obtains physical possession, where mandatory law so requires. For a business-to-business transaction, risk may pass under an expressly agreed Incoterm or written shipping term, but the seller remains responsible for complying with this Policy and the carrier contract.

The seller is responsible for loss, damage, misdelivery, inadequate packaging, insufficient insurance and carrier compliance until risk lawfully passes. The seller must open and manage any carrier or insurance claim. Cuzgem may hold payout, require replacement, cancel the order or refund the buyer when delivery cannot be completed or evidence supports a covered claim.

7. Customs, restrictions and delays

The seller must confirm that the item and chosen carrier may lawfully be shipped to the destination and must comply with sanctions, export controls, wildlife-material restrictions, anti-money-laundering obligations and gemstone or precious-metal documentation rules. The buyer must cooperate with lawful import requirements. This Policy does not calculate or guarantee any duty, tax or government charge.

Cuzgem is not responsible for customs delay, inspection or seizure caused by a party’s inaccurate information or legal noncompliance. Under-declaration, false “gift” declarations and concealment of the product are prohibited.

8. Delivery event and 72-hour inspection period

The inspection period begins when valid carrier evidence records delivery to the buyer or an authorized adult at the approved address. Delivery to a parcel locker, forwarding company, hotel reception, unattended place or collection point requires Cuzgem’s prior approval. The inspection period runs for 72 consecutive hours. During this period the buyer must keep the item, certificate, seals and packaging unchanged and open any Cuzgem Protection Appeal.

If the buyer promptly disputes that delivery occurred and the available proof does not reliably identify the recipient, Cuzgem may pause the inspection period and payout while the seller obtains valid proof of delivery from the carrier.

If no appeal is opened within 72 hours, Cuzgem may treat the order as accepted for the limited purpose of its payment-hold and expedited dispute process. Cuzgem aims to instruct Stripe to release an otherwise eligible seller payout as soon as reasonably practicable, normally within one business day after that inspection period expires. Compliance review, reserves, chargebacks, tracking anomalies, weekends, public holidays, Stripe processing and the seller’s bank may extend the timing. This does not eliminate a non-waivable statutory right, and initiating a payout is not a guarantee of the time at which a bank credits it.

9. Failed delivery and unclaimed packages

If delivery fails because the seller used an incorrect address or noncompliant method, the seller bears resulting costs. If it fails because the buyer supplied an incorrect address, refused lawful duties, or did not collect the package after reasonable notice, Cuzgem may charge the buyer for documented outbound, return, customs and insurance costs to the extent permitted by law.

No refund will be processed until the item is safely returned and reconciled, unless mandatory law requires otherwise. The seller must not redirect a returned package to an address that is not recorded in the order.

10. Delivery support

Report a non-dispatch, tracking or delivery issue through the support option on the relevant Cuzgem order page. Do not send sensitive order documents through social media.

RETURNS, FINAL SALE AND CLAIMS POLICY

1. Core rule: no voluntary returns

Except where mandatory law requires otherwise, all sales on Cuzgem are final. Cuzgem and its sellers do not offer voluntary change-of-mind returns, exchanges, “try at home” returns, resizing returns, or returns based only on preference, fit, investment performance, price movement or a difference between a screen and normal physical appearance.

This strict policy reflects the unique, high-value and easily altered nature of natural gemstones and jewelry and the extensive listing media available before purchase. Buyers must review the full description, dimensions, carat weight, treatment, certificate, photographs, top and side views, natural-light or hand video, 360-degree video where available, and request additional information through Cuzgem before purchasing.

2.  Jewelry is final sale

Unless mandatory law requires a remedy:

• every ready-made jewelry purchase is final sale;
• bespoke, personalized, engraved, resized, made-to-order or buyer-specified jewelry is final sale once production begins;
• a buyer may not cancel because the finished piece differs from an AI sketch, rendering or 3D preview where the delivered item conforms to the approved manufacturing specification and disclosed tolerances; and
• a change in taste, size preference, perceived color, visual scale or styling is not a covered claim.

Before production begins, the buyer must provide timestamped approval through Cuzgem of the stone, design, dimensions, metal, size, finish, manufacturing tolerances, price and production start. AI visualizations are concepts and not warranties of exact color, scale, optical performance or manufacturability.

3. No return after a loose stone is altered or used

A loose gemstone is not returnable after it has been mounted or set into jewelry, removed from a sealed holder where the listing lawfully makes the seal material, cut, recut, polished, repolished, drilled, engraved, heated, irradiated, filled, coated, treated, cleaned by a risky method, subjected to destructive testing, chipped, scratched, damaged, mixed with other stones, or otherwise altered after delivery.

If a buyer wants to preserve eligibility for a Cuzgem claim, the buyer must not deliver the stone to a jeweler, setter, cutter, laboratory or other third party until the 72-hour inspection period has ended without issue or Cuzgem has given written instructions. Mandatory remedies for an original defect or nonconformity remain governed by applicable law, but alteration may make causation or identity impossible to establish.

4. Cuzgem Protection Appeal: 72-hour deadline

A buyer seeking Cuzgem’s expedited marketplace protection must open an appeal from the order page within 72 consecutive hours after the carrier-recorded delivery event. A message sent only to the seller, carrier, WhatsApp expert or social-media account is not an appeal.

When a timely appeal is opened, Cuzgem may pause seller payout while reviewing evidence. If no timely appeal is opened, Cuzgem may release the payout and close the expedited platform return channel. Cuzgem may review a late report in exceptional cases involving suspected fraud, an empty package, non-delivery, a prohibited synthetic stone, serious authenticity manipulation, a regulatory request or another reason Cuzgem considers necessary. This discretion does not create a promise to accept late claims.

5. Covered appeal grounds

Subject to evidence, an appeal may be covered where:

• a professional seller failed to provide a mandatory statutory remedy.
• the item was not delivered, the parcel was empty, or the wrong item was delivered;
• the item was materially damaged in transit;
• the item materially differs from the listing in identity, quantity, weight, measurements beyond disclosed tolerance, variety, treatment, condition or included components;
• a certificate does not correspond to the delivered stone or appears materially altered or misrepresented;
• the item is synthetic, laboratory-grown, simulated, counterfeit or otherwise prohibited when represented as a natural gemstone;
• an undisclosed treatment or material defect is confirmed by reliable evidence; or a professional seller failed to provide a mandatory statutory remedy.

6. Matters not covered by voluntary Cuzgem protection

Unless mandatory law requires otherwise, Cuzgem may deny a claim based on:

• change of mind, buyer’s remorse, budget change, gifting issue or a later price movement;
• preference concerning color, saturation, tone, sparkle, inclusions or apparent scale where the listing was materially accurate;
• ordinary differences caused by monitor calibration, camera, magnification, background, hand size, white balance, studio lighting or natural light;
• a natural inclusion, zoning, asymmetry or surface feature visible or disclosed in listing media;
• a measurement or weight variation within the listing’s expressly disclosed professional tolerance;
• delay caused solely by customs, buyer non-cooperation, an incorrect buyer address or unpaid import charges;
• damage, loss, substitution or alteration after lawful delivery;
• removal or breakage of a security seal without an approved reason;
• a claim submitted without sufficient identity, chain-of-custody or item evidence; or
• an AI visualization not matching a buyer’s subjective expectation, where it was clearly labeled as a concept.

7. Evidence required

The buyer must submit, to the extent available:

• order number, tracking number, delivery time and a concise explanation;
• clear photographs of every side of the unopened parcel, label, seals and visible damage;
• one continuous unboxing video from sealed package through inspection of all contents;
• close photographs and video of the item, security markings, measurements and certificate;
• any carrier reservation, damage report, proof of delivery, police report for suspected theft or empty parcel, and customs document;
• the remedy requested; and
• any independent report Cuzgem authorizes.

The buyer must preserve the item, packaging, certificate, tags and seals and follow Cuzgem’s instructions. Fabricated, edited or misleading evidence may result in claim denial and account action.

8. Review and possible outcomes

Cuzgem may request seller records, packaging evidence, listing files, certificate verification, carrier information, an independent gemological opinion or physical inspection. Cuzgem may determine the claim on the available evidence if a party does not cooperate by the deadline.

Possible outcomes include denial, a partial refund, repair, replacement, return for refund, cancellation, release of seller payout, account restriction, or another lawful resolution. A Cuzgem decision concerns the marketplace’s payment and protection process and does not prevent a party from using a non-waivable external legal remedy.

9. Authorized returns only

No item may be returned without a written Cuzgem Return Merchandise Authorization (“RMA”) and approved address. An unauthorized return may be refused and does not create a refund entitlement.

For an approved Cuzgem claim, the buyer must normally hand the item to the approved carrier within 3 business days after receiving the RMA. The item must be unchanged, complete and packaged with all certificates, boxes, tags, seals and documents. It must be tracked, signed and insured for the full value. The party responsible for return cost will be stated in the resolution; where the seller is at fault, the seller will normally bear reasonable return cost.

Where a mandatory statutory withdrawal right applies, the legally required notice and return period overrides the 3-business-day RMA dispatch rule.

10. Authentication and chain of custody

Cuzgem may require the item to be sent directly to an approved independent gemologist, laboratory or secure facility. The parties must not open, substitute, clean, alter or redirect the item contrary to instructions. Cuzgem may allocate reasonable inspection and shipping cost to the party whose material claim or representation is disproved, to the extent permitted by law.

Badges such as “Certificate Checked,” “Physically Inspected,” “Stone Checked by Gemologist” or “Cuzgem Authenticated” describe a recorded Cuzgem process; they are not an unconditional guarantee, appraisal, investment opinion or substitute for the underlying laboratory report. “Cuzgem Authenticated” may be awarded only after the stone has passed the enhanced Cuzgem authentication procedure recorded for that item, consisting of either re-examination by a Cuzgem-authorized independent laboratory or a documented physical comparison of the stone and its certificate together.

11.  Refunds

An approved refund is normally sent to the original payment method after the returned item is received, identified and confirmed in the required condition. Original or return shipping, duties and taxes are refunded only where the resolution or mandatory law requires it. Processing time depends on the payment provider and bank.

Cuzgem may offset a refund, chargeback, inspection cost or loss against seller funds where the Seller Terms permit it.

12. Mandatory consumer rights

Nothing in this Policy excludes or limits a right or remedy that applicable law does not allow the seller or Cuzgem to waive. In particular, some consumers buying online from professional sellers may have statutory withdrawal and conformity rights. Custom-made or clearly personalized goods may qualify for a withdrawal exception, but defects, material misdescription and other statutory nonconformity rights may still remain.

If this Policy conflicts with mandatory law, mandatory law controls only to the extent of the conflict. The strict final-sale rules continue to apply to all voluntary or waivable returns.