› NORPEX MARKETPLACE › Refund Policy

Last updated: June 14, 2026

Status: STRONG DRAFT — for Canadian legal review before publication. Not legal advice. Two items in particular require sign-off from Canadian payments/consumer counsel before this policy goes live: (1) the FINTRAC/money-services-business characterization of the Stripe-held-funds flow described in Section 2, and (2) the enforceability of the "no change-of-mind refund" position against any buyer who qualifies as a "consumer" under provincial law (see Section 12).

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1. About this Policy

1.1. This Refund Policy explains when and how money is returned to a buyer on the Norpex Marketplace at marketplace.norpex.ca (the "Marketplace"), how funds held in escrow are released or returned, who decides the outcome of a dispute, and how refunds interact with freight charges, commission, card chargebacks, and financing.

1.2. This Policy forms part of, and must be read together with, the Marketplace Terms of Service, Return Policy, Privacy Policy, and Warranty / "As-Is" Disclaimer. Capitalized terms not defined here have the meaning given in the Terms of Service. If there is a conflict between this Policy and the Terms of Service, the Terms of Service govern.

1.3. Norpex is a venue, not a party to the sale. Every sale on the Marketplace is a contract between an independent third-party Seller and a Buyer. Norpex Inc. ("Norpex", "we", "us") operates the Marketplace as a technology platform that connects Buyers and Sellers and facilitates payment. Norpex does not own, inspect, take possession of, or warrant any item listed on the Marketplace. A refund under this Policy is a remedy administered by Norpex from funds it is holding for the transaction; it is not an admission that Norpex is the seller of, or responsible for, any item.

1.4. The Marketplace is separate from Norpex's own first-party equipment sales at norpex.ca. This Policy applies only to Marketplace transactions.

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2. How the money flows (escrow / held funds)

2.1. Held funds, released on conditions. When a Buyer pays for an item, the payment is processed by Stripe and the funds are held ("in escrow") rather than paid immediately to the Seller. Norpex instructs Stripe; Stripe holds and moves the money. Norpex acts as the Seller's payment agent for the limited purpose of facilitating receipt of the purchase price for the Seller's benefit. Norpex does not take the funds into its own operating account as a deposit.

2.2. The release trigger. Held funds are released to the Seller only after all of the following occur: (a) the item is delivered to (or picked up by) the Buyer; and (b) the 3-day inspection window (defined in Section 3) ends; and (c) no dispute has been filed during that window, or any dispute filed has been resolved in the Seller's favour.

2.3. What "refund" means here. A "refund" under this Policy is the return of some or all of the held funds to the Buyer instead of releasing them to the Seller, decided according to Sections 4–8. Refunds are exceptional, not routine — they arise only from a successful dispute, a Seller's failure to deliver, or a cancellation of the sale, as set out below.

2.4. Maximum buyer remedy. Where a sale is cancelled or refunded, Norpex's sole liability to the Buyer is the return of the funds the Buyer paid (subject to the freight and commission rules in Sections 9–10). Norpex is not liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive loss, lost profits, downtime, or replacement-cost differences. This limit applies in addition to the limitation of liability in the Terms of Service.

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3. The inspection window (the only general route to a refund)

3.1. No change-of-mind refunds. All sales are final. There is no right of return, rescission, or refund for buyer's remorse, change of mind, or normal wear consistent with used equipment. Items are sold used and "as is, where is, with all faults" by the Seller (see the Warranty / As-Is Disclaimer).

3.2. The 3-day inspection window. The only general route to a refund is a dispute filed during the inspection window. The window: (a) opens on the date the item is delivered to, or picked up by, the Buyer (the "Delivery Date"); and (b) closes at 11:59 p.m. (local time of the Buyer's shipping address) on the third (3rd) calendar day after the Delivery Date.

3.3. Scope — what the window covers. A dispute may be filed only for a material non-conformance with the listing or an undisclosed major defect — for example, the item materially differs from the listing's description, photos, specifications, model/serial, condition grade, or stated working status, or has a significant defect the Seller failed to disclose. The window does not cover buyer's remorse, ordinary used condition, cosmetic wear, or risks inherent in buying used equipment "as is."

3.4. How to file. The Buyer files a dispute through the Marketplace dispute tool within the window and provides supporting evidence (clear photos/video, the listing reference, and a description of the non-conformance). Funds remain held while a timely dispute is open. If no dispute is filed before the window closes, the held funds are released to the Seller and the sale is final.

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4. Who decides — Norpex mediation

4.1. Norpex mediates; Norpex decides the release of held funds. When a dispute is filed, Norpex reviews the listing, the evidence from both the Buyer and the Seller, and any freight/inspection records, and then determines how the held funds are allocated. Norpex may request additional information or photos from either party and may set reasonable deadlines for response.

4.2. Possible outcomes. Norpex may, in its reasonable discretion: (a) release the funds to the Seller (dispute not substantiated); (b) issue a full refund to the Buyer from held funds (Section 5); (c) issue a partial refund to the Buyer and release the balance to the Seller (Section 6); or (d) require a return of the item as a condition of refund (Section 8), with freight handled per Section 9.

4.3. Standard applied. Norpex decides on a balance-of-probabilities basis: does the evidence show the item materially does not match the listing or has an undisclosed major defect? The burden is on the Buyer to show material non-conformance; the burden is on the Seller to show the item matched the listing. Norpex is a neutral facilitator and is not an advocate for either party.

4.4. Finality. Norpex's decision on the allocation of held funds is final and binding for the purpose of releasing those funds. It does not extinguish whatever separate legal rights the Buyer and Seller may have against each other (the underlying sale is their contract), and it does not limit any non-waivable statutory right a Buyer may have under applicable consumer-protection law (Section 12).

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5. Full refunds

5.1. Norpex will issue a full refund of the purchase price from held funds where: (a) the Seller fails to deliver the item (non-delivery, or the item never ships within the agreed timeframe); (b) Norpex cancels the sale before delivery (e.g., prohibited item, suspected fraud, the item is no longer available, or a listing error); (c) a timely inspection-window dispute establishes a material non-conformance or undisclosed major defect that, in Norpex's reasonable view, defeats the basic purpose of the purchase; or (d) the Buyer and Seller mutually agree to cancel before funds are released.

5.2. The "purchase price" for refund purposes is the amount the Buyer paid for the item. Freight and commission are handled per Sections 9 and 10.

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6. Partial refunds

6.1. Norpex may issue a partial refund — returning part of the held funds to the Buyer and releasing the remainder to the Seller — where the evidence shows a lesser non-conformance that reduces the item's value but does not defeat the purchase. Examples: a missing accessory or component described in the listing, a defect that is real but repairable, or a condition meaningfully worse than described but still usable.

6.2. The partial-refund amount is determined by Norpex in its reasonable discretion, taking into account the difference between the item as described and the item as delivered, the cost to remedy, repair estimates, and any evidence the parties provide. The goal is to make the Buyer whole for the specific shortfall, not to provide a discount for ordinary used condition.

6.3. A partial refund settles the inspection-window dispute. The Buyer keeps the item; the balance of the held funds is released to the Seller.

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7. Timing of refunds

7.1. Decision timing. Norpex aims to resolve a properly evidenced dispute within 5 business days of receiving the necessary information from both parties. Complex disputes (e.g., those requiring a return shipment or third-party inspection) may take longer; Norpex will keep both parties informed.

7.2. Payment timing. Once a refund is approved, Norpex instructs Stripe to release the refund. Funds typically reach the Buyer within 5–10 business days, depending on the Buyer's bank or card issuer. Norpex does not control the issuer's posting time.

7.3. Held in the meantime. While a timely dispute is open, the disputed funds remain held and are not released to the Seller until the dispute is resolved.

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8. Refund method, and refunds requiring a return

8.1. Original payment method. Refunds are issued to the original payment method used at checkout (the Buyer's card or other Stripe-supported method). Norpex does not refund to a different card, account, person, or by cash, cheque, or store credit, except where the original method is no longer valid and Stripe requires an alternative, in which case Norpex will arrange a compliant method.

8.2. Currency and amounts. Refunds are issued in the original transaction currency (Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated). Norpex is not responsible for foreign-exchange differences, card-network conversion spreads, or fees charged by the Buyer's own bank.

8.3. Refunds conditional on return of the item. Where the dispute outcome is a full refund and the Buyer is to return the item (for example, a Seller misrepresentation where the Seller is to take the item back), the refund is processed after the item is shipped back per Norpex's instructions (or, where required, received by the Seller) and confirmed. Return freight is handled under Section 9. Items must be returned in the same condition as delivered; further damage in the Buyer's possession may reduce the refund.

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9. Freight (shipping) treatment on refunds

9.1. Default rule — Buyer pays freight. On the Marketplace, the Buyer pays the freight cost to ship the item from the Seller's location, arranged through ClickShip as an LTL freight quote. Freight is a third-party carrier charge, not part of the item price.

9.2. Non-delivery / Norpex cancellation. If the item is never shipped, no outbound freight is charged, or any prepaid freight is refunded in full along with the purchase price.

9.3. Seller misrepresentation (Seller at fault). Where Norpex finds a material non-conformance or undisclosed defect attributable to the Seller, Norpex will refund the Buyer's outbound freight in addition to the purchase price (drawn from the Seller's portion of held funds where available), and the cost of any return freight is borne by the Seller, not the Buyer.

9.4. No fault / inherent used condition (Buyer not entitled). Where a dispute is not substantiated — the item materially matched the listing — the Buyer bears the freight already incurred, and no freight is refunded.

9.5. Partial refunds. On a partial refund where the Buyer keeps the item, outbound freight is generally not refunded, because the Buyer received and retained the item. Norpex may include a freight allowance in a partial refund where the non-conformance materially increased the Buyer's freight or remediation cost.

9.6. Return-freight logistics. Any return shipment must be arranged through ClickShip per Norpex's instructions so the movement is tracked and insured. Buyers and Sellers must not arrange off-platform return shipping that bypasses these records.

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10. Commission treatment on refunds

10.1. Norpex commission. Norpex earns a commission on each completed sale: 15% on items under CAD $5,000 and 10% on items CAD $5,000 and over, calculated after Stripe card-processing fees, as set out in the Terms of Service.

10.2. Full refund for Seller fault, non-delivery, or Norpex cancellation. Where the Buyer receives a full refund because of Seller non-delivery, Seller misrepresentation, or a Norpex cancellation, Norpex does not retain its commission on that transaction — the Buyer receives back the full amount paid. Stripe's underlying card-processing fees may be non-refundable to Norpex; this is a cost Norpex absorbs in these scenarios and is not charged to the Buyer.

10.3. Partial refund. On a partial refund, Norpex's commission is recalculated on the net amount actually released to the Seller (i.e., the purchase price minus the partial refund), and any commission over-collected relative to that net amount is credited so the Buyer/Seller split reflects the final settled price.

10.4. Dispute not substantiated. Where the held funds are released to the Seller (no refund), Norpex retains its commission as normal.

10.5. No double recovery. Norpex will not retain commission on amounts that are refunded to the Buyer.

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11. Chargebacks (anti-circumvention)

11.1. Use the dispute process first. The inspection-window dispute process in Sections 3–4 is the agreed remedy for problems with an item. Buyers agree to raise any issue through that process before initiating a card chargeback with their bank.

11.2. No double-dipping. A Buyer may not recover the same amount twice — for example, by both winning an inspection-window refund and filing a card chargeback for the same transaction, or by filing a chargeback after accepting a partial refund. Pursuing a chargeback for an amount already refunded, or for a transaction validly resolved through the dispute process, is a breach of the Terms of Service.

11.3. Effect of a chargeback. If a Buyer files a chargeback, Norpex may: (a) pause or suspend any parallel dispute and any pending refund on that transaction while the chargeback is adjudicated by the card network; (b) provide the card network and Stripe with the transaction record, listing, delivery proof, and dispute evidence to defend the charge; and (c) recover from the Buyer any amount the Buyer ultimately receives in excess of their proper entitlement, including chargeback fees Norpex or the Seller incurs.

11.4. Seller protection. Where funds have already been released to a Seller and a Buyer later initiates a chargeback, the chargeback is resolved through the card network's process. Norpex's role is limited to providing records; the financial outcome between the card network, Stripe, the Seller, and the Buyer is governed by Stripe's and the card network's rules.

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12. Consumer-protection rights are preserved

12.1. The Marketplace is built for business-to-business sales of used commercial and industrial equipment. However, some Buyers may qualify as "consumers" under provincial consumer-protection law (for example, a sole proprietor buying a single item).

12.2. Nothing in this Policy limits or waives any right that cannot be waived under applicable law. Where a Buyer has a non-excludable statutory right — for example, certain cancellation or refund rights under the Ontario Consumer Protection Act, the Quebec Consumer Protection Act, or comparable legislation in the Buyer's province — those rights apply despite the "all sales final" and "no change-of-mind refund" provisions of this Policy. The "no refund" and "as is" provisions apply to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law and do not purport to exclude rights that the law does not allow to be excluded.

12.3. This Policy is intended to provide a clear, fair dispute remedy, not to deny any Buyer a right the law guarantees.

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13. Financing refunds (Econolease)

13.1. Financed purchases. Where a Buyer finances a purchase through Econolease (or another financing provider Norpex makes available), the financing is a separate agreement between the Buyer and Econolease. Norpex is not the lender and is not a party to the financing or lease agreement.

13.2. How a refund is applied on a financed purchase. If a financed transaction is refunded (full or partial) under this Policy, the refunded amount is generally returned to Econolease, not paid directly to the Buyer, so that the financing balance is adjusted. The amount, timing, and effect on the Buyer's lease/financing obligations (including any fees, interest already accrued, early-termination amounts, or administration charges Econolease may apply) are governed by the Buyer's agreement with Econolease.

13.3. What Norpex does and does not control. Norpex will release the refund from held funds in accordance with the dispute outcome and direct it to Econolease where required. Norpex does not control: (a) how quickly Econolease applies the refund; (b) whether Econolease waives interest, fees, or charges already incurred; or (c) the Buyer's continuing obligations under the financing agreement. Buyers with a financed purchase should contact Econolease directly regarding the effect of a refund on their financing.

13.4. Cancellation before funding. If a sale is cancelled before Econolease funds the Seller, Norpex will coordinate with Econolease to unwind the transaction; the Buyer should not assume the financing is automatically cancelled and must confirm with Econolease.

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14. Taxes on refunds

14.1. Where applicable sales tax (GST/HST, QST, PST) was charged on a purchase, that tax is refunded proportionally to the amount refunded (full tax on a full refund; pro-rated tax on a partial refund). Tax treatment depends on the Seller's and Norpex's registration status and the applicable marketplace-facilitator rules, and is administered through Stripe.

14.2. Norpex is not responsible for any tax consequence to a Buyer or Seller beyond returning the proportional tax collected on the refunded amount.

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15. Fraud, abuse, and reversal of refunds

15.1. Norpex may decline, delay, reverse, or recover a refund where it reasonably suspects fraud, collusion between Buyer and Seller, abuse of the inspection-window or dispute process, false evidence, or a Buyer who repeatedly files unsubstantiated disputes. Norpex may suspend or terminate accounts that misuse this Policy, as set out in the Terms of Service.

15.2. Norpex may withhold a refund to the extent a Buyer owes Norpex or a Seller amounts on other transactions, to the extent permitted by law.

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16. Changes to this Policy

16.1. Norpex may update this Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date shows the current version. Material changes will be communicated to registered users. The version of this Policy in effect at the time of a given transaction governs that transaction.

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17. Language

17.1. This Policy is available in English and French. A French-language version is provided for users in Quebec and elsewhere. In the event of any inconsistency, [the [English / French] version governs — confirm with counsel; for Quebec consumers the French version may govern by law].

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18. Contact

For refund questions or to follow up on a dispute, contact Norpex Marketplace support:

• Email: [support@marketplace.norpex.ca]
• Mail: Norpex Inc., [address], [province], Canada
• Privacy questions: see the Privacy Policy for the contact details of our Privacy Officer.

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This document is a working draft prepared for legal review. It is not legal advice and should not be published until reviewed and approved by qualified Canadian counsel.