How GearDepot works
Every order on GearDepot runs through a protected checkout: the buyer pays the platform, the money is held while the gear ships, the buyer gets a 72-hour inspection window after delivery, and the seller is paid only after approval — or when the window ends without a dispute.
Content reviewed by the GearDepot team.
Buying, step by step
- Find the gear. Browse used gear by department, brand, or location. Listings show seller-graded condition on two axes (function and cosmetics), required photos of the item, and the seller's marketplace track record.
- Pay the platform, not the seller. Checkout charges your card and holds the money — the seller never handles your payment. You can also make an offer; an accepted offer opens the same protected checkout at the offer price.
- Delivery starts your inspection clock. For shipped orders, tracking is synced and carrier-confirmed delivery starts a 72-hour inspection window automatically; for local pickup, the window starts when you confirm you've collected the item.
- Approve or dispute. Approve to release the seller's payout, or open a dispute inside the window — the payout stays held while the platform reviews it.
Selling, step by step
- List free. Build the listing at geardepot.com/sell — no account needed until you post. Condition grading, photos, and specs are structured, so serious listings look serious.
- Meet the requirements, then live. Every listing must meet the marketplace's publishing requirements before it can go live. Most listings publish immediately; imported and freight listings are always checked by staff first, and GearDepot reviews listings and can hold or remove anything that falls short.
- Get paid after inspection. When your item sells, the buyer's payment is held by the platform. Ship with a label bought on the order (or hand off at pickup); after the buyer approves — or the 72-hour window closes without a dispute — the payout releases to your verified bank account.
Fees
Creating a listing is free. When an item sells, GearDepot charges 5% of the item subtotal (minimum $5, capped at $750). Shipping is excluded from the fee. New accounts pay no marketplace transaction fee for their first 30 days. Listings imported from another marketplace sell with no marketplace transaction fee for their first 30 days after they go live — after that, the standard fee applies. See the Store Policy for the binding schedule.
Shipping, freight, and local pickup
- Parcel: buy a carrier label directly on the order after payment; tracking syncs automatically.
- Freight: consoles, line arrays, racks, staging, and LED walls are quoted by GearDepot on the order — you see and accept the freight price before you pay, with no separate freight bill at the dock.
- Local pickup: arrange collection with the seller; the buyer acknowledges pickup terms at checkout.
The Gear Guarantee, in plain terms
Protection here is structural, not a promise: in the normal flow the seller cannot be paid before your post-delivery inspection window runs, and opening a dispute freezes the payout while the platform reviews it. Serial numbers are masked publicly until purchase, and messaging stays on-platform and is screened. Deals taken off the platform have none of this — which is why the Store Policy requires transactions to stay on it.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to buy used professional audio equipment on GearDepot?
Safer than paying a stranger directly: your payment goes to the platform, not the seller, and is held while the order is in progress. You have 72 hours after delivery to inspect the item, and in the normal flow the seller is paid only after you approve or the window ends without a dispute — if the item isn't as described, opening a dispute pauses the payout while the platform reviews it.
What happens if the gear arrives broken or not as described?
Open a dispute within the 72-hour inspection window. The seller's payout stays on hold while the dispute is reviewed by the platform, and off-platform workarounds are never required — the whole process runs inside your order. Raise it inside the window: once the 72 hours pass with no dispute, the item is approved automatically, no questions asked, and the order is final.
What are GearDepot's seller fees?
Creating a listing is free. When an item sells, GearDepot charges 5% of the item subtotal (minimum $5, capped at $750). Shipping is excluded from the fee. New accounts pay no marketplace transaction fee for their first 30 days. Listings imported from another marketplace sell with no marketplace transaction fee for their first 30 days after they go live — after that, the standard fee applies.
How does shipping work for heavy AV equipment?
Three paths: parcel shipping with a label bought through the platform after payment, freight for oversized gear (consoles, line arrays, LED walls) quoted in-house on the order, or local pickup arranged with the seller. For shipped orders, tracking is synced and carrier-confirmed delivery starts the inspection window automatically; for local pickup it starts when the buyer confirms collection.
When does the seller get paid?
After the buyer approves the item, or when the inspection window ends without a dispute — at 72 hours the item is approved automatically, no questions asked, so an order can never sit open indefinitely. Payouts go to the seller's verified bank account through the platform's regulated payments provider.
Do I need an account to buy?
You can check out as a guest with a verified email address; orders are then tracked through secure guest order links. Creating an account adds messaging, offers, a watchlist, and order history in one place.