How GearDepot works
Every order on GearDepot runs through a protected checkout: the buyer pays the platform — never the seller directly — and gets a 72-hour inspection window after delivery. Proven sellers are paid when the carrier scans the package; new sellers when it's delivered — and the buyer's guarantee is funded by the platform either way.
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 complete the order, or open a dispute inside the window. Report a problem inside the 72-hour window and Gear Depot makes it right: unpaid seller funds are paused, refunds are paid by Gear Depot, and anything already paid out is recovered from the seller — never from you.
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. When your item sells, the buyer pays the platform. Ship with a label bought on the order (or hand off at pickup) and the payout releases to your verified bank account on the payout schedule: Proven sellers (3+ completed sales, 30+ days on the platform, and no lost disputes or chargebacks in the last 90 days) are paid at the first carrier scan — or, for local pickup, when the buyer's handoff code is entered. New sellers are paid at carrier-confirmed delivery. Orders of $10,000 or more release half at the scan and half at delivery (for new sellers, at inspection close). An open dispute or chargeback pauses unpaid funds, and a lost dispute moves a seller back to delivery-timed payouts for 90 days.
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 on anything that sells in their first 30 days — imported listings included. Refer a seller with your invite link: once $1,000 or more of their gear is live, you get another 30 fee-free days — fee-free time is capped at 75 days. 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. Local pickup orders include a 6-digit handoff code: the buyer reads it from their order page and gives it to the seller at the handoff, and the seller entering it confirms the exchange and starts the inspection window (the buyer can also confirm from their side).
The Gear Guarantee, in plain terms
Protection here is structural, not a promise: the buyer pays the platform, never the seller directly. Report a problem inside the post-delivery inspection window and the platform makes it right — refunds are funded by GearDepot and recovered from the seller, so protection never depends on payout timing. 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 on anything that sells in their first 30 days — imported listings included. Refer a seller with your invite link: once $1,000 or more of their gear is live, you get another 30 fee-free days — fee-free time is capped at 75 days.
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 at the confirmed handoff — the buyer confirming collection, or the seller entering the buyer's 6-digit handoff code.
When does the seller get paid?
Proven sellers are paid at the first carrier scan (or confirmed pickup handoff); new sellers at confirmed delivery, and high-value orders release half at the scan and half at delivery. The buyer keeps a full inspection window either way — at 72 hours the item is approved automatically, no questions asked. 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.