Terms and Conditions

1. Scope and operator

These Terms and Conditions govern access to and use of the House of Watches website, accounts, listings, seller tools, auction tools, offer flows, checkout, messaging, authentication workflows, support workflows, and related services. They apply to visitors, buyers, private sellers, professional sellers, auction participants, and customers who buy directly from House of Watches.

House of Watches is operated by House of Watches SRL, CUI 47182022, registered under J2022006929129, with registered office at SOMEŞU CALD, 1, Sat Someşu Cald, Comuna Gilău, Cluj, Romania.

By browsing the Platform, creating an account, submitting a listing, placing a bid, making or accepting an offer, buying an item, using checkout, requesting authentication, sending messages, or otherwise using House of Watches, you agree to these Terms and to the policies referenced in them. If you act for a company or another legal person, you confirm that you are authorised to bind that person.

House of Watches operates an online marketplace for watches, watch accessories, jewellery, bags, and related luxury goods and services. House of Watches may also sell its own inventory, but only where a listing is explicitly marked as sold by House of Watches. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the Platform.

2. Definitions

"House of Watches", "we", "us", and "our" mean House of Watches SRL and the Platform it operates, unless the context clearly refers only to the website or only to a direct-sale transaction.

"Platform" means the House of Watches website, account area, listing tools, seller dashboard, buyer tools, auction tools, messaging, search, checkout, authentication workflows, support channels, trust-and-safety controls, and related online services.

"User" means any visitor, registered account holder, buyer, seller, bidder, business representative, service requester, or other person who accesses or uses the Platform.

"Buyer" means a User who browses, bids on, makes an offer for, orders, purchases, or attempts to purchase an item or service through or because of the Platform.

"Seller" means a User who lists, offers, negotiates, auctions, sells, or attempts to sell an item through or because of the Platform. A Seller may be a private seller or a professional seller.

"Private seller" means a Seller acting outside a commercial, business, craft, or professional activity. "Professional seller", "business seller", or "dealer" means a Seller acting for commercial, business, craft, or professional purposes, including through a company, sole trader, authorised representative, employee, or agent.

"House of Watches listing" means a listing that is explicitly marked as sold by House of Watches. "Third-party listing" means a listing offered by a private seller or professional seller other than House of Watches.

"Listing" means any product page, auction page, offer page, description, image set, price, condition statement, shipping statement, return statement, or other item presentation on the Platform.

"Offer" means a proposal by a Buyer or Seller to buy or sell an item at specified terms. "Auction" means a timed or otherwise structured bidding process that may result in a winning bidder having a binding payment obligation. "Order" means a transaction request, purchase, accepted offer, winning auction, or direct sale recorded through the Platform.

"Authentication" means an expert review, verification workflow, partner review, or risk-reduction service for an item, including services involving LegitApp or another specialist provider. "Payment processor" means Stripe, Stripe Connect, related Stripe services, and any other payment, identity, fraud, or payout provider we use.

3. Account, eligibility, and verification

You must be at least 18 years old and legally able to enter binding contracts to create an account, list an item, bid in an auction, make an offer, buy an item, or use seller features. You must provide accurate, current, and complete information and keep it updated.

You are responsible for protecting your login credentials, devices, and account access. You must notify us promptly at support@houseofwatches.com if you suspect unauthorised access, identity misuse, account takeover, payment abuse, or any security incident connected to your account.

You may not transfer, sell, rent, lend, share, or give another person access to your account without our prior written consent. Business accounts may be used only by authorised personnel, and the business remains responsible for actions taken by its employees, agents, contractors, and representatives.

We may require email verification, phone verification, multi-factor authentication, identity checks, business verification, tax information, payout verification, proof of address, proof of ownership, payment-provider checks, sanctions screening, or other reasonable verification before enabling or continuing access to certain features.

Seller onboarding, auction participation, checkout, payouts, authentication workflows, and high-value transactions may depend on Stripe, Stripe Connect, and related provider requirements. If required information is missing, inaccurate, suspicious, or rejected by a provider, we may refuse, restrict, suspend, or withdraw access to the relevant feature.

We may reject account registration, limit duplicate accounts, close dormant accounts, or restrict accounts that are abusive, compromised, unverifiable, misleading, or connected to suspected fraud. We may retain records where needed for legal compliance, fraud prevention, tax, accounting, payment, dispute, trust-and-safety, or legitimate business purposes.

4. Marketplace role and direct House of Watches sales

House of Watches provides marketplace technology, support workflows, payment-provider integrations, seller tools, authentication workflows, and trust-and-safety controls, but is not automatically the legal seller of third-party items.

Unless a listing is explicitly marked as sold by House of Watches, the sales contract is concluded directly between the buyer and the seller. For third-party listings, House of Watches is not automatically a party to the sales contract, does not transfer title to the item, and does not assume the seller's statutory or contractual obligations except where mandatory law says otherwise or we make an express written commitment.

The Seller is responsible for the item, listing accuracy, lawful ownership or authority to sell, delivery obligations, consumer information, warranties, invoices, tax treatment, customs treatment, and any rights owed to the Buyer under mandatory law. The Buyer is responsible for reviewing the listing, Seller information, checkout terms, delivery details, return terms, and applicable duties before committing to a purchase.

House of Watches may set marketplace rules, moderate listings and messages, require evidence, verify users, route payments through Payment processors, delay or cancel risky transactions, support disputes, remove content, and suspend accounts to protect users, comply with law, prevent fraud, and preserve marketplace integrity.

For listings explicitly marked as sold by House of Watches, House of Watches is the Seller. In that case, the direct-sale information shown in the listing, checkout, invoice, return flow, and mandatory Romanian and EU consumer law apply to the direct sale.

5. Listings and seller obligations

Sellers must create truthful, specific, and complete listings. A listing must accurately describe the item offered, including brand, model, reference, condition, size, materials, year or approximate period where known, included box or papers, service history where known, warranty status, location, delivery options, defects, replacement parts, polishing, refinishing, customisation, aftermarket parts, missing accessories, and any material authenticity or ownership concern.

Sellers must own the item or be authorised to sell it, must have the right to transfer it, and must not list counterfeit goods, stolen goods, replicas presented as authentic, items subject to unresolved ownership disputes, items with manipulated serial numbers, items that infringe intellectual property rights, items restricted by sanctions or export controls, or items that cannot lawfully be sold or shipped.

Private sellers must describe items truthfully, own or be authorised to sell the item, cooperate with delivery and dispute handling, and comply with mandatory law that applies to them. A private seller must not conceal commercial activity, split sales across multiple private accounts, or present a business as a private collection.

Professional sellers must comply with all mandatory consumer, trader, tax, invoice, warranty, return, product-safety, and disclosure obligations that apply to them. This includes accurate business identity, contact details, VAT or tax information where applicable, legal conformity guarantees, commercial warranties if offered, withdrawal-right information where applicable, complaint handling, product-safety information, and required pre-contract disclosures.

Sellers must keep inventory and prices current. They must promptly remove or update unavailable, reserved, sold, incorrectly priced, materially changed, or legally restricted items. A Seller may not use bait listings, copied photos, misleading scarcity, hidden fees, keyword stuffing, fake reference numbers, inaccurate availability, or artificial price information.

House of Watches may reject, edit, de-rank, pause, or remove listings that appear incomplete, misleading, unlawful, risky, low quality, or inconsistent with marketplace standards. We may require additional photos, proof of possession, proof of ownership, serial or reference information, invoices, service documents, shipping documents, authentication information, or other evidence before publishing or allowing checkout.

6. Buyer obligations

Buyers must review the full listing, photos, Seller identity, Seller type, item condition, price, taxes, delivery charges, import duties, payment method, delivery method, return terms, warranty information, auction rules, and checkout summary before making an offer, placing a bid, or confirming an order.

Buyers must provide accurate billing, delivery, contact, payment, customs, and verification information. A Buyer is responsible for ensuring that the item can lawfully be imported, possessed, used, or resold in the Buyer's location.

If a Buyer makes an offer, places a bid, wins an auction, authorises payment, or confirms checkout, the Buyer must be ready and able to pay. Buyers must not submit false payment information, abuse refunds, make dishonest chargebacks, manipulate auctions, interfere with a Seller, or use the Platform to buy goods they know or reasonably suspect are counterfeit, stolen, restricted, or unlawfully offered.

Buyers must inspect delivered items promptly and report missing, damaged, incorrect, not-as-described, suspicious, or potentially counterfeit items as soon as reasonably possible through the Platform or support channel. Delay may limit the practical ability to investigate shipping issues, insurance claims, payment disputes, or Seller misconduct.

Buyers must cooperate with House of Watches, Sellers, Payment processors, authentication providers, shipping providers, insurers, customs authorities, and law enforcement where reasonably needed to investigate an order, delivery, authenticity issue, refund, chargeback, or dispute.

7. Fixed-price purchases and offers

A fixed-price listing is generally an invitation to make an order request or offer unless the listing and checkout flow clearly state that immediate purchase confirmation forms a binding order. The exact contract-formation steps may depend on Seller type, item availability, payment method, fraud review, Seller acceptance, and the checkout status shown in the Platform.

An offer or counteroffer may become binding when accepted according to the Platform flow or the written terms shown to both parties. A Buyer who submits a binding offer or accepts a Seller's counteroffer must pay if the offer is accepted. A Seller who accepts a binding offer must complete the sale unless cancellation is allowed by these Terms, mandatory law, or the applicable checkout flow.

House of Watches may cancel, suspend, or require review of a fixed-price order or accepted offer if the item is unavailable, the listing contains a material error, payment fails, verification is incomplete, fraud or sanctions risk is detected, the parties attempt fee avoidance, or the transaction appears unlawful or unsafe.

If a Buyer fails to pay, does not complete required verification, or does not provide required delivery information, the Seller or House of Watches may cancel the order, relist the item, restrict the Buyer, or apply other remedies available under these Terms or law.

If a Seller fails to perform, cannot provide the item, ships a materially different item, or refuses to complete an accepted order without a valid reason, House of Watches may cancel the transaction, support a refund through the Payment processor, restrict the Seller, remove listings, delay payouts, or apply other enforcement measures.

8. Auctions

Auctions are first-class Platform transactions. Auction rules may include eligibility checks, auction registration, reserve prices, minimum bid increments, automatic bidding if supported, bid-extension or anti-sniping rules, cancellation rules, evidence requirements, and binding payment obligations for winning bidders.

By placing a bid, the bidder represents that the bidder is legally able to buy the item, has reviewed the listing and auction rules, has authority to use the selected payment method, and accepts that a winning bid may create a binding obligation to pay. Bids are generally irrevocable unless the Platform expressly permits withdrawal or House of Watches corrects a clear error.

A reserve price may apply. If the reserve price is not met, the Seller may have no obligation to sell. If the reserve price is met and the auction closes with a valid winning bid, the winning bidder must pay and the Seller must complete the sale, subject to fraud review, verification, legal restrictions, cancellation rights, and any mandatory consumer rights that apply.

Anti-sniping or bid-extension rules may extend the auction closing time when bids are placed near the scheduled end. The Platform clock, bid records, and auction status shown by House of Watches are the primary evidence of auction timing and bidding activity, subject to correction for technical errors or fraud.

Shill bidding, self-bidding, collusion, artificial price inflation, bid shielding, use of related accounts to manipulate price, harassment of bidders, and any attempt to disrupt or distort an auction are prohibited. Sellers may not bid on their own auctions or arrange for others to do so.

House of Watches may pause, cancel, extend, void, or correct an auction affected by technical failure, listing error, suspicious bidding, fraud, payment risk, authentication concern, legal risk, Seller default, Buyer default, or other serious marketplace-integrity issue. We may restrict bidders or Sellers who default, manipulate auctions, or fail to cooperate with an auction dispute.

9. Payments, Stripe, and seller payouts

Payments and seller payouts are processed through Stripe, Stripe Connect, and related Stripe services. House of Watches does not operate escrow, does not provide regulated payment services, and does not directly hold customer funds as escrow agent. For clarity, the Platform checkout is not an escrow, bank deposit, investment product, or insurance policy.

Payment methods, supported currencies, authorisation timing, capture timing, refund timing, payout timing, reserves, and verification requirements may depend on Stripe, Stripe Connect, card networks, banks, payment-method providers, fraud tools, and applicable law. Users may be required to accept and comply with Payment processor terms.

We may delay, refuse, reverse, or require further review of a payment, refund, or payout where required by law, requested by a Payment processor, triggered by fraud signals, connected to a dispute or chargeback, needed for sanctions or anti-money-laundering checks, or reasonably needed to protect users.

Seller payouts may be delayed, reduced, reversed, or blocked because of refunds, returns, chargebacks, buyer complaints, item-not-as-described reports, shipping problems, authentication issues, compliance checks, reserves, suspected fraud, Seller breach, taxes, fees owed to House of Watches, or Payment processor requirements.

If a Buyer initiates a chargeback, payment reversal, bank complaint, card-network dispute, or similar claim, the Buyer must disclose any parallel refund or dispute process. House of Watches may share order evidence, delivery evidence, authentication evidence, message history, Seller evidence, support records, and fraud signals with the Payment processor, banks, card networks, and relevant parties as needed.

10. Fees, taxes, and reporting

House of Watches may charge listing fees, selling fees, buyer service fees, auction fees, authentication fees, subscription fees, promotional fees, payment-related fees, cancellation fees, or commissions where disclosed in the Platform, seller tools, order summary, fee schedule, or separate commercial terms.

Users must not bypass fees by using House of Watches to discover, contact, negotiate with, or verify a counterparty and then moving the transaction off-platform in breach of the applicable flow. If a transaction was initiated, facilitated, negotiated, discovered, or materially supported through House of Watches, we may treat it as Platform-related for fee and enforcement purposes.

Users are responsible for understanding and meeting their own tax obligations. This may include VAT, income tax, corporate tax, withholding tax, customs duties, import VAT, environmental fees, luxury-related duties, invoice requirements, and other charges depending on the parties, item, location, value, and transaction flow.

Professional sellers are responsible for issuing invoices where required, determining VAT or other tax treatment, providing legally required trader information, and complying with tax and consumer reporting obligations. Buyers are responsible for import duties, customs clearance, taxes, and compliance steps that apply when an item crosses borders unless the checkout or Seller terms clearly state otherwise.

House of Watches may collect, store, display, report, or transmit user, Seller, tax, payment, and transaction information where required by law, including platform reporting rules such as DAC7 or similar reporting obligations. If a Seller does not provide required tax or identity information, we may restrict selling, pause payouts, remove listings, report available information, or take other steps required by law or Payment processors.

11. Shipping, delivery, and risk

The Seller is responsible for packing the item safely, dispatching it within the promised or legally required timeframe, using appropriate tracking and insurance where promised or required, shipping to the correct address provided through the transaction flow, and providing truthful delivery information.

Shipping options, labels, carriers, insurance, delivery estimates, customs services, and tracking tools may be provided by third parties and may be subject to carrier terms, geographic limits, value limits, excluded items, customs requirements, and service disruptions.

Buyers must provide a complete and accurate delivery address and must cooperate with customs clearance, delivery appointments, identification checks, pickup deadlines, and carrier requests. A Buyer may be responsible for additional costs caused by wrong addresses, refused delivery, failed pickup, import refusal, or failure to cooperate, unless mandatory law provides otherwise.

For marketplace transactions, title and risk transfer between Buyer and Seller are determined by the sales contract between them, the applicable Seller terms, delivery method, and mandatory law. House of Watches does not take title to third-party marketplace items and does not bear shipping risk merely because the Platform supports the transaction.

Sellers should keep packing photos, shipping receipts, tracking numbers, insurance documents, export documents, delivery confirmation, and handover evidence until all return, dispute, chargeback, insurance, and claim windows have expired. Buyers should keep the product, packaging, labels, accessories, box, papers, tags, seals, photos, delivery documents, and communication records until inspection and any dispute process is complete.

12. Authentication and verification services

House of Watches may offer or facilitate authentication, listing review, identity review, proof-of-possession review, document checks, serial or reference checks, and related verification services. These services may involve internal experts, external specialists, LegitApp, Payment processors, public registers, databases, or other providers.

Authentication is an expert opinion and risk-reduction service. It is not an absolute guarantee of authenticity, ownership, title, condition, value, provenance, legality, future resale value, or marketability.

Authentication may depend on photos, videos, documents, item access, serial or reference information, database availability, specialist expertise, manufacturer cooperation, non-invasive inspection limits, and the quality of information supplied by Users. Results may be positive, negative, conditional, inconclusive, delayed, or withdrawn if new information becomes available.

Sellers and Buyers must cooperate with authentication workflows, provide accurate information, avoid tampering with items, preserve packaging and documentation, and follow instructions for shipment or inspection where required. Failure to cooperate may lead to cancellation, loss of Platform support, payout delay, refund delay, account restriction, or dispute consequences.

If an item fails authentication or raises serious authenticity, title, theft, tampering, or legal concerns, House of Watches may cancel the transaction, support a refund, restrict the Seller, remove listings, delay payouts, share evidence with relevant providers or authorities, and take other action allowed by law and these Terms.

13. Returns, cancellations, and consumer rights

For B2C transactions, mandatory Romanian and EU consumer rights remain available where applicable. For C2C transactions, private sellers generally do not provide the same commercial consumer guarantees unless mandatory law requires otherwise.

Professional sellers must provide consumers with the legally required information about withdrawal rights, legal conformity guarantees, commercial warranties if offered, complaint handling, return procedures, and any lawful exceptions. In the EU, consumers commonly have a 14-day withdrawal right for distance contracts with traders, subject to legal conditions and exceptions.

For House of Watches listings explicitly marked as sold by House of Watches, House of Watches is responsible for the direct-sale consumer information, statutory rights, cancellation rights, return flow, warranty handling, and refund obligations that apply to that direct sale under Romanian and EU law.

Withdrawal or return rights may not apply in the same way to private-seller transactions, customised or personalised items, sealed goods opened after delivery where a legal exception applies, services already fully performed with required consent, items that deteriorate rapidly, or other legally excluded cases.

Where a return is approved, the Buyer must return the item in the required condition with included accessories, documentation, packaging, tags, seals, protective materials, and any box or papers. The Buyer must not wear, use, alter, size, polish, repair, damage, swap parts, register warranty, or otherwise reduce the value of the item beyond what mandatory law permits for inspection.

Refund timing may depend on return delivery, item inspection, Payment processor processing, card-network timing, bank timing, fraud review, customs issues, and dispute status. Shipping, insurance, customs, handling costs, and diminished-value deductions are allocated according to mandatory law, Seller terms, checkout terms, or the support decision for a Platform-supported transaction.

14. Disputes, claims, and chargebacks

Users should report order issues promptly through the Platform or support channel and provide clear evidence. Evidence may include listing screenshots, photos, videos, delivery records, carrier reports, customs documents, payment records, authentication results, item serial or reference information, packaging photos, and message history.

House of Watches may facilitate communication, request evidence, support Payment processor workflows, suggest resolutions, restrict accounts, delay payouts, or apply Platform remedies. House of Watches does not become the legal representative, lawyer, insurer, guarantor, or automatic adjudicator for either Buyer or Seller.

Users must cooperate honestly with disputes, claims, returns, chargebacks, insurance claims, police reports, authentication reviews, and Payment processor investigations. False evidence, altered photos, missing returned accessories, swapped items, dishonest chargebacks, abusive claims, threats, or refusal to cooperate may lead to denial of Platform support, account restriction, payout action, reporting to providers or authorities, and other remedies.

If a chargeback or payment-provider dispute is opened, House of Watches may provide available transaction evidence to Stripe, Stripe Connect, banks, card networks, Sellers, Buyers, carriers, authentication partners, and other relevant parties. A User who breaches these Terms and causes chargebacks, payment reversals, fees, penalties, or losses may be responsible for them.

Nothing in this section limits mandatory consumer rights, the right to contact competent authorities, or the right to bring a claim before a competent court or dispute-resolution body.

15. Reviews, ratings, and user content

Users may submit listings, photos, descriptions, messages, reviews, ratings, feedback, comments, support information, and other content. User content must be truthful, lawful, relevant, non-misleading, and must not infringe intellectual property, privacy, publicity, trade secret, consumer-protection, or other rights.

Reviews and ratings must reflect genuine experiences. Users must not post fake reviews, paid or incentivised reviews without disclosure, retaliatory reviews, defamatory statements, confidential information, threats, hate speech, harassment, spam, or content created to manipulate a Seller, Buyer, listing, auction, rating, or search result.

By submitting user content, you grant House of Watches a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable, sublicensable licence to host, store, reproduce, display, publish, translate, adapt, moderate, remove, and use that content as reasonably needed to operate, market, improve, secure, and evidence the Platform and transactions.

You represent that you have all rights needed to submit your content and grant this licence. We may remove, edit, de-rank, label, or restrict content that appears unlawful, misleading, irrelevant, abusive, low quality, infringing, or inconsistent with marketplace integrity.

16. Messaging and platform communications

The Platform may provide messaging, support tickets, order notes, auction notifications, offer notifications, email, SMS, push notifications, banners, and account notices. You agree that service messages and legal notices may be sent to the email address or account contact details you provide, unless mandatory law requires another method.

Users must use messaging lawfully and professionally. Spam, phishing, malware, abusive language, threats, harassment, discriminatory content, counterfeit offers, payment scams, fee avoidance, off-platform circumvention, review manipulation, auction manipulation, and attempts to obtain unnecessary personal or payment information are prohibited.

House of Watches may monitor, filter, retain, or review Platform communications where reasonably needed for fraud prevention, trust and safety, dispute handling, support, legal compliance, policy enforcement, user protection, or service improvement, subject to applicable privacy law.

If a Buyer and Seller move communication, payment, delivery, or return handling outside the Platform, they may lose Platform support, payment protections, evidence trails, and enforcement options. We may still enforce these Terms where the transaction was initiated, facilitated, or materially supported through the Platform.

17. Acceptable use

You must not use the Platform for unlawful, misleading, abusive, fraudulent, or harmful activity. You must not list counterfeit or stolen goods, infringe intellectual property rights, evade sanctions, launder money, misuse payment methods, manipulate bids, manipulate reviews, manipulate search, scrape data, harvest personal data, or interfere with other Users.

You must not reverse engineer, copy, frame, mirror, overload, attack, probe, scan, bypass, or disrupt the Platform or its security. You must not use bots, crawlers, automated bidding tools, automated account creation, credential stuffing, malware, denial-of-service activity, fake accounts, or unauthorised integrations without our prior written consent.

You must not use House of Watches branding, content, listings, data, software, design, photographs, marketplace information, or user information except as allowed by these Terms, the Platform functionality, or our written permission.

You must not use the Platform to avoid fees, avoid taxes, mislead consumers, conceal trader status, evade consumer rights, bypass verification, manipulate auctions, or move Platform-supported transactions into unsafe or prohibited channels.

18. Suspension, termination, and enforcement

You may stop using the Platform at any time, subject to completing pending obligations, paying amounts owed, cooperating with disputes, and complying with legal, payment, tax, and fraud-prevention requirements that survive account closure.

House of Watches may warn, restrict, suspend, terminate, de-rank, remove content, cancel orders, pause auctions, limit bidding, limit messaging, delay payouts, require verification, or refuse service where we reasonably believe there is a breach of these Terms, legal risk, payment risk, fraud risk, user harm, platform abuse, repeated complaints, unverifiable information, or a requirement from a Payment processor or authority.

We may take immediate action without prior notice where needed to protect users, prevent fraud, comply with law, preserve evidence, protect the Platform, avoid payment loss, or respond to urgent safety or legal concerns.

After suspension or termination, provisions that by their nature should survive will continue to apply, including payment obligations, fees, taxes, dispute cooperation, intellectual property, user content licences, liability limits, indemnity, governing law, and final provisions.

Users may contact support@houseofwatches.com about enforcement decisions. We may require evidence before reviewing a restriction, and we are not required to reinstate accounts, listings, payouts, auctions, or features where risk remains unresolved.

19. Intellectual property

The Platform, software, design, text, graphics, logos, icons, trademarks, service marks, trade names, databases, selection and arrangement of content, and related intellectual property are owned by House of Watches or its licensors and are protected by applicable law.

These Terms do not transfer any House of Watches intellectual property to Users. You may use the Platform only for its intended marketplace purposes and only in accordance with these Terms.

Sellers and other Users retain ownership of their own content where applicable, but grant the licence described in these Terms so that House of Watches can operate, display, promote, moderate, evidence, and improve the Platform and transactions.

Users must not upload or use content, images, logos, brand names, product descriptions, catalog data, certificates, or documents in a way that infringes third-party rights or misleads Buyers about origin, affiliation, endorsement, authenticity, or authorisation.

If you believe content on the Platform infringes your rights, contact us with enough information to identify the content, your rights, and the requested action. We may remove or restrict content and may request additional evidence.

20. Availability, changes, and beta features

House of Watches aims to provide a reliable Platform, but availability may be affected by maintenance, updates, security incidents, third-party providers, Payment processors, hosting services, authentication partners, carriers, internet failures, legal restrictions, or events outside our reasonable control.

We may add, change, suspend, or remove features, categories, checkout flows, auction mechanics, authentication workflows, seller tools, fees, policies, or eligibility requirements. We may also test beta, experimental, or limited-release features that may be changed or withdrawn at any time.

We may update these Terms from time to time. Updated Terms will be posted on the Platform with a new version date. Where required by law or where changes materially affect existing Users, we will provide reasonable notice through the Platform, email, or another appropriate method.

Continued use of the Platform after updated Terms become effective means you accept the updated Terms. If you do not accept an update, you must stop using the Platform, subject to completing pending obligations and mandatory legal requirements.

21. Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, House of Watches is not liable for third-party Seller conduct, Buyer conduct, listing inaccuracies, item availability, title defects, undisclosed defects, authenticity issues, customs problems, tax treatment, shipping carrier failures, Payment processor failures, bank delays, authentication partner limitations, indirect losses, lost profits, loss of opportunity, or loss of data arising from marketplace transactions.

House of Watches does not guarantee that third-party listings are accurate, that Sellers have legal title, that Buyers will pay, that items will maintain value, that items can be resold, that manufacturers will service an item, or that authentication will detect every issue. Authentication limits are described separately in these Terms.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded or limited under Romanian law, EU consumer law, or other mandatory law. Nothing in these Terms limits mandatory consumer rights that apply to a B2C transaction.

Where a listing is explicitly marked as sold by House of Watches, House of Watches is responsible as Seller for the obligations that apply to that direct sale under the listing terms, checkout terms, invoice, these Terms, and mandatory law. This direct-sale carveout does not make House of Watches the Seller of third-party listings.

Users remain responsible for their own breaches, unlawful conduct, fraud, tax obligations, customs obligations, consumer-law obligations, intellectual-property infringement, and payment disputes caused by their conduct.

22. Indemnity

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Users must indemnify House of Watches, its directors, employees, contractors, affiliates, and service providers against third-party claims, losses, damages, penalties, costs, fees, and reasonable expenses caused by the User's breach of these Terms or unlawful conduct.

This indemnity includes claims caused by unlawful listings, counterfeit or stolen goods, intellectual-property infringement, tax or customs breaches, fraud, chargebacks caused by user breach, consumer-law violations by Sellers, product-safety failures, sanctions or export-control breaches, privacy violations, false reviews, abusive disputes, and misuse of the Platform.

Users must cooperate reasonably in the defence or resolution of an indemnified claim. House of Watches may control the defence and settlement of claims affecting the Platform, its reputation, its legal obligations, its Payment processor relationships, or other Users.

23. Governing law, jurisdiction, and final provisions

These Terms are governed by Romanian law, without prejudice to mandatory consumer protections that apply under Romanian law, EU law, or the law of the consumer's habitual residence where those protections cannot be waived.

Courts in Romania will have jurisdiction except where mandatory consumer, civil procedure, or EU rules give a consumer the right to bring or defend claims in another competent forum. Users may also have access to competent consumer authorities or dispute-resolution mechanisms where mandatory law provides them.

If any provision of these Terms is found invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect. The invalid provision will be interpreted or replaced to achieve the closest lawful commercial and legal effect.

House of Watches may assign or transfer its rights and obligations under these Terms in connection with a merger, restructuring, sale of assets, financing, corporate transaction, or legal requirement. Users may not assign their account or obligations without our prior written consent, except where mandatory law provides otherwise.

Our failure to enforce a provision immediately is not a waiver. Headings are for navigation only and do not limit the legal meaning of the Terms. The English version may be used as a reference for translations, but mandatory local-language or consumer rules apply where required by law.

Questions about these Terms may be sent to support@houseofwatches.com. Privacy questions should be sent to privacy@houseofwatches.com, and accessibility feedback should be sent to accessibility@houseofwatches.com.