Seller Rules and Product Compliance

Velor is a global marketplace: your products can reach buyers in almost every country, which means your listings must meet the trade, customs and safety rules that apply to selling across borders. These rules exist to keep your shipments moving, your buyers protected and your account in good standing. They form part of the Seller Agreement -- by listing a product on Velor you agree to follow them.

1. Who Can Sell on Velor

Velor is open to businesses, independent makers, artisans, family workshops and cooperatives worldwide. During onboarding you must provide accurate identity and business details: your legal name or business name, address, contact details and, where applicable, your trade or company registration number. You must tell us whether you are selling as a business (a trader) or as a private individual -- this is shown to buyers because it affects their legal rights. Providing false or outdated information is grounds for suspension. We verify this information and may request supporting documents at any time.

2. Listing Standards

Every listing must include: at least 3 genuine photographs of the actual product (not stock images of a different item), an accurate title, a truthful description of at least 100 words, the correct category, the materials the product is made from, the true country of origin, and an accurate weight and dimensions for shipping. If your product is handmade, you may add a maker story -- it must be true. Listings that misrepresent what the buyer will receive are removed and repeated misrepresentation leads to account suspension.

3. Prohibited Items (never allowed)

The following may never be listed under any circumstances: counterfeit, replica or stolen goods; weapons, ammunition and weapon parts; illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia; ivory and tortoiseshell in any form; genuine antiques, archaeological artifacts and items of religious or historic significance (newly made handmade goods crafted for sale are welcome -- genuine antiquities are not, because their export is commonly barred by national laws protecting historic objects, regardless of how they were acquired); parts or feathers of protected bird species including eagle and migratory bird feathers; fresh, refrigerated, frozen or short-shelf-life food; recalled or known-unsafe products; and any item that infringes someone else's intellectual property. There is no certificate route for items in this section -- they are rejected outright.

4. Certificate-Required Materials (allowed with valid permits)

Some genuine craft materials are internationally regulated under CITES and related law, including exotic leathers and skins, many corals, certain feathers, and certain woods such as rosewood species. Velor accepts products containing regulated materials, but only through our certificate process: you must declare the material when listing, upload the required export permit (and import permit where required) for that specific product, and the listing stays in review -- not live -- until our team verifies the documents. Because an export permit from your country does not guarantee every destination will accept import, shipping destinations for these listings are enabled per country only once matching documentation is confirmed. Permits expire (export permits are typically valid 6 months), so listings are automatically re-checked and suspended if a permit lapses. Undeclared regulated materials are treated as a serious violation.

5. Plant-Derived and Wooden Goods

Raw or minimally processed plant materials -- untreated wood, bamboo, rattan, dried botanicals and similar -- may require a phytosanitary certificate from your country's plant protection authority before they can be exported. Finished, fully processed wooden goods are often exempt, but this depends on the destination country. Declare the material accurately when listing; we will flag your listing if certification is likely to be required for its destinations.

6. Food Listings

Food is allowed only if it is dry and shelf-stable: spices and spice blends, tea, roasted coffee, dried herbs, dried fruit and nuts, and wrapped confectionery. It must be made by a registered or licensed food business (we may ask for proof), sold in sealed retail packs labelled to meet the rules of each destination (including ingredients and allergens), and have at least 6 months of shelf life remaining. Not allowed: meat, fish, dairy, eggs or anything containing them; honey; homemade sauces, pastes, pickles, preserves or oils; fresh, chilled or frozen food; coca, CBD or hemp foods; and any health claims. Velor has no cold-chain shipping. Spices and nuts from origins under extra border checks may need a recent lab certificate. All food listings receive additional review, and some destinations (notably Australia) heavily restrict food imports, so shipping destinations may be limited. Food can only be shipped to the United States if you are registered with the FDA (or exempt) and file FDA Prior Notice for each parcel.

7. Restricted Shipping Categories (dangerous goods)

Some everyday craft products are classed as dangerous goods for air transport and face quantity and packaging limits: perfumes, essential oils and alcohol-based finishes (flammable liquids), aerosols, certain resins, adhesives, dyes and pigments, and any product containing lithium batteries. These can usually still be sold, but you must declare them accurately so the correct shipping rules apply. Mis-declaring a dangerous good is a safety issue and a legal offence in most countries, and results in immediate suspension.

8. Customs, Declarations and HS Codes

Every cross-border order ships with a customs declaration based on the information in your listing. You must provide an accurate product description and a correct HS (Harmonised System) code for every product: at least the 6-digit international code, and the full 10-digit HTS code for parcels to the United States -- vague descriptions such as "gift" or "craft item" now cause shipments to be held or rejected by customs in major markets. You must never understate the value of a shipment or mark commercial orders as gifts. Buyers may be responsible for import duties depending on destination; what matters for you as a seller is that the declaration is truthful.

9. Product Safety

Your products must comply with the product safety law of the countries you sell to. Certain categories -- toys, electrical and electronic goods, radio equipment and similar -- require formal conformity marking (such as CE or UKCA) before they can be sold into the UK and EU. Most handmade goods outside those categories do not need formal certification, but they must still be safe, and products intended for children are always held to the stricter toy-safety standard. When selling into the EU you may be asked to confirm a responsible contact for product safety purposes. Velor cooperates with product safety authorities and removes listings subject to recalls or safety notices.

10. Taxes

Where the law requires it, Velor collects and remits sales taxes on your behalf at checkout -- this applies to UK VAT on qualifying overseas-seller orders, and to marketplace-collected taxes in other jurisdictions as they are enabled. Where marketplace collection does not apply, you remain responsible for your own tax obligations. In all cases you are responsible for your own income tax and for any registrations your business independently requires. Velor does not provide tax advice.

11. Handmade Only, Authenticity and Respect for Traditions

Velor is handmade only. Every item must be made by hand by you, or by the named makers you work with, in small batches. This includes handmade food, drink and beauty products. Not allowed: mass-produced or factory-made goods, dropshipped or resold items, print-on-demand, and AI-generated designs or images presented as your own work. Your photos must show the real item you made. We may ask for proof of making, such as workshop photos or a short video. Listings that break this rule are removed. Do not claim a craft tradition or origin that is not genuinely yours or your makers'. Do not use protected indigenous designs, sacred symbols or traditional trademarks without a legitimate connection to that tradition. Maker stories, origin claims and materials lists are treated as factual statements -- if they are false, the listing is removed.

12. How Listing Review Works

Every new listing is reviewed before going live. Standard listings are reviewed within 1 hour. Listings flagged for certificates, food, dangerous goods or safety-marked categories go to an enhanced review queue and stay pending until documentation is verified. You will be notified by email at each stage. Approved listings can still be re-reviewed at any time, and we may request documents for a live listing -- failure to provide them within 14 days results in delisting.

13. Enforcement

Violations are handled in proportion to their severity: listing corrections and warnings for minor issues, delisting for misrepresentation, and immediate account suspension for prohibited items, undeclared regulated materials, mis-declared dangerous goods, counterfeits or fraud. Funds from affected orders may be withheld while a violation is investigated. Where the law requires it, Velor reports serious violations to the relevant authorities. Decisions can be appealed by contacting help@velorhandmade.com.

Questions about whether your product can be listed, or what documentation it needs? Contact help@velorhandmade.com before listing -- we would much rather help you get it right than reject a listing.