Marketplace Policies
Last updated: October 2026.
These are the rules that keep Lagos Market usable for everyone. It covers what may be listed, how disputes and refunds are decided, how users treat each other, and when accounts are suspended. Read with our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
1. Scope
This document is the rulebook for everyone who uses Lagos Market, operated by NextGen Limited. It covers what sellers may list, how listings and reviews are moderated, how buyers and sellers behave with each other, how Protected Purchase refunds and disputes are decided, and when accounts are warned, suspended, or banned. It sits alongside our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and governs day-to-day use of the platform.
2. Prohibited and restricted items
The following may never be listed, boosted, or offered through chat: firearms, ammunition, and weapons; illegal drugs, prescription medicines, or any controlled substance; counterfeit goods or items that infringe trademarks; stolen goods; adult or explicitly sexual content; live animals and livestock; services that require regulatory licensing (financial, legal, medical); human remains and body parts; cultural artefacts protected by Nigerian law. Restricted categories may be listed but are not eligible for Protected Purchase: event tickets, personalized services, perishable food, and categories we flag from time to time in the listing form. We update this list as needed and remove listings on sight when they fall foul of it.
3. Listing standards
A listing must describe one item (or a clearly bundled set) that the seller owns and can hand over or dispatch within a reasonable time. Titles must describe the actual item without padding, keyword stuffing, or price in the title. Photos must be of the actual item being sold, taken by the seller, with no watermarks that cover brand or condition. The condition stated (new, used, refurbished) must match the item. Price must be in naira, no currency conversion claims, no 'DM for price' listings. The category must be the best fit, not whichever one has lighter competition. Duplicate listings of the same item from the same seller, or near-identical repost cycles to appear new, are removed.
4. Review queue decisions
New listings and sometimes edits enter a short review queue before going live. Admin approves a listing when it meets the standards above. Common rejection reasons: stock photos used in place of the seller's own, titles that advertise multiple items in one post, prices that are missing or placeholder, prohibited categories, and listings that read as scams (unrealistically low prices on high-value items, buyer-must-pay-shipping-first language, promises to deliver outside Nigeria). A rejection email explains which rule applied and how to fix it. Sellers get three attempts to pass review on the same listing before it is locked.
5. Protected Purchase
Protected Purchase is the optional, paid way to transact on Lagos Market. The buyer pays through the platform, NextGen Limited holds the money, and the seller is not paid until the buyer confirms receipt or 72 hours have passed in silence after the seller marks handover. Listings must meet eligibility rules (verified seller email, bank account on file, eligible category) to be transacted this way. Protected Purchase does not cover direct deals where buyer and seller settle off platform; those transactions carry no safety net from us.
6. Opening a dispute
A buyer can open a dispute from a Protected Purchase order within 48 hours of the seller marking the item as handed over, or at any point before handover is marked. Grounds for a dispute include: the item did not arrive, the item is significantly different from the listing (wrong item, wrong condition, missing parts, not working when the listing said it does), or the item is counterfeit when the listing described it as genuine. The seller is notified and can post photo and note evidence of their own side. The seller's payout is frozen for the duration of the dispute.
7. How disputes are decided
An admin reviews the listing text and photos, order chat between buyer and seller, dispute reason, and any photo evidence either side submits. We may ask one side for more information with a 48-hour response window. We rely on what the listing stated at the time of order; later edits do not bind the earlier buyer. We decide in favour of the buyer when the listing does not match what was delivered, or when the seller cannot show evidence of handover. We decide in favour of the seller when the complaint is a change of mind, when the item matches the listing, when damage is clearly post-handover, or when the buyer refuses to respond to a reasonable request for information. We may ask the buyer to return the item before a refund is issued. Our decision is final.
8. When a refund is available
A refund is available when we decide a dispute in the buyer's favour, when the seller does not mark handover within 7 days of a paid order, when a Paystack charge is reversed by the buyer's bank, or when the buyer cancels an unpaid order before the 30-minute checkout window closes. Refunds are not available after the buyer has confirmed receipt, after the 48-hour confirmation window has closed with no dispute opened, for direct off-platform payments (we never received the money), for a change of mind when the item matches its listing, or for damage caused after handover.
9. How much is refunded and how
A buyer refund is for the full amount paid for the item. Protected Purchase has no buyer fee, so nothing is deducted. The refund goes back to the card or bank account used at checkout. We email the buyer when the refund is issued. Depending on the bank, the money can take a few working days to appear. Partial refunds are not offered in Phase 2; the full amount either goes back to the buyer or is released to the seller.
10. User conduct
Pushing a buyer to pay off platform while a Protected Purchase order is open is not allowed and is grounds for suspension. Harassment, slurs, threats, and sexual content in chat are not allowed. Sharing another user's phone number, address, or private information outside the context of a legitimate order is not allowed. Impersonating another user, a business, or Lagos Market staff is not allowed. Chat and support messages are reviewed when reported, and we keep records for the duration of any live dispute.
11. Reviews
Reviews are for buyers who completed a Protected Purchase order with the seller. A review must reflect the reviewer's actual experience with that order. The following are not allowed and are removed on sight: paid or incentivised reviews, reviews written by the seller or someone connected to them, reviews that threaten the seller or demand a refund in exchange for a higher score, reviews with no connection to the order (brand complaints, political rants, unrelated gripes). A seller who solicits a fake review is subject to the suspension rules in §12. A buyer who posts a retaliatory review after a lost dispute may have the review removed.
12. Warnings, suspensions, and bans
First breach of a policy in this document typically draws a written warning. Repeat breaches draw a time-boxed suspension (7, 30, or 90 days) during which the account cannot list, boost, buy, chat, or review. Severe breaches draw an immediate permanent ban without a prior warning: fraud, trafficking in prohibited items, repeated harassment, repeated attempts to defraud buyers after a prior suspension. A suspended account's live listings are hidden. Open Protected Purchase orders continue to their natural conclusion so buyers are not stranded.
13. Appeals
A warning, suspension, or ban can be appealed by replying to the enforcement email within 14 days. An appeal is reviewed by an admin who was not involved in the original decision. We may uphold the original decision, lift it, or reduce it. We respond within 7 working days of the appeal. There is no second appeal.
14. Changes to this policy
We update this document from time to time. Material changes (new prohibited categories, changes to dispute criteria, changes to the suspension ladder) are announced to users by email at least 7 days before they take effect. Non-material changes (wording, examples, formatting) take effect immediately on publication. The 'Last updated' date at the top reflects the most recent change.
15. Contact
Questions about any part of this policy, or a specific enforcement action, can be sent to the support contact provided on the platform. For legal matters, see our Terms & Conditions.