FAQ

Find the item you want, click "Buy Now" on the listing detail page, enter your shipping address, complete payment through Stripe, and you're done. The seller has 2 days to ship your item.

All major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover), Apple Pay, and Google Pay. All payments are processed securely through Stripe. SILIEX never stores or sees your card details.

Buyers pay a 2.75% platform fee on the item price, added to your total at checkout. For example, on a $500 item, the buyer fee is $13.75. This fee supports platform operations, buyer protection, and verified identity infrastructure.

After the seller ships your item, you have 7 days to confirm that you've received it. You can confirm delivery from your purchase history. If you don't confirm within 7 days, delivery is automatically confirmed by the system.

You can file a dispute within 24 hours after delivery confirmation. A chat room will open between you, the seller, and a SILIEX administrator to resolve the issue. You can request a full refund, partial refund, or negotiate a resolution.

Click "Sell" in the navigation bar. You'll need to select a category and subcategory, upload a minimum of 3 photos and 1 video, assign a condition grade, describe the item, and set your price. You can choose fixed price, accept offers, or auction format.

Sellers pay a 2.75% platform fee on the item price, deducted from your payout. For example, on a $500 sale, the seller fee is $13.75, and you receive $486.25. This is separate from Stripe's payment processing fee.

Payouts follow this timeline: Day 0 — buyer purchases. Day 0-2 — you ship the item. Day 2-9 — buyer confirms delivery (or auto-confirmed at day 9). Day 9-10 — 1-day dispute window. Day 10 — if no dispute, payout is released to your account. Maximum wait is 10 days from purchase.

You can request a shipping extension before the deadline. An admin will review and approve or deny the request. If you don't ship and don't request an extension, the order may be cancelled and you may receive a strike.

The total platform fee is 5.5%, split equally: 2.75% paid by the buyer (added to total) and 2.75% paid by the seller (deducted from payout). For a $500 item: buyer pays $513.75 + shipping, seller receives $486.25. Stripe's payment processing fee (2.9% + $0.30) is separate and handled by the platform.

Full refund — SILIEX returns all fees. Buyer gets everything back, seller receives nothing. Partial refund — SILIEX keeps both buyer and seller fees. The partial amount comes from the seller's payout. Dismissed — fees remain as normal, seller gets paid. Auto-cancelled (proposals exhausted) — buyer gets item price + shipping back, SILIEX keeps platform fees.

SILIEX's total 5.5% fee is significantly lower than eBay (13%), StockX (9-10%), or Mercari (10%). We offer identity verification, condition grading, escrow-style payment protection, and a dispute resolution system — features that most competitors charge much more for.

Used hardware is high-value and fraud-prone. Identity verification (email, phone, and selfie) ensures every user is a real person with a single account. This dramatically reduces scams, counterfeit listings, and fraudulent buyers — creating a safer marketplace for everyone.

The selfie with liveness detection (you'll be asked to turn your head) confirms that a real person is behind the account — not a bot or someone using stolen photos. Your selfie is stored securely, not shared with third parties, and deleted when you delete your account.

Your payment is held securely until the transaction is complete. If the item doesn't match the description, isn't delivered, or has undisclosed defects, you can file a dispute within 24 hours of delivery confirmation. The seller's payout is held until the dispute is resolved.

Strikes are issued for violating platform rules — filing frivolous disputes (buyer), losing disputes due to misrepresentation (seller), or community guideline violations. Buyers who accumulate 3 strikes receive a 30-day account hold. Sellers who accumulate 5 strikes receive a 30-day hold. During a hold, you cannot buy, sell, or post. Strikes are cleared after the hold period ends.

The Silver Exam is a hardware knowledge test that covers 6 categories: CPUs, GPUs, RAM, Storage, Motherboards, and Networking. It consists of 120 multiple-choice questions (20 per category). Passing demonstrates that you have genuine knowledge about the hardware you're buying or selling.

You need to score at least 12 out of 15 (80%) in each category to earn that category's certification. You don't have to pass all 6 at once — you can take individual categories and build certifications over time.

Yes, you can retake any category as many times as you want. Only your best score is recorded. There's no waiting period between attempts.

Passing categories earns you Silver tier certification badges visible on your profile and listings. This builds trust with buyers, shows you know what you're selling, and contributes to your Techie Stars tier progression.

Techie Stars is SILIEX's tiered reputation system. There are four levels: None (new account), Silver (exam certified), Gold (exam + transaction history), and Platinum (high-volume trusted seller). Each tier unlocks benefits and builds your credibility on the platform.

None — basic access, longer fund hold periods, listings may require moderation. Silver — exam badge, standard fund hold, full listing access. Gold — reduced fund hold period, higher trust badge visible to buyers. Platinum — fastest payouts, priority listing visibility, highest trust badge, reduced moderation.

Tier progression is based on a combination of Silver Exam certifications, completed transactions, time on the platform, dispute history, and community participation. You cannot buy tier status — it must be earned through legitimate activity.

After a sale is completed, your payout is held for a period based on your tier. Higher tiers have shorter hold periods because of established trust. The exact hold duration is displayed on your dashboard. All tiers still follow the standard 7-day delivery confirmation + 1-day dispute window.

Grade A — Excellent condition. Minimal or no signs of use. Fully functional with no defects. Grade B — Good condition. Normal wear and tear. Fully functional, minor cosmetic marks. Grade C — Fair condition. Visible wear, scratches, or cosmetic damage. Functional but shows significant use.

Sellers self-grade their items when creating a listing. They must also disclose specific defects from a checklist and upload photos showing the item's actual condition. If a buyer receives an item that doesn't match the stated grade, they can file a dispute.

Yes, but you must be completely transparent. Select the appropriate grade, check all applicable defects, describe the issue clearly, and include photos showing the damage. Buyers appreciate honesty — misrepresenting a broken item as functional will result in a dispute and a strike.

USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL. When marking an order as shipped, sellers select the carrier and enter the tracking number. Buyers can track their package using the provided tracking information.

File a dispute within 24 hours of delivery confirmation selecting "Item Not Received" as the reason. Provide any evidence you have (photos of your delivery area, communication with your building management, etc.). The dispute chat allows you to work with the seller and admin to resolve the issue.

Yes, sellers can offer local pickup as a delivery option. Buyers choose between shipping and local pickup at checkout. For local pickup, there's no shipping fee. We recommend meeting in a public location and verifying the item before confirming delivery.

Sellers have 2 days to ship after a purchase. They can request a 1-day extension if needed. If a seller repeatedly fails to ship on time, they will receive strikes which can lead to account holds.

Used hardware requires visual proof of condition. Photos show different angles (front, back, ports, serial number, wear areas) while the video confirms the item powers on and functions. This protects buyers and reduces disputes caused by misrepresentation.

The 2-edit limit prevents bait-and-switch tactics where a seller changes the listing after receiving attention or offers. It ensures what buyers see is what they're committing to. Each edit is logged and visible to buyers.

The pricing type (fixed price, offers, or auction) is locked to maintain consistency. Changing from auction to fixed price after bids are placed, or from fixed to offers after a buyer commits, would be unfair to participants.

If your item doesn't fit any existing subcategory, you can select "Other" and describe the subcategory. These listings require admin approval before they go live. This ensures quality control while allowing unique hardware items on the platform.

When creating a listing, SILIEX shows you what similar products have recently sold for on the platform. This is based on completed transactions for the same product at similar condition grades. It helps you price competitively and gives buyers confidence that pricing is fair.

After entering your password, you'll receive a one-time code via SMS to your verified phone number. Enter this code to complete login. This prevents unauthorized access even if someone knows your password.

You can change your email and phone number through your profile settings. Each change requires re-verification. Username changes may be restricted to maintain marketplace trust and transaction history consistency.

During a 30-day hold, you cannot create new listings, make purchases, place bids, make offers, or post in the community. Your existing active listings are paused. Pending orders and active disputes continue to completion. After the hold expires, your account is reactivated and strikes are cleared.

You can delete your account from your profile settings under "Danger Zone." Account deletion is permanent. Your personal information including your selfie will be deleted within 30 days. Transaction records are retained for 7 years as required by law. Community posts may be anonymized.

Click "Forgot password?" on the login page. Enter your email address and we'll send you a password reset link. The link expires after a short period for security. If you don't receive the email, check your spam folder.

On listings that accept offers, you can submit an offer with your proposed price. The seller can accept, reject, or counter your offer. If accepted, you have a window to complete the purchase at the agreed price. Other pending offers are automatically declined when one is accepted.

Sellers set a starting bid price. Buyers place bids — each bid must be higher than the previous one. The seller can end the auction after 24 hours. The highest bidder wins and has 24 hours to complete checkout at their bid price. If they don't, the item goes to the next highest bidder.

Once an offer is accepted by the seller, it becomes a commitment. Not completing the purchase after an accepted offer may result in a strike. If you have a legitimate reason, contact the seller through the listing Q&A to discuss.

Go to your purchase history, find the order, and click "File Dispute." You must file within 24 hours of delivery confirmation. Select a reason (item not as described, defective, wrong item, etc.), describe the issue, upload up to 3 evidence photos, and choose your desired resolution.

When a dispute is filed, a real-time chat room opens between the buyer, seller, and a SILIEX administrator. All three can send messages and images. The chat updates in real-time. Both parties can see each other's messages and the admin can step in at any point.

Either party can propose a resolution (full refund, partial refund, or dismiss). The other party must accept or reject the proposal. Each party gets a maximum of 5 proposals. If all 10 proposals (5 each) are exhausted without agreement, the dispute is auto-cancelled.

If both parties exhaust all 5 proposals each without reaching agreement, the dispute is automatically cancelled. The buyer receives a refund of the item price and shipping fee. SILIEX retains the platform fees (2.75% buyer + 2.75% seller). The chat is locked and no further action is possible.

No. Once a dispute is resolved, dismissed, or auto-cancelled, it cannot be reopened. The chat is locked permanently and the resolution is final. Make sure you communicate clearly during the dispute process and provide all evidence upfront.

A frivolous dispute is one filed without valid cause — for example, buyer's remorse, not reading the listing description, or attempting to get a free item. If an admin or the resolution process determines a dispute is frivolous, it is dismissed and the buyer receives a strike.

The community is for hardware-related discussions — build advice, troubleshooting, hardware news, deals spotted, upgrade recommendations, and general tech talk. You can post text with an optional photo. Keep it relevant, respectful, and helpful.

Posts can be reported for spam, harassment, misleading content, off-platform solicitation (trying to sell outside SILIEX), inappropriate content, or any violation of community guidelines. Reported posts are reviewed by admins. Repeated violations lead to strikes.

Yes, you can delete your own posts at any time using the menu (···) on your post. Deleted posts are permanently removed along with their comments and likes.

The following are prohibited: stolen property or items of questionable origin; counterfeit, replica, or misbranded hardware; items not related to computer hardware; hazardous materials or recalled items; software, digital goods, or activation keys (unless bundled with hardware); and anything that violates applicable law.

The listing will be removed and you will receive a strike. Repeated violations or listing obviously stolen or counterfeit goods may result in immediate account termination. SILIEX cooperates with law enforcement when required.

SILIEX (Silicon Exchange) is a national verified marketplace for used computer hardware in the United States. We combine identity verification, condition grading, escrow-style payment protection, and a hardware-focused community to create the most trusted platform for buying and selling used tech.

SILIEX is based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. We currently serve buyers and sellers across all 50 states with plans for future international expansion.

You can reach us at support@siliex.com for any questions, issues, or feedback. For urgent matters related to active orders or disputes, use the dispute chat system for the fastest response.

Send an email to support@siliex.com with the subject "Bug Report." Include a description of the issue, what page it occurred on, your browser and device, and screenshots if possible. We appreciate the help in making the platform better.