Condition proof for used and secondhand sales before you ship
Published October 25, 2026
used item condition proofsecondhand sale disputeresale not as describedpre-shipment condition photos
Selling something used is a different job than selling something new. The item already has a life on it — a scuff, a faded corner, a tiny ink mark near the clasp. The sale does not fall apart over whether it is the right item. It falls apart over which marks were there before it shipped, and whether the buyer agreed to them.
I make Proof. On a new-goods sale the question is "is this the right piece, made right." On a used-goods sale the question is older and meaner: "did that scratch happen before or after you sent it, and did I agree to it." A chat thread with a few photos rarely settles that, because the buyer can crop, forget, or honestly misremember what they saw.
Why used sales dispute differently
- New goods: the fight is about correctness and quality.
- Used goods: the fight is about disclosed condition — existing wear, and who agreed to it.
- On a resale app, a buyer can open a "not as described" claim over a mark you both looked at a week ago.
What a condition record pins down, before you ship
- Condition in words. Name the flaws you already know — the scuff on the heel, the pen mark, the missing dust cap. Plain text, not vibes.
- Photos of this exact unit. One overall shot, one for scale, and a close-up of every flaw you disclosed.
- A SHA-256 hash on each original, so an edit to the stored file afterward is detectable.
- Both sides Confirm by email, so "I never agreed to that mark" has an answer that is not just your word.
- One `/p` link that turns read-only once both of you say yes. You can see a sample Proof to get the shape of it.
What it is not
- Not notarization, not a certified timestamp, not a court filing.
- Capture time is whatever the device reported.
- A hash catches changes to the stored file after upload. It does not prove what the camera saw, and it does not prove when the wear happened. It proves you both confirmed the same disclosed condition before the parcel left.
A 60-second routine for resellers
- Lay the item out and write down the flaws you already know.
- Photograph the whole piece, then each flaw up close.
- Invite the buyer by email and wait for their Confirm.
- Ship only after both sides have confirmed.
Marketplaces tend to side with whoever has the clearer record. For used goods, the clearest record is the condition you both confirmed before the box was sealed — not a thread you scroll back through after the claim is already open. Start one from the pre-ship checklist and send the buyer the link before you ship.