Terms of use
Last updated 4 October 2026
The rules for selling and buying on Karot, in plain words. By using Karot you agree to them.
1. What Karot is
Karot finds the best price for items that people in the UAE want to sell: it puts each item to approved buyers in its network and takes their bids. When a seller accepts the best one, Karot sells the item on the seller's behalf: it receives the item by secure pickup or at its office, has it checked, sells it to the buyer, takes the buyer's payment and pays the seller. Karot does not buy items for itself.
2. Who can use it
You must be 18 or over. A seller must own the item or have the owner's permission to sell it. A buyer is approved by Karot staff by hand; a trade licence and Emirates ID are optional at sign-up, and Karot may ask for either before or after approval.
3. Listing an item
Describe your item truthfully: what it is, what it is made of and its weight as far as you know it, with photos of the item itself. Karot checks every item before buyers see it and may decline one that is unclear or incomplete. A very small plain piece (gold under 3 g, silver under 100 g) is usually declined. An item is open for bids for 24 hours from approval; another round starts only if you ask for one, up to three rounds in all. You can withdraw it at any time before you accept an offer, and send it again from your dashboard with its photos.
4. Making an offer
A bid is the amount a buyer means to pay, subject to inspecting the item at delivery. A buyer may change a bid while the item is open. The seller sees one offer, the highest bid, and before accepting is shown Karot's fee and what they will receive.
5. Accepting and the sale
The seller may accept their offer while bidding is open and for 48 hours after it ends, or not at all. On acceptance the seller chooses a secure pickup or a drop-off at Karot's office, and Karot checks the seller's Emirates ID. The item is weighed and tested; if it is not as described, Karot offers the seller a revised price, and if the seller declines, returns the item at no cost. Once the buyer has paid, Karot pays the seller by bank transfer within 24 hours. A seller who accepts by mistake can cancel once, within 15 minutes.
6. The law on precious metals
Karot and buyers each meet their duties under UAE law, including checking identity, keeping records, and reporting where the law requires it. Karot pays sellers by bank transfer only.
7. What is not allowed
Listing an item that is stolen, counterfeit, plated gold described as solid, or not yours to sell; describing an item falsely; bids you do not mean to honour; not being there for an agreed pickup, drop-off or delivery; rude or threatening behaviour; and using details from Karot for anything other than the sale they were shared for.
8. Reports
Anyone can report a problem from an item's page; Karot staff read every report and may take an item down or suspend an account.
9. Fees
When an item sells, Karot keeps a fee of 12.5% of the sale price, plus VAT where it applies. It covers the pickup or drop-off, checking and selling the item, and it is taken from the sale price before the seller is paid. Nothing is charged if the item does not sell. Buyers pay no fee. An item sent before 4 October 2026 is sold under the earlier fee: 5% of the sale price, at least AED 150.
10. Our responsibility
Karot is provided as it is. We work to keep it running and to admit only buyers it has approved, but we do not guarantee any bid, or that an item will sell. As far as the law allows, Karot's liability for an item in its care is limited to the price the seller accepted.
11. Changes and the law
We may change these terms, and will show the date of the latest change on this page. These terms are governed by the laws of the United Arab Emirates as applied in the Emirate of Dubai.