RetroCart is a Dubai-based seller of pre-owned and vintage gaming hardware, shipping across the UAE and internationally. Placing an order means you accept the policy below. We've written it around the situations you're most likely to find yourself in.

First, what "retro" means for your purchase

Almost everything we stock has had a previous life. Vintage consoles and collectibles carry the marks of their age — a scuff here, some yellowed plastic there, a label that's lost its shine. We don't treat any of that as a fault, because it isn't one; it's simply what authentic retro gear looks like. Every console is powered up and tested before it leaves us. A unit may still behave with the small idiosyncrasies that come with decades-old electronics, and those quirks aren't classed as defects either.

"I want to return something"

You've got 30 days from the day it arrives. Two rules make a return valid:

1. Get our approval first. Message us before sending anything back — items that show up without an agreed return may be refused.
2. There has to be a real fault. We accept returns for a genuine functional defect that we confirm once the item is back with us and inspected. Cosmetic wear and "I changed my mind" don't qualify.

When you do return something, it needs to come back exactly as it reached you — unused, with all packaging, manuals, tags, and accessories in the box. The final call on whether an item qualifies sits with us after inspection.

When a return won't apply

Some things we can't take back under any circumstances:

• Game discs, CDs, cartridges, or software once they've been opened or played
• Anything that stopped working because of misuse, rough handling, or neglect (as judged by us on inspection)
• Items that have been opened up, modified, or tampered with
• Items whose serial number has been removed or changed
• Anything that's been worked on by a repairer who isn't us
• Damage from feeding a console the wrong voltage

On that last point: certain consoles need a 220V-to-110V converter to run safely. If the wrong voltage damages a unit, that's outside what we can cover.

Make sure it fits your setup

Region locks, system compatibility, the right cables for your console — that's yours to check before you order. A product that simply isn't compatible with your gear isn't grounds for a return or refund.

"It arrived damaged"

Tell us within 48 hours of delivery and send clear photos of three things: the item itself, the packaging it came in, and the shipping label. We need all three. Past that 48-hour mark, we may not be able to process the claim.

Exchanges and repairs

Rather than a refund, you can send an item back for exchange or repair within 30 days of buying it — same conditions as a return: original packaging, every manual and accessory, the original invoice, and a fault we've verified on inspection.

"I need to cancel"

You have a 24-hour window after ordering, and only while the order is still sitting unprocessed — not yet prepared, packed, or shipped. If we approve the cancellation, your money goes back to the card or method you paid with. Once an order's been processed or has left the warehouse, it's too late to cancel it.

How your refund works

Once your return reaches us and passes inspection, we'll tell you whether it's approved or not. Approved refunds go out within 7–14 business days, landing back on your original payment method — your bank or card provider may stretch that a little on their end.

Who pays return postage

You do — unless we've confirmed the item is genuinely defective, in which case we cover it.

Restocking fee: none. We don't charge one.

Still waiting on a refund?

If it hasn't appeared, run through this before contacting us: look at your bank account once more, then check with your card issuer (an approved refund can take time to post officially), then your bank, since processing speeds differ. Done all three and it's still missing? Reach out and we'll chase it down.