This Verification and Security Policy explains how KOTLYARS verifies users, sellers, and listed items, together with the measures used to protect user accounts, marketplace integrity, and platform security.
KOTLYARS applies proportionate verification and security measures to reduce fraud and support a trustworthy marketplace. Verification lowers risk but does not guarantee the identity of users, ownership of items, or the authenticity of goods offered for sale.
This Policy applies to user registration, account management, item listings, auctions, marketplace transactions, and related platform activity. It supplements the Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, Buyer Terms, Seller Terms, Prohibited Items Policy, AML/KYC Policy, and all applicable KOTLYARS marketplace rules.
- Application of This Policy. This Policy governs verification procedures, security measures, and account protection across all KOTLYARS services. Mandatory legal requirements prevail where applicable.
- Purposes of Verification. Verification is intended to confirm user identity and contact information, determine seller status, reduce fraud, protect marketplace participants, and support compliance with applicable legal obligations. The level of verification depends upon the user's role, item category, transaction value, jurisdiction, account history, and identified risks.
- Duty to Provide Accurate Information. Every user must provide complete, accurate, and up-to-date information when using the platform. Users must not impersonate another person, provide false information, or conceal their actual trading status. Material changes to names, addresses, contact details, business registration, or other relevant information should be reported without undue delay.
- Information That May Be Requested. KOTLYARS may request personal or business information including names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, dates of birth, identity documents, company registration details, tax information, proof of authority, or other documents reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose or legal requirement. Additional information may be requested where increased risk has been identified.
- Trader Verification. Business sellers may be required to verify company registration, legal representatives, authorised signatories, business addresses, tax information, official registration status, and compliance with applicable commercial legislation. Where required by law, verification must be completed before listings are published or within the legally prescribed period.
- Private Seller Verification. Private Sellers may be required to verify their identity, age, address, contact details, ownership of listed items, and authority to sell them. Individuals regularly conducting commercial sales must not misrepresent themselves as private sellers. Where appropriate, KOTLYARS may update the displayed seller status or require business registration.
- Buyer Verification. Buyers may be asked to verify their email address, telephone number, identity, age, delivery address, or authority to act on behalf of an organisation. Additional verification may be required for valuable items, unusual bidding behaviour, disputes, suspected fraud, or legal compliance purposes.
- Item and Listing Review. KOTLYARS may review listing descriptions, categories, photographs, prices, serial numbers, hallmarks, certificates, condition reports, and other supporting information. The platform may request additional photographs, videos, expert opinions, inspections, or documentation before publication, during an auction, or after receiving a complaint.
- Ownership, Provenance and Authenticity. Sellers may be required to provide evidence of lawful ownership, purchase records, inheritance documents, provenance information, ownership history, export permits, import documentation, or authority to sell on behalf of another person. Certificates, laboratory reports, valuation documents, and repair histories may also be requested for gemstones, jewellery, watches, artwork, and other valuable property.
- Third-Party Services and Experts. KOTLYARS may use trusted official registers, identity verification providers, document authentication services, sanctions screening tools, fraud prevention systems, and independent specialists where appropriate. Information shared with such providers is processed only for legitimate purposes in accordance with the Privacy Policy and applicable data protection legislation.
- Sanctions and Legal Compliance. KOTLYARS may conduct risk-based reviews of users, beneficial owners, countries, transactions, and listed items against applicable sanctions lists and other official sources. The platform may request additional information regarding ownership, item origin, transaction purpose, or beneficial ownership and may restrict transactions or cooperate with competent authorities where required by law.
- Not a Banking AML/KYC System. Verification carried out under this Policy constitutes marketplace due diligence and does not mean that KOTLYARS operates as a regulated bank, payment institution, or financial service provider. KOTLYARS does not receive or hold user payments. Where specialised AML or KYC procedures become legally necessary, they may be performed by authorised third-party providers.
- Repeat and Ongoing Review. Verification may be repeated following material changes to user information, prolonged account inactivity, unusual activity, complaints, higher-risk transactions, changes in applicable law, or other circumstances requiring additional review. Platform functions, listings, bids, or transactions may remain restricted until the review has been completed.
- Verification Status and Badge. Any verification indicator displayed by KOTLYARS confirms only that certain verification procedures were completed at a particular point in time based upon available information. Such indicators do not guarantee financial reliability, ownership, future conduct, authenticity of goods, or the accuracy of all information supplied by the user.
- Limits of Item Review. Review of listings, documents, or supporting materials by KOTLYARS does not replace independent inspection or professional assessment. Sellers remain responsible for the legality, authenticity, provenance, and accuracy of every listing. Buyers remain responsible for carrying out reasonable due diligence before completing transactions.
- Account Security. Users should protect their accounts by using strong unique passwords, secure email accounts, trusted devices, and appropriate authentication measures. Passwords, verification codes, payment credentials, and identity documents should never be shared through unofficial channels. Suspicious messages, unauthorised account activity, or unexpected payment changes should be reported immediately.
- Platform Security Measures. KOTLYARS applies technical and organisational safeguards proportionate to identified risks. These measures may include access controls, activity logging, encrypted communications, backups, monitoring of suspicious activity, and other security technologies. No technical system can guarantee absolute protection against every possible security threat.
- Data Use and Retention. Verification information is processed solely for legitimate verification, security, dispute resolution, fraud prevention, and legal compliance purposes in accordance with the Privacy Policy. Information is retained only for as long as reasonably necessary or legally required before being securely deleted or anonymised.
- Decisions, Restrictions and Appeals. Where verification information is incomplete, inaccurate, inconsistent, or reasonably considered suspicious, KOTLYARS may request corrections, suspend listings, restrict account functions, cancel marketplace activity, or close accounts in accordance with applicable policies and law. Users may submit explanations, supporting documentation, or appeals through the Contact page.
- Incidents, Updates and Contact. Users should immediately report suspected fraud, compromised accounts, forged documents, unauthorised payment changes, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, or other security incidents through the Contact page while avoiding publication of sensitive personal information. KOTLYARS may take protective measures and notify affected users or competent authorities where legally required. Updated versions of this Policy will be published with a revised Effective Date.
What Verification Means. Verification is designed to reduce marketplace risk but cannot eliminate it. Users remain responsible for the accuracy of the information they provide, sellers remain responsible for the legality of listed items and supporting documentation, and any KOTLYARS verification indicator should never be interpreted as an unconditional guarantee of identity, ownership, authenticity, financial reliability, or future conduct.
By using the KOTLYARS platform, buyers and sellers acknowledge that verification and security measures are intended to strengthen marketplace trust while recognising that responsible conduct and independent due diligence remain essential for every transaction.