Frequently asked questions

It's simple. You find an item on Ricardo, Kleinanzeigen, eBay DE/AT/CH or another European marketplace and send us the link. We contact the seller in their language, agree on the price, purchase the item, inspect and photograph it once we have it, pack it securely, and ship it directly to your door - anywhere in the world.

We handle all communication, payment to the seller, and customs paperwork. You just receive the item.

Fill in the enquiry form on our homepage with the listing URL, your country, and the approximate item value. We'll respond within 24 hours with a quote and next steps. No commitment required until you confirm.

You can also reach us directly via WhatsApp or email at hello@portare.org.

We respond to all enquiries within 24 hours, typically much faster. If a listing is time-sensitive or about to expire, mention it in your message and we'll prioritise it.

No account is needed to get a quote - just send us the listing. For anything beyond a one-off, we highly recommend creating a free account at go.portare.org: it's where you track quotes and offers, see inspection photos of your item, manage payments and balance, and follow shipping and tracking, all in one place. Repeat customers especially benefit.

One simple service fee: a 49 € base plus 9% of the item value, per order. For example, a 100 € item is 58 € and an 800 € item is 121 €. The item price and shipping are billed separately at cost, with no markup.

If a seller won't ship and the item needs to be collected in person (CH/DE/AT only), the pickup is quoted case by case depending on distance. All fees are shown upfront before you confirm the order.

The service fee covers: seller communication in their language, purchase and payment on your behalf, item inspection with photos after purchase, secure packing, and customs export declaration. Shipping cost and item purchase price are billed separately at cost - we don't mark these up.

We accept credit card and bank transfer (SEPA and international, including Wise and Revolut; Twint for Swiss customers). We'll send you a clear invoice showing the item cost, service fee, and shipping separately before any payment is due.

We ask for full payment upfront before we purchase the item on your behalf. This covers the item cost and our service fee. Shipping is invoiced separately once the item is ready to ship, as exact carrier costs depend on final weight and dimensions.

For high-value items above 1,000 € we may request payment in two stages - discussed case by case.

For higher-value orders we actively negotiate on your behalf. For smaller orders we will flag obvious room for negotiation and ask for your instruction. Any saving goes directly to you - we never pocket a margin on the item price.

We review the listing and send you a quote within 24 hours. The quote shows the item price, our service fee, and an estimated shipping cost. If you confirm, we contact the seller, purchase the item, inspect it once we have it, send you a photo report, and ship it.

Yes, always. We send a photo report after we've purchased and received the item, so you can confirm it matches the listing before we ship. If anything looks wrong, we'll discuss options with you before proceeding.

It happens - private listings on European marketplaces move fast. If the item is sold before we reach the seller, we'll let you know immediately and you owe us nothing. We can also help you find a comparable alternative if you'd like.

For most orders we inspect and photograph the item right after purchase, before it ships. If a significant discrepancy exists between the listing and the actual item, we'll flag it immediately and work with you to resolve it - including returning the item to the seller where possible.

For local pickups, where we collect in person, we can inspect the item live over a video call before you commit - just ask, and we'll arrange a time when you're available.

As a rough guide: USA 7–14 days, UK 3–5 days, Australia 10–18 days, Japan 5–10 days, within Europe 3–7 days. These are estimates of carrier transit time only, counted from the day we hand your parcel to the carrier, and are not guaranteed delivery dates. Once a parcel leaves our hands, transit time, customs processing and final delivery are in the hands of the carrier and your local authorities, not us, so we can't be liable for carrier delays, customs holds or missed estimates. We always provide a tracking number so you can follow progress directly.

For time-sensitive orders we can offer express options at additional cost.

We handle the export side - customs declaration, export paperwork, and documentation from CH/DE/AT. This is included in your service fee.

Import duties in your country are your responsibility. These vary by country and item type - your local customs authority or the carrier can provide an estimate. We always declare items accurately at their actual value.

Our main carrier is DHL (from the EU to any destination, and from Switzerland to any destination). For Swiss-origin shipments we also use Swiss Post (within Switzerland and onward worldwide), and FedEx where it fits best. Other carriers are available on request, and additional charges may apply. We choose the most reliable and cost-effective option for each shipment and pass the exact carrier cost to you without markup.

Shipments include basic carrier insurance. For high-value items (above ~500 €) we include full transit insurance. On other orders, additional insurance can be added at cost - recommended for fragile or valuable items.

Switzerland is not in the EU, which means Swiss-origin shipments require full customs export documentation - we handle this. For items sourced in Germany or Austria (EU), we ship from within the EU to simplify the export process where possible.

We're based in canton Aargau at the Swiss-German border, giving us flexible access to both Swiss and EU shipping infrastructure.

Most items sold on European C2C marketplaces: vintage electronics, audio equipment, watches, cameras, collectibles, furniture, musical instruments, sports equipment, clothing, books, and more. We regularly handle items for collectors in the US, UK, and Australia.

We do not handle prohibited goods, hazardous materials, live animals, or items requiring special export licences (e.g. certain antiques or weapons).

We cover the major European marketplaces, including Ricardo.ch, Tutti.ch, Anibis and Swiss Betreibungsauktionen (enforcement auctions) in Switzerland; Kleinanzeigen and eBay.de / eBay.at / eBay.ch; Willhaben.at in Austria; Wallapop and Milanuncios in Spain; Subito in Italy; Leboncoin in France; and Vinted across Europe. We also handle private sales, dealer listings, and items from other platforms - just send us the link and we'll assess it.

In CH/DE/AT we can collect in person if a seller won't ship; elsewhere in Europe we arrange for the seller to ship the item to us, then inspect and forward it.

No strict minimum, but with a 49 € base fee, orders below roughly 60–80 € in item value are rarely economical for the customer. For very high-value items (5,000 €+) we may require additional verification steps.

We're a real person based in canton Aargau, Switzerland - not an anonymous intermediary. We provide full transparency: you see the seller's listing, you see our invoice with costs broken out, and you see photos of your item before it ships.

We never hold your item hostage - if you're unhappy at any point before shipping, we'll work to resolve it. Our reputation is built on individual transactions and word of mouth in collector communities.

Contact us immediately at hello@portare.org or via WhatsApp. We'll investigate and work toward a resolution. For items damaged in transit, we'll file a carrier claim on your behalf. For items that significantly misrepresent the listing, we'll pursue the seller and, where possible, arrange a return.

We collect only what's necessary to process your order: your name, email, shipping address, and order details. We don't sell or share your data with third parties except the carrier used for your shipment. We're based in Switzerland and operate under Swiss data protection law (nDSG).

Write to us at hello@portare.org or use the enquiry form on our homepage. We respond within 24 hours.