Terms & Conditions

Last updated: 22 August 2026

These Terms govern use of controlledstores.com.au and the Controlled Stores marketplace ("Platform"), operated by A.C.N. 678 038 876 Pty Ltd (ABN 34 678 038 876) ("Controlled Stores", "we", "us", "our").

By creating an account, posting a listing or otherwise using the Platform, you agree to these Terms.

If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.

1. What Controlled Stores is

Controlled Stores operates an online marketplace and classified-advertising venue connecting independent buyers and sellers of used and new tactical, outdoor, military-surplus and related equipment.

Controlled Stores is not a party to transactions between users.

Unless we expressly state otherwise for a particular service, Controlled Stores:

does not sell listed goods;
does not purchase listed goods;
does not own listed goods;
does not take title to listed goods;
does not possess or store listed goods;
does not physically inspect listed goods;
does not authenticate listed goods;
does not test listed goods;
does not value listed goods;
does not package listed goods;
does not ship listed goods;
does not process the purchase price;
does not hold deposits;
does not provide escrow;
does not act as an auctioneer;
does not act as agent for a buyer or seller;
does not insure transactions;
does not guarantee completion of a transaction.

Our role is to provide the technology and marketplace services that allow users to advertise items, discover listings and communicate with each other.

The contract for the purchase and sale of an item is between the buyer and seller.

2. Listing moderation is not inspection or certification

Controlled Stores reviews advertisements against our marketplace rules.

That review is based on the listing, photographs, information provided by the seller and any other information reasonably available to us.

We do not ordinarily see or possess the physical item.

Approval of a listing does not mean that Controlled Stores has:

verified legal ownership;
authenticated the item;
physically inspected it;
tested it;
verified its condition;
verified its safety;
confirmed its value;
confirmed every statement made by the seller;
confirmed the seller's identity beyond any verification process expressly described by the Platform;
certified that possession, sale, purchase, transport or use is lawful for every person or in every Australian jurisdiction;
recommended or endorsed the item.

Users must make their own enquiries.

3. Eligibility and accounts

You must be at least 18 years old to use Controlled Stores.

You must:

provide accurate information;
keep your information reasonably current;
use your own account;
not impersonate another person;
not create an account to evade a previous suspension or ban;
take reasonable steps to keep your login details secure.

If you suspect unauthorised access, contact support@controlledstores.com.au promptly.

We may suspend access, require a password reset or take other reasonable security measures where we believe an account may have been compromised.

Unless we approve otherwise, each individual should maintain only one personal account.

4. Private sellers and business sellers

A seller may be either:

a private individual selling personally owned goods; or
a person or business selling in trade or commerce.

Sellers must accurately represent their status.

Where the Platform provides a seller-status field, the seller must select the correct status.

A seller cannot avoid legal obligations by selecting "private seller" if they are in fact selling in the course of a business.

Private sales

Most Australian Consumer Law consumer guarantees do not apply to a genuine one-off private sale between individuals.

However, certain rights relating to ownership/title, undisturbed possession and hidden debts or charges may still apply.

Business sales

A seller acting in trade or commerce is responsible for complying with all Australian Consumer Law obligations applying to their sale, including any consumer guarantees, refund obligations, product-safety obligations and rules against misleading conduct that cannot lawfully be excluded.

Controlled Stores is not responsible for satisfying a seller's obligations merely because the seller uses the Platform.

5. Buyer and seller contract

Any agreement to purchase an item is between the buyer and seller.

Controlled Stores is not a party to that agreement.

The buyer and seller are responsible for agreeing between themselves:

the purchase price;
payment method;
payment timing;
collection;
shipping;
insurance;
delivery;
inspection;
returns, if any;
refunds, if any;
warranties, if any;
any other transaction terms.

Controlled Stores does not automatically provide a return policy, refund policy, escrow service or buyer-protection guarantee for user-to-user transactions.

A buyer should not assume that Controlled Stores will reimburse them if a transaction goes wrong.

6. Seller obligations and warranties

By creating a listing, you represent and warrant that:

you own the item or otherwise have legal authority to sell it;
the item is not stolen;
the item is not unlawfully retained Commonwealth, Defence, police or other government property;
where relevant, it was lawfully acquired and lawfully disposed of;
your sale of the item is lawful;
the listing complies with Controlled Stores' Item Rules;
the information you provide is accurate to the best of your knowledge;
the photographs are of the actual item unless the listing clearly states otherwise and we permit it;
you have disclosed known material defects;
you have not deliberately concealed relevant markings, serial numbers or provenance;
you will not misrepresent a counterfeit item as genuine;
you will not use the Platform to facilitate a prohibited transaction;
you will comply with applicable shipping and dangerous-goods requirements.

Where an item has Australian Defence Force, government, police or similar provenance, we may request reasonable evidence that you lawfully own it.

7. Buyer responsibilities

Before purchasing, buyers should make whatever enquiries they consider appropriate.

The buyer is responsible for deciding:

whether the item is suitable;
whether the description is satisfactory;
whether the price is acceptable;
whether the seller appears trustworthy;
whether they wish to inspect the item;
whether the item is lawful for them to possess;
whether the item is lawful to transport to their location;
whether licences or permissions are required;
whether the item is genuine;
whether the item's condition is acceptable.

For higher-value goods, buyers should consider inspecting the item in person before payment.

8. Australia-only marketplace

Controlled Stores is intended for users and transactions within Australia.

Items advertised through Controlled Stores may only be sold, shipped or handed over within Australia.

International shipping and export transactions arranged through the Platform are prohibited.

Accounts that are operated primarily from overseas or are being used to facilitate international transactions may be restricted.

Certain equipment — including some night-vision, thermal, military and dual-use equipment — may be subject to additional export controls.

Controlled Stores' rule remains simple: do not use Controlled Stores to export items from Australia.

9. Item Rules

The Controlled Stores page titled "What you can and can't sell" (the Item Rules) forms part of these Terms.

You must comply with those rules.

Our marketplace rules may be stricter than the law.

The fact that possession of an item may be lawful in some circumstances does not create a right to list it on Controlled Stores.

10. Listing moderation

Listings may be reviewed before becoming publicly visible.

We may reasonably:

approve a listing;
reject a listing;
request additional information;
request additional photographs;
request evidence of provenance;
change a listing's category or metadata;
temporarily hide a listing;
remove a listing.

We will not ordinarily change a seller's price or materially rewrite the seller's description without permission.

We may refuse or remove a listing where we reasonably consider that:

it breaches these Terms;
it breaches the Item Rules;
it may be unlawful;
it creates an unacceptable safety risk;
it creates a stolen-property concern;
it appears counterfeit;
it infringes another party's intellectual property;
it is misleading;
it is inappropriate for Controlled Stores;
additional information requested by us has not been provided;
allowing the listing would create an unreasonable risk to users, Controlled Stores or the integrity of the marketplace.

Moderation decisions are marketplace decisions and are not legal determinations.

11. Prohibited conduct

You must not use Controlled Stores to:

list prohibited goods;
solicit prohibited goods;
arrange a prohibited transaction through messages;
disguise a prohibited item using misleading terminology;
sell stolen property;
sell property you do not own or have authority to sell;
defraud another user;
impersonate another person;
impersonate Controlled Stores;
impersonate a government, Defence or police representative;
send phishing links;
distribute malware;
obtain another user's password or verification code;
harass, threaten or abuse another user;
discriminate unlawfully;
post unlawful content;
post prohibited extremist or terrorist material;
infringe intellectual-property rights;
post counterfeit goods as genuine;
manipulate ratings or reviews;
use multiple accounts to evade moderation;
circumvent a suspension or permanent ban;
scrape the Platform in breach of these Terms;
interfere with the Platform's operation;
use Controlled Stores to facilitate unlawful conduct.

Attempting to purchase or solicit a prohibited item may be treated as seriously as attempting to sell one.

12. Counterfeit goods and intellectual property

You may only upload content and list goods where you have the necessary rights to do so.

Counterfeit goods are prohibited.

Rights holders may report suspected infringement to support@controlledstores.com.au.

We may request information from the complainant or seller and may remove or restrict content where we reasonably consider it appropriate.

Controlled Stores does not act as a court and does not finally determine intellectual-property ownership disputes.

13. Payments

Controlled Stores does not currently process user-to-user purchase payments.

Buyers and sellers choose how to pay each other.

Controlled Stores:

does not hold buyer funds;
does not hold seller funds;
does not hold deposits;
does not operate escrow;
does not guarantee bank transfers;
does not guarantee cash transactions;
does not reimburse losses merely because users met through Controlled Stores.

Never send money merely because a person claims Controlled Stores has "verified" or "guaranteed" the transaction.

Controlled Stores will never instruct you to send the purchase price to Controlled Stores unless we expressly introduce a payment product and clearly identify that service on the Platform.

14. Communication and scam prevention

We encourage users to keep important pre-sale communication in Controlled Stores messaging where practical because it creates a record that may assist if a report is made.

Users may nevertheless need to exchange reasonable contact or payment information to complete a genuine transaction.

Moving a conversation outside the Platform is not automatically prohibited.

However, users must not use off-platform communication to:

evade moderation;
arrange prohibited transactions;
impersonate Controlled Stores;
send fraudulent payment links;
hide scam activity;
evade fees that Controlled Stores expressly charges for a service;
otherwise breach these Terms.

Be suspicious of anyone requesting unusual deposits, gift cards, cryptocurrency, verification codes or payment through unfamiliar links.

15. Shipping and collection

Controlled Stores does not ship items.

Shipping or collection is arranged directly between buyer and seller.

The seller is responsible for checking:

whether the item can lawfully be shipped;
carrier restrictions;
dangerous-goods requirements;
packaging requirements;
battery restrictions;
any applicable state or territory restrictions.

If an item cannot lawfully be transported by the proposed carrier, do not ship it.

Where appropriate, the parties may arrange local collection instead, provided the transaction itself is lawful.

16. Product safety

Sellers must not knowingly list products that are prohibited from supply, dangerously defective or subject to an unresolved Australian product-safety recall.

Controlled Stores may remove a listing where we become aware of a product-safety concern.

Users can report an unsafe item to support@controlledstores.com.au.

Where appropriate, Controlled Stores may preserve relevant records, contact users, remove listings or cooperate with relevant authorities.

Our moderation processes do not make Controlled Stores the manufacturer, importer, owner or seller of user-listed goods.

17. Reports and disputes

Users may report:

suspected scams;
suspicious listings;
prohibited items;
counterfeit goods;
suspected stolen property;
unsafe products;
harassment;
other breaches.

Reports can be made through any available Platform reporting feature or by contacting support@controlledstores.com.au.

We may review relevant listings, account activity and Platform messages where reasonably necessary to investigate a report.

We may take moderation action including removing a listing or restricting an account.

However, unless required by law, Controlled Stores is not obliged to:

act as a court;
determine who legally owns property;
decide contractual disputes;
force a seller to provide a refund;
force a buyer to make payment;
recover money;
recover goods;
provide compensation;
commence legal proceedings on a user's behalf.

Buyers and sellers remain responsible for resolving their own transaction disputes.

Nothing prevents a user from exercising rights they have under law against the other party.

18. Law-enforcement and regulatory cooperation

We may preserve, use or disclose information where permitted or required by law, including in connection with:

suspected fraud;
stolen property;
prohibited weapons;
unlawful Defence or police property;
threats to safety;
court orders;
warrants;
regulatory requests;
other suspected unlawful activity.

Where appropriate, serious matters may be referred to relevant authorities.

A report or referral does not mean Controlled Stores has determined that a person committed an offence.

19. Account suspension and termination

We may restrict, suspend or terminate an account where we reasonably believe:

these Terms have been materially breached;
the Item Rules have been breached;
the account is being used unlawfully;
the account creates a material fraud or safety risk;
the user has attempted to evade moderation;
the account is associated with scams or stolen property;
the user has repeatedly listed prohibited goods;
continuing access would create an unreasonable risk to the Platform or other users.

Where immediate action is reasonably necessary for safety, security, fraud prevention, legal compliance or preservation of evidence, we may act without advance notice.

Serious conduct may result in permanent termination after a first incident.

Less serious or accidental breaches may result in a warning or temporary restriction.

We may retain records reasonably necessary for fraud prevention, moderation, legal compliance and enforcement even after an account is closed, subject to applicable privacy law.

20. Content you provide

You retain ownership of content you create.

By posting photographs, descriptions, reviews or other content on Controlled Stores, you grant Controlled Stores a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, reproduce, resize, display and distribute that content to the extent reasonably necessary to:

operate the Platform;
display your listing;
improve search and marketplace functionality;
moderate content;
promote the relevant listing or Controlled Stores marketplace.

This licence ends when the content is deleted except to the extent copies must reasonably be retained for backups, moderation records, disputes, legal obligations or previously produced marketing material.

You must not upload content that you do not have the right to use.

21. Availability of the Platform

We aim to keep Controlled Stores available and functioning but cannot guarantee uninterrupted access.

The Platform may occasionally be unavailable because of:

maintenance;
technical faults;
third-party service outages;
cyber incidents;
upgrades;
events beyond our reasonable control.

We may change or discontinue Platform features.

Where a change materially affects a paid service, we will deal with it consistently with applicable law.

22. No warranty about users or listed goods

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Controlled Stores does not make any representation or warranty that:

a listing is accurate;
a photograph is genuine;
an item exists;
an item is authentic;
an item is safe;
an item is free from defects;
an item is fit for a particular purpose;
an item is worth the asking price;
an item is lawfully owned by the seller;
a buyer will pay;
a seller will deliver;
a transaction will complete;
another user is trustworthy;
a transaction is lawful in every jurisdiction.

These are risks users must independently assess when dealing with another user.

23. Controlled Stores is not responsible for the goods transaction

The goods transaction is between buyer and seller.

Subject always to rights and liabilities that cannot lawfully be excluded, Controlled Stores is not responsible merely because users met through the Platform for loss arising from:

an item's condition;
hidden defects;
wear and tear;
breakage;
counterfeit goods;
inaccurate descriptions;
authenticity disputes;
ownership disputes;
non-delivery;
late delivery;
damage in transit;
loss in transit;
seller non-payment;
buyer non-payment;
fraudulent payments;
bank-transfer scams;
chargebacks;
theft;
personal injury caused by a listed product;
improper use of a product;
unlawful possession or use by a user;
a user's failure to obtain any licence, authority or permission;
disputes about refunds or returns;
conduct occurring at an in-person meeting;
other acts or omissions of a buyer, seller, carrier or third party.

The fact that Controlled Stores moderated or approved an advertisement does not transfer responsibility for the goods or transaction to Controlled Stores.

24. Australian Consumer Law and rights that cannot be excluded

Nothing in these Terms excludes, restricts or modifies any guarantee, right, remedy or liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, restricted or modified, including under the Australian Consumer Law where it applies.

Controlled Stores remains responsible for obligations applying to the services Controlled Stores itself supplies to the extent required by law.

This does not make Controlled Stores the seller of goods offered by independent users.

25. Limitation of liability

Subject to section 24 and to the maximum extent permitted by law:

Controlled Stores is not liable for indirect, incidental, special or consequential loss arising from use of the Platform or a user-to-user transaction where such liability may lawfully be excluded.

Controlled Stores is not responsible for loss caused by the independent acts or omissions of buyers, sellers, carriers, payment providers or other third parties.

Where liability relating to a paid Platform service can lawfully be limited, Controlled Stores' liability is limited to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Nothing in this section limits liability where doing so would be unlawful.

26. Your responsibility for losses caused by your conduct

To the extent permitted by law, you are responsible for loss reasonably suffered by Controlled Stores arising from:

your material breach of these Terms;
your unlawful conduct;
your fraudulent conduct;
your infringement of another person's intellectual-property rights;
goods you list where you did not have the legal right to sell them;
your knowing or reckless misrepresentation of goods;
your use of the Platform to facilitate an unlawful transaction, but only to the extent the loss was caused by your conduct.

Nothing in this section requires you to compensate Controlled Stores for loss to the extent caused by Controlled Stores' own unlawful conduct, negligence or breach where such responsibility cannot lawfully be excluded.

27. Fees

Controlled Stores may provide free and paid Platform features.

Any applicable fee must be disclosed before the user incurs it.

We will not retrospectively impose a new fee on a transaction or paid service that has already been completed.

We may introduce or change fees for future use of the Platform after giving reasonable notice where appropriate.

Specific paid features may have additional terms displayed when purchased.

28. Marketing communications

Operational communications relating to:

account security;
moderation;
listings;
reports;
Terms;
transactions;
important Platform notices may be sent where reasonably necessary to operate the service.

Marketing communications are treated separately.

Where consent is required, we will obtain it and provide an unsubscribe mechanism in accordance with applicable law.

29. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms where reasonably necessary, including because of:

changes in law;
regulatory requirements;
security issues;
new Platform functionality;
changes to our business model;
improvements to marketplace rules.

Material changes will be published with a new effective date and, where appropriate, notified to account holders.

Changes will not retrospectively rewrite the terms of a completed user-to-user transaction.

If you do not accept a future material change, you may stop using Controlled Stores and close your account.

30. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Queensland, Australia.

You submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Queensland and courts entitled to hear appeals from them.

Nothing in this section removes a right you have under mandatory Australian law to bring a proceeding elsewhere.

31. Severability

If part of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue to operate to the extent legally possible.

32. Entire agreement

These Terms, together with:

the Controlled Stores Item Rules;
the Privacy Policy;
any specific terms expressly applying to a paid feature, form the agreement governing your use of Controlled Stores.

They do not form the contract for the purchase and sale of goods between users.

That contract is between the buyer and seller.

33. Contact

Controlled Stores A.C.N. 678 038 876 Pty Ltd ABN 34 678 038 876 support@controlledstores.com.au