General Seel FAQs

What is Seel?

Seel is a post-purchase protection and infrastructure platform for e-commerce. It combines purchase protection, shipping protection, extended warranties, returns management, and AI-driven customer support into one platform that partners with online merchants. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in San Francisco, Seel now works with 5,000+ merchants and has processed 24 million-plus protected orders across 79 countries.

What products does Seel offer shoppers?

Worry-Free Purchase® (flexible, no-questions-asked returns), Worry-Free Delivery® (protection against lost, damaged, or stolen shipments), and Extended Warranty (added coverage for higher-value purchases). All three are optional add-ons offered at checkout on a partner merchant's site.

Is Seel's protection optional, and how much does it cost me?

Yes, it's always optional. You'll see it as an add-on at checkout with a small protection fee shown up front. If you don't want it, you can remove it from your cart before completing your purchase.

Does this cost the merchant anything?

No. Worry-Free Purchase, Worry-Free Delivery, and Extended Warranty are all paid for by the shopper at checkout. Merchants don't pay for the coverage itself, and typically see operational savings since Seel handles resolution for every covered order.

What's the return window, and are final-sale items eligible?

If your protection includes returns, you have 7 days to return the item to Seel through the Resolution Center. Final-sale items become returnable under Worry-Free Purchase within that same window. The protection fee, the return shipping label, and original shipping cost are not refunded as part of the payout.

Does coverage work for international orders?

Most US-bound shipments are covered under all three products. Seel also currently supports coverage for select international merchants, including in the UK, EU, and Australia. Full international coverage is still expanding, so merchants operating outside the US should confirm exact terms with Seel's sales team.

Is Seel a legitimate, licensed company?

Yes. Seel is a licensed insurance provider (NAIC) and is SOC 2 Type II certified, GDPR and CCPA compliant. Its insurance-backed products are underwritten by licensed insurance partners, including Arch Specialty Insurance Company and Seel Insurance Inc., depending on jurisdiction and product. In 2025, Seel also announced insurance and reinsurance partnerships with Lloyd's of London and Arch Insurance, effective September 25, 2025.

Is Seel affiliated with the store I bought from?

No. Seel is an independent post-purchase protection provider, separate from the retailer you purchased from. It partners with thousands of merchants to offer optional coverage at checkout, and handles claims directly for orders where its protection was purchased.

Has Seel been sued or accused of operating without a license?

Seel has previously been named in a class action lawsuit that included allegations relating to licensing and compliance. The claim against Seel was voluntarily dismissed by the plaintiff within two months of filing, and nothing has been refiled since. Seel is a licensed platform and takes a careful approach to compliance in how it structures and operates its products.

Is my payment and personal data safe with Seel?

Seel is SOC 2 Type II certified and GDPR/CCPA compliant, uses AES-256 encryption, and hosts data domestically in the US.

What's excluded from coverage?

Exact exclusions vary by product and are shown at checkout and in your confirmation email. A few things hold across products: Seel does not cover items that were never shipped, and each product has its own list of excluded item categories. Full exclusion details are available at checkout and on the product-specific FAQ pages.

What documentation do I need, and why do claims commonly get denied?

Claims are filed with your order number and email, plus supporting documentation depending on the issue, for example a police report for a theft claim. Reporting windows apply too: theft must be reported within 7 days of delivery, and a lost package can be reported once 30 days have passed since shipment. The most common reasons a claim isn't approved are missing documentation, filing outside these windows, or damage that falls outside what the product actually covers.

Will my item be repaired, replaced, or refunded, and can I cancel? It depends on the product. Worry-Free Purchase and Worry-Free Delivery issue refunds for approved loss, damage, delay, or theft claims. Extended Warranty claims may result in repair or replacement. If you added protection by mistake, you can remove it before completing checkout; for questions about an existing purchase, reach out through the Resolution Center.

If the merchant sent the wrong or defective item, is that covered by Seel? Seel's protection products are focused on delivery issues (loss, damage, theft in transit) and post-purchase return flexibility, not merchant fulfillment errors. If you received the wrong item, start with the merchant's own return process; if you're unsure who to contact, the Resolution Center can help point you in the right direction.

What is the Resolution Center, and how do I use it?

The Resolution Center is Seel's self-serve portal for shoppers to file and track refund requests. It's the same place a shopper would report a delay, loss, damage, or theft issue, request a return, and check the status of a refund, using an order number or email.

Why would a claim get denied, or what isn't covered?

Common reasons include filing outside the reporting window (for example, theft must generally be reported within 7 days of delivery, and lost packages after 30 days from shipment), missing documentation such as a police report for theft claims, or the item falling under a product exclusion. Seel does not cover items that were never shipped. Full coverage and exclusion details are shown per order in the cart widget and confirmation email at the time of purchase.

How do I file a claim or get a refund?

Claims are filed through the Seel Resolution Center using your order number and email. Most eligible claims are approved automatically and refunds are processed once a claim is approved.