What can I do about this clause?

{'method': 'WEB_FORM', 'recipient': 'https://cl.com/about/help/faqs/fees', 'difficulty': 'MODERATE', 'action_type': 'DISPUTE_FEE', 'instructions': "Visit Craigslist's fee FAQ at cl.com/about/help/faqs/fees to review posting fee information. If you believe a charge was made in error, contact your payment provider to initiate a chargeback dispute, as Craigslist's TOU does not provide a direct refund mechanism.", 'deadline_days': None, 'deadline_hours': None}

Which regulatory agencies enforce this type of clause?

{'agency': 'FTC', 'reason': 'FTC has authority to pursue unfair or deceptive trade practice claims where no-refund policies are not clearly disclosed prior to consumer payment for digital services.', 'complaint_url': 'https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/'}

What is the severity of this clause?

ConductAtlas classifies this Non-Refundable Posting Fees clause as medium severity. Severity reflects the magnitude of rights affected, the breadth of users impacted, and the degree of discretion the platform retains.

Non-Refundable Posting Fees — Craigslist

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What it is

If you pay Craigslist to post an ad, you will not get your money back under any circumstances — even if Craigslist decides to delete, hide, or reclassify your ad after you've paid.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

You could pay for a job listing, housing ad, or other paid post and receive no refund if Craigslist removes it for any reason — including reasons unrelated to any rule violation on your part.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.

Dispute a Fee

Visit Craigslist's fee FAQ at cl.com/about/help/faqs/fees to review posting fee information. If you believe a charge was made in error, contact your payment provider to initiate a chargeback dispute, as Craigslist's TOU does not provide a direct refund mechanism.

Cross-platform context

See how other platforms handle Non-Refundable Posting Fees and similar clauses.

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Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

Craigslist retains absolute discretion to remove or suppress paid posts without any obligation to refund the fee, creating a one-sided financial arrangement where consumers bear full risk of moderation decisions.

View original clause language

Any tax is additional. Fees are non-refundable, even for posts we remove, delay, omit, re-categorize, re-rank, or otherwise moderate. We may refuse any posting.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

(1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision implicates FTC Act Section 5 (15 U.S.C. § 45) regarding unfair practices in the context of charging for services that may not be rendered. California's Consumer Legal Remedies Act (CLRA, Cal. Civ. Code § 1770) may apply if the no-refund policy is insufficiently disclosed prior to purchase. California's Automatic Renewal Law (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17600) is not directly triggered here but is contextually relevant to fee transparency obligations. (2)

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Applicable agencies

FTC

FTC has authority to pursue unfair or deceptive trade practice claims where no-refund policies are not clearly disclosed prior to consumer payment for digital services.
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Provision details

Document information

Document

Craigslist Terms of Use

Entity

Craigslist

Document last updated

April 29, 2026

Tracking information

First tracked

April 18, 2026

Last verified

April 18, 2026

Record ID

CA-P-003020

Document ID

CA-D-00287

Evidence Provenance

Source URL

https://www.craigslist.org/about/terms.of.use

Wayback Machine

View archived versions →

SHA-256

80f85263c430b95f91b78125e0dbb2505055453e668ec19eefe4b53b64a4af6b

Verified

✓ Snapshot stored ✓ Change verified

How to Cite

ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Craigslist | Document: Craigslist Terms of Use | Record: CA-P-003020
Captured: 2026-04-18 11:49:41 UTC | SHA-256: 80f85263c430b95f…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/craigslist/craigslist-terms-of-use/non-refundable-posting-fees/
Accessed: May 2, 2026

Classification

Severity

Medium

Non-Refundable Posting Fees