Frequently asked questions

PolyMarket is restricted to the EPFL community through @epfl.ch addresses. No other email address is accepted. This restriction aims to create a trusted space between people who actually cross paths on campus.

Click on "Sign in" and enter your @epfl.ch address. You can choose to receive a magic link by email or create a password. Your account is created automatically upon first login. You can then complete your profile (name, section) if you wish.

First check your spam or junk folder. The link expires after 1 hour. If you still don't receive it after a few minutes, try again with the same address. If the problem persists, contact us at contact@polymarket.ch specifying your email address.

Go to your Profile page once signed in. You can edit your display name and EPFL section. The email address cannot be changed as it serves as the authentication key.

Go to your profile and use the "Delete my account" button. All your personal data, listings, photos and messages will be permanently and immediately erased. This action is irreversible. If you have active listings, they will be automatically removed.

Your account remains active as long as you don't delete it. However, if your @epfl.ch address is deactivated by EPFL, you won't be able to sign in again. In that case, contact us to request deletion of your account and data.

Sign in, click "Publish a book". Fill in the form: book title, associated course (optional but recommended), price in CHF, book condition and add a photo. Your listing is immediately visible to all signed-in users.

Check similar listings on the platform. As a rule, a second-hand book sells for between 30% and 60% of the new price depending on its condition. Be honest in the condition description (annotations, highlighting, dog-eared pages). A realistic price favors a quick sale.

Yes. You can set the price to 0 CHF. The listing will be published normally and the book will appear as free in search results.

Listings expire automatically after 100 days. You'll receive a reminder email 7 days before, then 1 day before expiration, and a final email once the listing has expired. If your book is still available, you can renew the listing for 100 additional days from your profile in one click. You can also delete or mark your listing as sold at any time.

You can publish up to 10 listings per day. This limit exists to prevent spam and ensure catalog quality. If you have many books to sell, publish them gradually.

Yes. You can edit the title, description, price, condition and photo of a listing at any time from your profile, as long as it's still online.

An expired listing is no longer visible in the catalog. If you wish to put it back online, you'll need to create a new one. Remember to update the price and book condition if necessary.

From a listing page, use the "Contact" button to send a message via internal messaging. No need to exchange your phone number or personal email address.

Agree on a place and time via messaging. Common meeting points: the BC hall, the library, the Rolex Learning Center or in front of the CO. Choose a busy location during class hours. The exchange is done in person, hand to hand.

No. PolyMarket connects buyers and sellers, but does not handle payment or delivery. Transactions are done in person, by mutual agreement. The payment method is to be agreed between you (Twint, cash, transfer). We do not charge any commission.

Yes, entirely. Publishing a listing, contacting a seller, using messaging: everything is free. PolyMarket is a volunteer community project, with no commission, no advertising and no hidden fees.

Check the book's condition before completing the transaction (cover, annotations, missing pages). PolyMarket cannot guarantee the actual condition of books. If the book is clearly different from the listing, you can refuse the exchange and report the listing.

PolyMarket is a connection tool. We cannot directly intervene in a dispute between users. If behavior is abusive (fake listing, harassment, scam), report the listing or the user. In case of a serious problem, you can also contact the competent authorities.

Some sellers aren't connected all the time. Allow a reasonable delay (24-48h) before following up. If the seller still doesn't respond after several days, look for another listing for the same book.

Each listing has a "Report" button. Describe the problem in a few words. You can also report a user from their profile. The moderation team reviews each report manually.

Moderation works on two levels. Automatically: a listing receiving 3 or more reports is immediately hidden. Banned users can no longer publish or send messages (database control). Manually: each report is reviewed by the team. In case of violation of the terms of use, the listing is deleted and the account may be suspended. All moderation actions are recorded in an audit log.

PolyMarket is a volunteer project. Reports are processed as quickly as possible, but without guaranteed delay. In case of emergency (illegal content, harassment), contact contact@polymarket.ch directly.

It's the platform's main trust mechanism. It ensures that all users are part of the EPFL community. This doesn't certify each person's exact identity, but limits access to campus members and significantly reduces the risk of scams.

Data is hosted on Supabase (servers in Switzerland, Zurich). Authentication is done via password + OTP code or magic link. The platform applies strict security headers (HSTS, CSP, X-Frame-Options), multi-layer rate limiting (application and database), anti-bot protection (Cloudflare Turnstile), and row-level access controls (Row Level Security). No advertising tracking and no data resale. Minimal technical metrics may be collected by the hosting provider for service performance. You can delete your account and data at any time from your profile.

Messages are stored in the database for the proper functioning of messaging. The moderation team only accesses messages in the context of a report. No automatic reading, no content analysis.

Only what's necessary for the service: @epfl.ch email address (authentication), first name (derived from email), EPFL section (optional), published listings (title, description, price, condition, photo), exchanged messages, and functional session cookies. Nothing else.

No, never. No data is sold or rented. No targeted advertising and no commercial profiling. Minimal technical metrics may be used for service performance and reliability.

Go to your profile and click "Delete my account". All your data (profile, listings, photos, messages) is erased immediately and irreversibly. No backup is kept after deletion.

Yes. Contact contact@polymarket.ch specifying your @epfl.ch address. We'll send you an export of your data in a structured format (JSON) as soon as possible.

The database is hosted by Supabase on servers located in Switzerland (Zurich). The frontend is deployed on Vercel (United States), with Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) compliant with the Swiss nFADP. No personal data is transferred without adequate safeguards.