Vacation mode lets you define a period during which you're not available to ship, so your listings stay live and purchasable in the meantime. Buyers will see the date from which shipping is possible, so they can decide for themselves whether the wait suits them. You keep selling, Ricardo handles the rest.
Who can use it
Vacation mode is available exclusively to Ricardo Plus users. Activate Ricardo Plus to access vacation mode along with a range of other seller benefits.
When to use it
Activate vacation mode whenever you know you won't be able to ship for an extended period, whether that's a holiday, a personal absence, or any other reason you're temporarily unavailable to ship.
How to activate it
- Go to My Selling and click vacation mode in the top right corner
- Set your start date and end date
- Click Schedule
A confirmation banner will appear at the top of your My Selling page, confirming that the vacation mode is scheduled to start on the specified date.
Tip: Activate vacation mode a few days before you leave to avoid last-minute purchases that you'd need to ship before your absence begins.
How it works
Once vacation mode is on:
- Your listings stay live. All your offers remain visible and available to buy throughout your absence, nothing is hidden or paused.
- Buyers are informed. Ricardo automatically shows buyers the date from which shipping is possible. They don't see any information about your absence, only the shipping availability date.
- Your shipping deadline is shifted. Once your absence period ends, you have 7 days to ship any items sold during that time.
- Buyers can still reach you. Buyers can ask questions at any time during your vacation period.
- Buyer protection remains active. Purchases made with Buyer Protection+ remain fully covered; buyers can report an issue as they normally would.
Your obligations during vacation mode
Vacation mode shifts your shipping deadline for purchases made during your absence, but it does not suspend all your seller responsibilities.
Purchases paid before your absence must still be shipped within the standard deadline, regardless of your vacation mode dates. The shipping countdown starts from the moment of payment, not the purchase itself.
Standard deadlines apply as follows:
- Purchases made with Buyer Protection+: ship within 7 days of payment
- Purchases made without Buyer Protection+: ship within 14 days of payment
Statuses
Your vacation mode will show one of the following statuses in your My Selling page:
- Scheduled - your dates are set but your absence hasn't started yet
- On - your absence period is currently running
- Ended - your absence period has completed, either on its scheduled end date or because you turned it off early.
Turning off vacation mode early
You can cancel vacation mode at any time before or during your absence by clicking the delete icon on the confirmation banner. A confirmation prompt will appear.
Note that if you cancel while your absence is active, your standard shipping deadlines apply immediately: any items sold during your absence must be shipped within 7 days from the moment you cancel.
Limitations
- Vacation mode is only available to Ricardo Plus users
- It cannot be applied retroactively, the start date must be set in advance
- It does not suspend your obligation to ship purchases paid before your absence
- It does not cover purchases made without payment, the countdown begins at payment, not purchase
- You cannot schedule a new vacation period until all items sold during your previous one have been shipped.