{"coverage_note":"Five categories were checked for nordstrom.com. Discrepancy_pricing found only historical reference-pricing litigation (2014\u20132016, largely dismissed) and an FTC closing letter regarding Nordstrom Rack comparison prices \u2014 no active enforcement or checkout-total discrepancy applicable to a current agent transaction was identified. Discrepancy_availability found no documented ghost-inventory or bait-and-switch pattern; sources returned were SEC filings and Nordstrom's own FAQ pages. Discrepancy_identity produced a confirmed finding: Nordstrom's published Marketplace Terms & Conditions document a structural split in which Nordstrom controls payments and dispute routing but disclaims merchant-of-record liability for third-party Marketplace Seller products. Discrepancy_policy found no verified mismatch between Nordstrom's stated discretionary return policy and actual enforcement \u2014 individual denied-return anecdotes are consistent with the disclosed case-by-case model. Discrepancy_undisclosed_constraint found no independently verified mid-transaction capability failures or hidden purchase restrictions; sources were limited to Nordstrom's own policy pages and SEC filings, so the absence of findings in this category reflects limited third-party corroboration rather than a comprehensive external audit.","human_handoff_required_for":[{"action":"Pause and confirm with the user before completing a purchase of any Nordstrom Marketplace (third-party seller) item, because Nordstrom disclaims merchant-of-record liability for Marketplace Products while simultaneously controlling the payment layer \u2014 if the product is defective, undelivered, or needs to be returned, the legal counterparty is the unnamed third-party Marketplace Seller, not Nordstrom, and Nordstrom's standard free-returns guarantee may not apply","evidence":[{"description":"Nordstrom's Marketplace Terms state that Marketplace Products are 'sold to you by Marketplace Sellers' and that Nordstrom is 'NOT and WILL NOT BE liable or responsible for Marketplace Products or for the Marketplace Sellers,' even though Nordstrom processes all payments and administers refunds and chargebacks.","reference":"https://www.nordstrom.com/c/marketplace-terms"}],"last_checked_date":"2026-06-30"},{"action":"Escalate to a human if a Marketplace order results in a fulfillment failure or product defect and the Marketplace Seller disputes or does not honor a refund, because Nordstrom's Terms explicitly disclaim liability for Marketplace Sellers' actions or omissions \u2014 leaving no clear legal counterparty and requiring human judgment to determine whether to pursue a chargeback, escalate to the Marketplace Seller directly, or seek other remedies","evidence":[{"description":"Nordstrom's Marketplace Terms confirm Nordstrom handles 'any payment-related disputes, refunds, credits, charge backs and adjustments' for Marketplace Products but simultaneously states it bears no liability for Marketplace Sellers or their products, creating ambiguity about who is ultimately responsible when a seller fails to fulfill.","reference":"https://www.nordstrom.com/c/marketplace-terms"}],"last_checked_date":"2026-06-30"}],"record_verification":{"last_checked_agentic_scan":"2026-06-30","last_checked_human_verified":null},"vendor_id":"nordstrom","verified_discrepancies":[{"actuals":"Despite processing payments and managing dispute/refund mechanics, Nordstrom's Marketplace Terms simultaneously state that Marketplace Products are 'sold to you by Marketplace Sellers' \u2014 not Nordstrom \u2014 and that Nordstrom is 'NOT and WILL NOT BE liable or responsible for Marketplace Products or for the Marketplace Sellers (or any of their actions or omissions).' This creates a split identity: Nordstrom holds the payment and controls dispute routing, but disclaim being the merchant of record or bearing any product liability, leaving consumers without a clear legal counterparty when a fulfillment or product problem arises.","discrepancy_start_date_est":"Unconfirmed; terms were live as of June 2026 scan","evidence":[{"description":"Nordstrom's published Marketplace Terms & Conditions, Section 3, confirm Nordstrom processes payments and handles refunds/chargebacks; Section 4 states products are sold by the third-party Marketplace Seller; Section 7 is a broad disclaimer that Nordstrom bears no liability for Marketplace Products or Sellers.","reference":"https://www.nordstrom.com/browse/customer-service/policy/terms-conditions/marketplace"}],"interim_guidance":"Before completing a purchase of a Marketplace (third-party seller) item on nordstrom.com, an agent should surface to the user that the legal seller is the third-party Marketplace Seller, not Nordstrom. Nordstrom's broad liability disclaimer means that if the product is defective or undelivered, dispute resolution may be constrained to what the Marketplace Seller agrees to, not Nordstrom's general return policy. The agent should confirm the user accepts this before proceeding.","last_checked_date":"2026-06-30","status":"active","type":"identity_discrepancy","vendor_claim":"Nordstrom presents a unified 'free shipping, free returns, all the time' shopping experience across its site, including for Marketplace products. Its own Marketplace Terms state that Nordstrom (or its service provider) will process payments and will handle 'any payment-related disputes, refunds, credits, charge backs and adjustments' for Marketplace Products."}]}