Handling a customer dispute

A dispute is opened when a buyer contests an order: product not received, non-conforming, damaged, or a rejected return. Your responsiveness and the quality of your evidence determine the outcome.

Before you start

Types of disputes

Type	Who opens it	Buyer deadline
Package not received	Buyer	15 days after shipping
Non-conforming product	Buyer	7 days after delivery
Damaged product	Buyer	48h after delivery
Rejected return	Buyer (following seller refusal)	5 days after refusal

Accessing a dispute

1. 01

   Contact Wasal about the case

   The Seller Portal has no dedicated disputes section. Open Helpdesk Module ▸ New ticket and put the order number in the subject: Wasal assigns the ticket type after you submit it. See Opening a claim with Wasal support. You can also call your account manager at 05 22 09 43 43.

2. 02

   Get the details of the dispute

   Ask support or your account manager for the reason given by the buyer and any photos, then check the order history in My orders.

3. 03

   Prepare your evidence

   Before responding, gather: photos of the package before handing it to the courier, the delivery history and status shown in the order detail, and a signed delivery note if available.

Responding to a dispute

Case 1 — Package not received

If the 3PL has confirmed delivery but the buyer states they did not receive it:

• Check the delivery history and the status in the order detail
• Ask Wasal support for the proof of delivery through the Helpdesk Module: it comes from the 3PL that Wasal assigned
• Indicate the name of the signatory if the proof mentions one

Case 2 — Non-conforming product

The buyer claims that the product received does not match the description:

• Compare their photos with your product listing
• If the description is accurate, provide the packaging photos and a screenshot of the product listing at the time of the order
• If the description was approximate, offer a goodwill gesture (discount, exchange) to avoid arbitration

Case 3 — Damaged product

• Request the photos of the outer package to identify shipping damage
• If the package is intact but the product is damaged, this is generally a packaging issue on your side
• Offer a replacement or a partial refund depending on the degree of damage

Possible outcomes

Once your evidence has been sent to Wasal, there are three scenarios:

1. 01

   Amicable agreement

   You and the buyer agree on a solution (refund, exchange, discount). The case is closed and the decision applied automatically.

2. 02

   Wasal arbitration

   If there is no agreement, Wasal support analyzes the evidence and rules. The decision applies to the next payment.

3. 03

   Seller escalation

   If you consider the arbitration unfair, open a new ticket (Helpdesk Module ▸ New ticket) with new evidence, or call your account manager at 05 22 09 43 43.

Impact on your seller account

A lost dispute has several consequences:

• Refund deducted from your next payout
• Satisfaction rating impacted (visible on your store page)
• Above 5% of lost disputes over 30 days, your account is placed under enhanced monitoring

See SLAs and penalties for the detail of the thresholds.

Best practices to avoid disputes

• Photograph each package before handing it to the courier (overall view, packed contents)
• Be precise in your product listings: dimensions, material, actual colors, any defects
• Respond to buyer messages within 24 hours — many disputes arise from a lack of communication

Going further

• Handling returns and refunds
• Shipping best practices
• Return policy