From a simple misunderstanding to an accidental human error, many businesses experience a customer dispute or complaint every so often. It can happen to a business of any size and in any industry.
Whether the customer claims their item was not received, or they declare the transaction was unauthorized or fraudulent, customer disputes are an inevitable part of running a business.
Instead of worrying about when you may face your next customer dispute, take a proactive approach by understanding the different types of disputes merchants can be faced with, including claims, chargebacks, and bank reversals. Plus, get helpful tips and strategies to manage and prevent them.
When an agreement cannot be reached in a dispute between a buyer and seller, it can be escalated to a claim, in which the buyer requests a refund for the purchase from the payment processor. Buyers can also file claims (without first creating a dispute) if they suspect their account has experienced fraud.
What’s the difference between a dispute vs. claim? If a buyer dispute can’t be resolved, either party can escalate it to a claim. There is usually a 20-day period between when a buyer first opens a dispute and when it can be escalated to a claim. During this process, both the buyer and seller are typically asked to provide additional information before a decision from the payment processor can be reached.
Learn more about how to dispute a claim and resolving claims.
There are a few different types of claims you should be familiar with, including:
Struggling to resolve a dispute with a customer? If you feel the need to escalate it to a claim, follow these steps:
If a claim has been logged, you’ll be notified via email. You’ll also see that a case is created in the Resolution Center.
Having a claim filed against you doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be penalized. There are no automatic fees levied against you, and your seller feedback won’t automatically be affected.
But you should keep in mind that if your claim rate is too high or other indicators are trending negatively, your account could be reviewed, and reserves or limitations could be put in place.
For instance, a temporary hold may automatically be placed on money when a claim is opened. This hold will stay in place while you work with the buyer to resolve the claim and will be released back to you if the claim is settled in your favor. For Unauthorized claims or Item Not Received (INR) claims filed through the PayPal Purchase Protection program, if you provide the relevant information as outlined in the PayPal Seller Protection, and the claim is decided in your favor, the money will be released to you. Note: Seller Protection is available on eligible transactions only. Limits, terms and eligibility criteria apply. Learn more about Seller Protection.
Once a claim has been filed, the best thing to do is quickly provide any requested information.
Resolving a claim filed with PayPal can be simple. If a customer files a claim or a dispute is escalated to a claim, follow these steps to respond as soon as possible:
After you make a selection, follow the instructions. Keep in mind that once you upload the files, you won’t be able to view them again — you’ll just see a summary of the information you’ve submitted.
If a claim is filed, you as the seller would be asked to respond within 10 days. If you don’t respond, the claim will automatically close in the customer’s favor — and a full refund will be issued.
If you do respond, PayPal will work to evaluate the information provided and determine the outcome. This claim resolution process usually takes about 30 days, but more complex cases may run longer.
Preventing claims comes down to curbing disputes. The good news is there are a few steps you can take to help avoid them from happening in the first place, such as:
When a customer encounters a problem with a transaction, they can raise the issue with the seller by opening a dispute. The goal of the dispute process is to address issues before they escalate into a claim. It’s worthwhile for merchants to work with their customers to resolve disputes as it allows them to provide excellent customer service, solve the problem, and prevent it from worsening. It also helps businesses create loyal, long-term customer relationships and avoid negative reviews and potential legal issues.
Here’s an example: A customer purchases a rug from an online store. Upon receiving it, they notice a large stain along the left side. The customer contacts the company to request a refund or a replacement product. However, the company does not believe the product is damaged and refuses to provide a refund or replacement. Because the customer and the merchant cannot come to an agreement, the issue may be escalated to a claim.
Dispute management involves helping buyers and sellers arrive at a solution for a dispute that all parties agree with. The process can include identifying and addressing the issue, facilitating communication between the buyer and seller, and finding ways to resolve the dispute in a mutually satisfactory manner. Because every dispute is unique, solutions are likely to vary. Explore the dispute management process.
Disputes come in many different forms, though the most common include the following:
While a single dispute is unlikely to create a significant impact on your business, it’s important to keep a close eye on your overall claim rate. The more claims filed against your business, the higher the likelihood that your account could be reviewed, your balances could be affected, and reserves or limitations could be put in place.
Though disputes are sometimes unavoidable, there are steps you can take to better your odds of preventing them from occurring in the first place. Start by:
Explore more ways to help manage risk for your business.
A chargeback occurs when a customer asks their card issuer to reverse a charge that they believe was unauthorized, fraudulent, or otherwise incorrect. The card issuer will then investigate the charge and determine whether to initiate the refund.
When a payment is reversed, the merchant usually is required to refund the customer's money and may also be subject to additional fees or penalties. It's important for merchants to have a clear and fair refund policy in place to help avoid chargebacks, and to be prepared to respond to them if they do occur.
Take a look at common reasons for chargebacks, including:
When it comes to chargebacks, it’s more important to prevent them than fight them. That’s because every chargeback affects your total chargeback ratio, which determines your standing with credit networks. The more chargebacks you receive as a seller, the higher the likelihood that you may be flagged as a higher-risk merchant.
Preventing chargebacks is similar to disputes and claims — you’ll want to maintain strong communication, ship orders promptly, and create a clear return and refund policy, among other strategies.
Learn more about chargebacks here.
A dispute is the initial step where a cardholder contests a transaction, typically due to issues such as unauthorized charges, product not received, or dissatisfaction with the product or service. A chargeback is the subsequent process initiated by the issuing bank if the dispute cannot be resolved between the customer and the merchant.
Disputing a transaction simply means the customer is questioning a charge on their account. Chargebacks, on the other hand, involve the actual reversal of funds from the merchant's account back to the customer.
If a merchant appeals a chargeback and wins, a chargeback reversal will occur – in which the issuing bank restores the funds back to the merchant.
A payment reversal, also known as an ACH return or bank reversal, is a request to cancel a transaction and return the funds to the original payment method. This request may be made by the customer or the bank and is often triggered by suspicions of unauthorized use of a bank account.
One of the best ways to prevent bank reversals is to review orders for signs of fraud or suspicious activity. Here are strategies you can leverage to identify and prevent potential risks:
Learn more about how to avoid reversals.
Looking for strategies to manage disputes, claims, and bank reversals? Check out these tips:
Though you can’t avoid experiencing a dispute, you can control how you respond to it. Below are four constructive communication tips:
Technically speaking, you can choose to respond to a dispute in a few different ways, including:
Learn more about resolving payment disputes.
Managing and preventing claims is similar to that of disputes. No matter the problem, creating and maintaining clear communication policies will increase your odds of avoiding or working through a claim successfully.
Understanding how to reduce payment reversals is key to managing and preventing them later. Here are some quick tips:
Learn more about managing bank reversals.
Sometimes experiencing a dispute or chargeback is unavoidable. Looking ahead, consider implementing safeguards to help protect your business in the future. As a friendly reminder:
You can also leverage PayPal for dispute and risk management. PayPal can help merchants manage fraud, reduce disputes, claims, and chargebacks, and expand their operations safely. Our fraud detection tools may also help you protect your business from existing and evolving threats. Browse more of our resources to help your business manage risk here.
In partnership with three expert business owners, the PayPal Bootcamp includes practical checklists and a short video loaded with tips to help take your business to the next level.
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