When to Open a Dispute

Opening a dispute freezes the deal and brings in a moderator. It is the strongest tool either side has, and like most strong tools it works best when used deliberately. Filed at the right moment with the right evidence, it resolves quickly. Filed reflexively, it wastes days and damages your standing for the next transaction.

Try the Chat First

Most disputes should never have been disputes. A missing file, a wrong version, an unclear instruction — these usually resolve in one message. Sellers generally want to complete the deal; they cannot fix a problem they have not been told about.

Send a specific message: what you expected, what you received, and what would resolve it. Give a clear deadline — twenty-four hours is reasonable for a small fix. Then escalate if nothing happens.

The exception is when the counterparty has gone silent or is acting in bad faith. Then talking first only burns time.

When a Buyer Should File

Nothing was delivered and the seller has been unresponsive for more than about 48 hours after funding.

What arrived is materially different from the listing. The word that matters is materially. Half the promised subscribers, undisclosed strikes, missing source files, a licence narrower than advertised — these are material. A count that has drifted by 2% is not.

The product does not work and the seller cannot or will not make it work.

The seller is trying to reclaim the account after transfer — recovering it, changing the recovery email back, or contacting the platform to reverse the handover. File immediately; this is the one case where speed matters more than diplomacy.

You are being pressured to confirm receipt before you have verified anything.

When a Seller Should File

The buyer has received everything and will not confirm, with no stated reason and no response to questions.

The buyer is demanding things outside the deal — your personal recovery codes, credentials to unrelated accounts, extra work beyond the listing.

The inspection window is being extended indefinitely with no explanation. A buyer verifying a complex product legitimately needs days; one who has gone quiet for a week after confirming everything works is a different situation.

When Not to File

You changed your mind. Escrow protects against non-delivery and misrepresentation. It is not a returns policy, and no marketplace treats it as one.

The difference is trivial. Metrics move daily. Minor variance is normal and filing on it reads as bad faith.

You have not communicated. Moderators can see that you never raised the issue, and it weighs against you.

You want leverage. Filing to force a discount is visible for what it is.

Filing a Strong Dispute

Be specific and chronological. "On the 3rd the listing promised X. On the 5th I received Y. On the 6th I asked about the difference and got no reply." Dates and facts, not adjectives.

Attach evidence at the moment you file. Screenshots of the listing as it appeared, screenshots of what you received, and the relevant chat. A dispute with evidence attached resolves in days; one without waits for the moderator to ask.

Quote the listing. The listing text is the contract. "The listing said 'full source code included'; I received compiled files only" is decisive in a way that "the seller was dishonest" is not.

Stay factual. Exaggeration is easy to check and it damages your credibility on the parts that are true.

Keep it on-platform. Moderators can only act on what is in the deal chat. Arguments conducted on Telegram do not exist as far as the process is concerned — which is one more reason never to move off-platform.

What Happens Next

The deal freezes; no funds move. The other party is notified and given a chance to respond. A moderator reviews the listing, the chat history, and the evidence from both sides. Resolution typically takes a few business days.

Outcomes are release to the seller, refund to the buyer, or a partial split where both sides carry some responsibility — which is common and often the fairest result when delivery was incomplete rather than absent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does filing a dispute hurt my reputation? Filing a legitimate dispute does not. A pattern of disputes on completed deliveries does, because it is visible.

Can I withdraw a dispute? Usually yes, if you and the counterparty resolve it directly. Say so in the chat so the moderator can close it.

What if I confirmed receipt and then found a problem? Confirming releases funds and ends escrow protection. This is exactly why the verification window matters, and why you should never confirm out of politeness.

How much evidence is enough? Enough to show the gap between what was promised and what arrived. Two clear screenshots usually beat twenty ambiguous ones.

What if the other side lies in their response? Moderators weigh the documentary record over assertions. This is the practical reason to keep every substantive exchange in the deal chat.