Dispute & Refund Policy
In plain language
- Problem with an order? Do not give the delivery code. Open the order and tap Raise a dispute.
- The buyer or the seller can raise a dispute any time after the buyer has paid, until the money has been paid out to the seller for that order.
- The money is held by our licensed payment provider, not by Trustdrop. While a dispute is open, we tell the payment provider not to pay out the money for that order.
- A Trustdrop team member reviews it and decides which instruction to give the payment provider: pay the seller, refund the buyer in full (the item amount; the R20 service fee is non-refundable, see clause 7.10 of the Terms), and/or release the courier's fee. Every decision has a written reason. This decision is about the order money only; it does not decide your legal rights against the seller.
1. When to raise a dispute
Raise a dispute if, for example:
- the goods were not delivered, or the courier did not collect them or stopped responding;
- the goods arrived damaged, incomplete, or not as described;
- the wrong item or wrong amount was sent or charged;
- someone tried to get the delivery code before handing over the goods, or asked for payment outside Trustdrop;
- the order was locked after 5 wrong delivery-code attempts;
- you suspect fraud.
For abusive or suspicious chat messages, use Report on the message instead (or as well). Reports go to the same team.
2. Who can raise a dispute, and until when
| Who | Can raise a dispute? |
|---|---|
| Buyer | Yes, from payment until the item amount is paid out to the seller (or the order is refunded). |
| Seller | Yes, same period. |
| Courier | Not in the app yet. Couriers with a problem (for example the seller did not hand over the goods, or the buyer was not available) should write in the order chat and email support@trustdrop.co.za [PLACEHOLDER – NOT YET ACTIVE] with the order reference. [DECIDE WHETHER COURIERS CAN RAISE DISPUTES IN-APP] |
- One dispute can be raised per order. If it has already been resolved, contact us at support@trustdrop.co.za [PLACEHOLDER – NOT YET ACTIVE] with the order reference.
- Once the money has been paid out to the seller, a dispute can no longer be raised in the app. Payout can start as soon as the delivery code is entered, so buyers must check the goods before giving the code. [CONFIRM WITH LAWYER #1]
3. How to raise a dispute
- Open the order in the app (each order has a reference like TD-7K2QX).
- Tap Raise a dispute.
- Explain what went wrong (at least 5 characters, up to 500). Be specific: what you expected, what happened, and when.
- Tap Raise dispute. You and the other people on the order get an in-app notification, and we ask the payment provider to pause payouts for that order.
4. Evidence
Our team looks at the information already in Trustdrop: the order details and amounts, the status history with dates and times (paid, courier assigned, fee paid in, accepted, delivered), delivery-code attempts, and the order chat. The chat is the best place to keep a record, so please keep arrangements there.
You cannot upload photos in the app yet. If you have photos, videos, proof of packaging, receipts or other evidence, email them to support@trustdrop.co.za [PLACEHOLDER – NOT YET ACTIVE] with your order reference in the subject line within [EVIDENCE DEADLINE, e.g. 3 business days] of raising the dispute. We may ask the other parties for their side and for evidence, and they should reply within [REPLY DEADLINE, e.g. 3 business days].
Do not send ID documents or bank details unless we ask for them.
5. Time frames
| Step | Target |
|---|---|
| We confirm we have the dispute | Straight away in the app |
| A team member starts reviewing | Within [FIRST RESPONSE TARGET, e.g. 2 business days] |
| Decision | Within [DECISION TARGET, e.g. 10 business days] after we have the evidence; complex cases may take longer and we will tell you |
| Refund paid to the buyer | Trustdrop instructs TradeSafe within 2 business days after the decision is carried out. TradeSafe normally pays the refund into the buyer's TradeSafe wallet; a payment to a bank account follows TradeSafe's own rules and payment times. In any event within 30 days (clause 17.2 of the Terms). |
These are targets, not guarantees. [CONFIRM WITH LAWYER #2]
6. Possible outcomes
| Decision | What happens to the money |
|---|---|
| Release to seller | Trustdrop instructs the payment provider to pay the item amount to the seller. The buyer's R20 service fee is not refunded. The dispute is closed. |
| Refund buyer | Trustdrop instructs the payment provider to refund the buyer the full item amount. The R20 service fee is non-refundable (clause 7.10 of the Terms). If the seller's courier fee was still being held (not yet released), it goes back to the seller. The order is marked refunded and the courier is told the job was cancelled. The dispute is closed. |
| Release courier fee | Trustdrop instructs the payment provider to pay the courier fee (less the 10.5% commission) to the courier. This can be done separately while the dispute about the item amount is still open, for example when the courier clearly did their job but buyer and seller still disagree. |
Every decision is made by a person, with a written note that is kept in our audit log. You will be notified in the app. Partial refunds are not available yet. [DECIDE WHETHER PARTIAL REFUNDS / SPLITS WILL BE OFFERED]
If the courier fee had already been released to the courier (because the delivery code was entered) and we later refund the buyer, the courier keeps the fee for the delivery that was made. [CONFIRM WITH LAWYER #3]
7. Courier non-delivery
- Before the courier accepts: the courier cannot see the full address or the seller's contact details. If a courier does not accept, the seller can contact us; the buyer's money stays held by the payment provider.
- After the courier accepts but does not deliver (no-show, stops responding, or loses the goods): the buyer or the seller should raise a dispute. If the goods were not delivered, we will normally instruct the payment provider to refund the buyer the full item amount from the order money it holds (the R20 service fee is non-refundable), and the courier fee that the payment provider still holds goes back to the seller. The courier does not get paid for an undelivered job.
- Goods lost or damaged in transit: we may ask the courier for an explanation and, for commercial couriers, their goods-in-transit insurance details. Sellers may have a claim against the courier. [CONFIRM WITH LAWYER #4]
- Repeatedly failing to deliver jobs you accepted can lead to suspension or removal under section 11.13 of the Terms (Courier Agreement), with a chance to respond. Declining a job is never penalised.
The app does not yet automatically cancel jobs that are not delivered within a set time or let the seller swap couriers after acceptance; these cases are handled through a dispute. [DECIDE NON-DELIVERY TIMEOUT AND RE-ASSIGNMENT RULES]
8. False disputes and fraud
Raising a dispute you know to be false, or giving false evidence, breaks our terms. We may decide against you, suspend your account, and report fraud to the authorities.
9. If you disagree with our decision
Email support@trustdrop.co.za [PLACEHOLDER – NOT YET ACTIVE] within [APPEAL WINDOW, e.g. 14 days] of the decision with your order reference and why you disagree. A different team member will review it where possible. [APPEAL PROCESS DETAILS]
You can also go to the National Consumer Commission (thencc.org.za), the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (cgso.org.za), a consumer court, or a court. Our decision does not take away those rights. [CONFIRM WITH LAWYER #5]
10. Refunds in general
- Refunds are paid through our payment provider TradeSafe, normally into the buyer's TradeSafe wallet. The buyer can ask in the app for the refund to go to their bank account; TradeSafe processes that under its own rules and payment times, so the money may first show in the TradeSafe wallet. Trustdrop does not charge anything to receive or withdraw a refund, but TradeSafe may charge its own withdrawal fee (currently about R5 plus VAT per withdrawal, set by TradeSafe, not Trustdrop) when money is withdrawn from a TradeSafe wallet to a bank account (clause 8.6 of the Terms). Trustdrop does not pay refunds from its own account. If the provider delays or fails to pay, see section 7.5 of the Terms. Payments in the current app are simulated; real refund timing depends on the provider.
- The R20 service fee is non-refundable. It pays for the Trustdrop service you used, and is not refunded on a cancellation, failed or uncollected delivery, refusal, return or dispute outcome. It is refunded only where the problem was caused by Trustdrop's own fault (for example a Trustdrop system error or a wrong instruction to the payment provider) or where the law requires it (clause 7.10 of the Terms).
- Returns and warranties for the goods themselves are the seller's responsibility under the Consumer Protection Act. [CONFIRM WITH LAWYER #6]
Review summary (remove before publishing)
Placeholders to fill on this page:
- [EFFECTIVE DATE]
- [PAYMENT PROVIDER NAME]
- [CONFIRM WITH PROVIDER THAT TRUSTDROP CAN DECIDE DISPUTES AND INSTRUCT RELEASES/REFUNDS VIA THE API, OR WHETHER DISPUTES MOVE TO THE PROVIDER'S OWN PROCESS]
- [DECIDE WHETHER COURIERS CAN RAISE DISPUTES IN-APP]
- [EVIDENCE DEADLINE, e.g. 3 business days]
- [REPLY DEADLINE, e.g. 3 business days]
- [FIRST RESPONSE TARGET, e.g. 2 business days]
- [DECISION TARGET, e.g. 10 business days]
- [DECIDE WHETHER PARTIAL REFUNDS / SPLITS WILL BE OFFERED]
- [DECIDE NON-DELIVERY TIMEOUT AND RE-ASSIGNMENT RULES]
- [APPEAL WINDOW, e.g. 14 days]
- [APPEAL PROCESS DETAILS]
- [support@trustdrop.co.za (placeholder, mailbox not active)]
Items marked [CONFIRM WITH LAWYER]:
- Fairness of closing the in-app dispute window at seller withdrawal; consider a fixed holding period after delivery and how CPA return rights (s20, s55-56) are honoured after release ↑
- Whether to commit to binding dispute timelines in the terms ↑
- Who bears loss when the buyer is refunded after a completed delivery (seller vs. courier vs. Trustdrop), and recovery from parties at fault ↑
- Courier liability for lost/damaged goods and how Trustdrop assists recovery ↑
- Confirm the right ombud/ADR body for a delivery marketplace and the payment provider ↑
- Interaction between Trustdrop refunds and the seller's CPA return/warranty obligations after funds are released ↑