How disputes work

A dispute is a product-level objection to a failed verdict proposal. It is the step between review concluding “not completed” and any money moving — not a payment action.

• It applies only to a failed verdict proposal, not to completed commitments.
• It is internal to Commitery and free — it is not a bank chargeback.

After a failed verdict proposal you have 48 hours to challenge it. The commitment amount is not charged while that window is open or while a timely dispute is still being reviewed.

• The window starts when the failed verdict proposal is issued.
• Submit within the window and the charge stays blocked until a decision is made.
• Let the window pass with no dispute and the commitment can move toward a charge — subject to the withdrawal period.

Review of a dispute is deliberately conservative: when there is real doubt, the failed verdict is reversed rather than upheld.

• A failed verdict can be reversed where evidence is unclear, a platform failure is plausible, sensitive circumstances are involved, or review confidence is not high.
• It can also be reversed where the original review and the dispute review disagree, or where payment, legal, or chargeback risk is elevated.
• A dispute is denied only where the failed verdict remains clearly correct under the agreed proof requirements.

A dispute should explain why the failed verdict is wrong or unsafe to enforce. The user does not need legal language, but the explanation should point to the relevant evidence or issue.

• Say which proof was uploaded and why it satisfies the agreed proof scope.
• Mention platform problems, missing uploads, corrupted files, or unclear instructions if they affected the result.
• Mention sensitive circumstances where they explain why the failed verdict should not stand.
• Do not rely on changing the goal after checkout. The dispute is measured against the proof scope that was agreed at checkout.

• Dispute accepted — the failed verdict is reversed, the commitment resolves, and nothing is charged.
• Dispute denied — the failed verdict stands and the commitment can become chargeable once the withdrawal period no longer blocks it.

A product dispute is not a card chargeback. A chargeback is started by the customer through their bank or card issuer after a payment has already been submitted, and it follows the card network's process rather than Commitery's 48-hour product window.

• Product disputes happen before the charge where possible.
• Chargebacks happen through the card network after a payment attempt and can create refund, recovery, or Creator allocation correction work.