Dispute Resolution Policy

Freelancer Spot holds all payments in escrow to protect both parties. This policy explains when and how to raise a dispute, what evidence to submit, and how our team reaches a decision.

1. When Can You Raise a Dispute?

A dispute can be raised by either the client or the freelancer in the following situations:

• The freelancer delivered work that significantly differs from the agreed gig description.
• The freelancer failed to deliver within the agreed deadline.
• The client refuses to accept or review a delivery without valid reason.
• A mutual cancellation request was rejected and the parties cannot reach agreement.
• Either party believes the other is acting in bad faith.

Disputes can only be raised on orders with status "Delivered" or "In Progress". Completed orders cannot be disputed.

2. Before Raising a Dispute

We strongly encourage both parties to resolve disagreements directly through the order messaging system first. Disputes that could have been resolved through communication take longer to process and may not result in the outcome you expect.

Consider:

• Requesting a revision if the delivery is close to, but not meeting, your expectations.
• Discussing a mutual cancellation if the project scope has fundamentally changed.
• Reaching out to the other party directly with specific, constructive feedback.

3. How to Raise a Dispute

• Go to the order page and click "Raise a Dispute".
• Select the reason and provide a detailed description (minimum 50 characters).
• Upload any supporting evidence: screenshots, files, chat logs, or the original brief.
• Submit the dispute — both parties will be notified immediately.

4. The Dispute Process

Step 1: Notification (Day 0)

Both parties receive a notification and email. The order is locked — no further deliveries, revisions, or messages affect the dispute outcome.

Step 2: Evidence Collection (Days 1–2)

Both parties have 48 hours to submit their evidence through the dispute panel on the order page. Evidence submitted after this window may not be considered.

Step 3: Admin Review (Days 2–5)

Our trust and safety team reviews all evidence, the original gig description, order messages, and delivery files. We may request additional information from either party.

Step 4: Decision

We issue a binding decision — typically within 3–5 business days of the dispute being raised. The outcome is one of:

• Client wins: Order is cancelled. Full payment is refunded to the client's wallet. The freelancer receives nothing for that order.
• Freelancer wins: Order is marked complete. Earnings (amount minus platform fee) are credited to the freelancer's wallet.
• Split decision: In cases where partial delivery occurred, a proportional refund/payment split may be applied.

5. Decision Criteria

Our team considers the following when making a decision:

• The original gig description, package details, and any add-ons.
• Any custom requirements agreed in the order messages before work started.
• The quality and completeness of the delivered files.
• The timeline — whether delivery was made within the agreed deadline.
• The reasonableness of any revision requests made.
• The communication history between both parties.
• Prior dispute or violation history of either party.

6. Appeals

If you believe the decision was made in error, you may appeal once within 7 days of the decision by emailing support@freelancerspot.in with:

• Your order ID.
• The specific reason you believe the decision was incorrect.
• Any new evidence not submitted during the original dispute (explain why it was not submitted earlier).

Appeals are reviewed by a senior team member. The appeal decision is final.

7. Chargeback Policy

If a client initiates a chargeback through their bank or card provider without first going through our dispute process, their account will be immediately suspended pending investigation. Fraudulent chargebacks may result in a permanent ban and legal action.

If you have a legitimate payment concern, always contact us at support@freelancerspot.in before initiating a chargeback.

8. Timelines Summary

• Evidence window: 48 hours from dispute raised
• Admin decision: 3–5 business days
• Appeal window: 7 days from decision
• Appeal decision: 5–7 business days
• Wallet credit (after decision): instant
• Bank withdrawal (after wallet credit): 3–5 business days

9. Contact

For dispute-related queries, email support@freelancerspot.in with your order ID.