Writing a dispute
A dispute is a submission, not an argument. Staff compare two accounts against what the platform recorded, and understanding that changes how you write.
Lead with what is checkable
Order reference and dates first, because everything is verified against the platform record. Then what the listing promised, quoted rather than summarised. Then what arrived, described plainly. Anything that happened inside the platform is verifiable and anything outside it is your word against theirs.
Name the outcome you want
A submission that describes a problem without asking for anything invites a decision nobody wanted. Ask for something proportionate: a full refund on a partially correct order is a harder sell than a partial one, and asking for too much invites a split you would have beaten with a reasonable request.
Why length works against you
A long submission does not read as thorough. It reads as somebody who cannot summarise, and it buries the two or three facts that decide the case. Four short paragraphs beats two pages every time.
What changes nothing
- Anger, threats and appeals to fairness. The panel compares claims against records.
- Character judgements about the vendor.
- New grievances added after the first submission, which undermine the original ones.
If the vendor engages
Many disputes settle before arbitration because the seller offers a partial refund or a reship. Accepting a reasonable offer is usually better than pressing for a full win, because the outcome arrives sooner and with certainty. A dispute you could have won is worth less than a resolution you already have.
Afterwards
Leave feedback describing the whole transaction including how the problem was handled. A note saying a vendor made a mistake and fixed it properly is more useful to the next buyer than a flat one star, and it is what makes the feedback system worth anything.
Timing your submission
File while the facts are fresh and while the timer still has room, not at the last hour. A submission written calmly reads better and gives the vendor space to settle before arbitration, which is where most disputes actually end.