An order went wrong
Most of what determines the outcome happens before you file anything. This page is about not spending your position badly.
The most common mistakeIf the delivery window has not closed yet, do not file. A dispute opened early is usually dismissed, and the dismissal costs you credibility on the resubmission that actually mattered.
Work out which situation you are in
| Situation | Recoverable? | First move |
|---|---|---|
| Window still open, nothing arrived | Yes, entirely | Wait. Nothing you do now improves the outcome and filing early damages it. |
| Window closed, nothing arrived | Usually | File with the order reference, dates and the unedited message thread. |
| Arrived, not as described | Often, partly | Document before anything else, then file asking for a specific remedy. |
| Vendor has gone silent | Usually | Silence from a vendor is weighed by the panel. Let the record show it rather than filling it with your own messages. |
| You sent outside escrow | No | There is no mechanism. This is the one genuinely unrecoverable case and it is why escrow exists. |
| Platform unreachable | Yes, unaffected | A network outage has no effect on an escrow contract. Wait and do nothing. |
What to attach
This is where recoverable cases get lost. The form expects a record and most people submit a narrative, which is the weakest thing you can hand an arbitrator.
- Order reference and dates at the top. Not background, not context. The panel is matching your claim against a record.
- The message thread, unedited. Selective quoting reads as selective quoting and damages a case that would otherwise have won.
- Whatever delivery evidence exists, in the form you actually have rather than a description of it.
- One specific outcome. Full refund, partial, reship. A complaint without a remedy invites somebody else to choose one.
- Nothing else. Length is not persuasive. A tight submission gets read and a long one gets skimmed.
Things that make it worse
- Arguing in the ticket. The panel is not an audience for your dispute with the vendor. Argument dilutes the evidence it is sitting next to.
- Threatening a review. It reads as pressure, it is visible to the arbitrator, and it moves the case against you.
- Filing several disputes at once. A pattern of unsuccessful filings is visible and it is weighed.
- Going public first. A forum thread does not move funds and it commits you to a version of events before you have the panel record.
- Accepting an offer to settle off platform. Anything that moves the resolution outside escrow removes the only leverage you have.
What to expect
First response measured in hours, most cases closed inside a working week, longer when one side answers slowly. The lever you control is answering promptly, not filing forcefully. The ruling is binding because the platform key breaks the tie, which means an outcome actually moves money rather than producing a recommendation. Background on why that is in the order.