Dispute Policy

As a buyer, you may open a dispute on any order in one of these states:

• Picked Up / In Transit — package never arrives, logistics partner says it's lost or stuck
• Delivered — package arrived but the item is wrong, damaged, missing, counterfeit, or materially different from the listing

You must open the dispute within 48 hours of delivery — after that, the order is auto-confirmed and funds are released to the seller.

• Sign in to Winipat → Dashboard → Orders
• Click on the relevant order → click Open Dispute
• Pick a reason from the dropdown (item not received, wrong item, damaged, not as described, counterfeit, other)
• Describe what went wrong in your own words — be specific and factual
• Click Submit Dispute

As soon as a dispute is opened, the order is flagged Disputed and the escrow funds are frozen — the seller cannot be paid until the dispute is resolved.

Buyers should provide:

• Photos of the received item showing the defect or difference from the listing
• Photos of the packaging if relevant (e.g. damaged box)
• The original product page screenshot or link, if available
• Any conversation history with the seller

Sellers should provide:

• Pre-pickup photos showing the item packaged and intact
• Logistics handover confirmation (waybill, tracking screenshot, photo)
• Proof of any communication with the buyer
• For counterfeit claims: proof of authenticity / source documentation

Evidence is uploaded via the dispute UI. Each party can also send messages through the dispute thread. For confidentiality reasons, parties do not see each other's evidence directly — only the Winipat admin reviewing the dispute does.

• Dispute opens: 48-hour window after delivery
• Seller must respond: within their dispute SLA (currently 72 hours). Non-response is treated as accepting the buyer's claim
• Admin review: typically within 3-5 business days of all evidence being received
• Resolution: communicated to both parties via email + in-app notification

The Winipat admin team will issue one of the following decisions:

• Full refund to buyer — escrow returned to buyer; seller receives nothing
• Partial refund — agreed split between buyer and seller; useful for items received but materially different from listing
• Release to seller — when evidence shows the seller fulfilled correctly and the dispute is unsupported
• Return-for-refund — buyer returns the item (at seller's expense) before refund is processed
• Escalation — for complex cases, the dispute may be escalated for senior review

Refunds, when due, are processed back to the original payment method within 5-10 business days depending on the bank.

Sellers who repeatedly lose disputes may face:

• Escrow hold extensions on future orders (longer release period)
• Increased product moderation requirements
• Loss of trust badges
• Temporary or permanent suspension of selling privileges
• Forfeiture of pending payouts in cases of confirmed fraud or counterfeit

Disputes opened in bad faith — to extract refunds for items received as described, or to harass sellers — are also taken seriously. Buyers with patterns of unsupported disputes may have their accounts restricted or terminated. Repeat offences may be reported to relevant authorities where fraud is established.

All dispute decisions issued by the Winipat admin team are final. Parties may request a single review of a decision within 7 days if new material evidence has emerged; reviews are at Winipat's discretion.

Nothing in this Policy prevents either party from pursuing remedies in a court of competent jurisdiction in Nigeria, but any escrow funds released to one party in accordance with this Policy will not be re-credited absent a court order.

For orders that have not yet been picked up by logistics, cancellation is the right route (not a dispute):

• Within 15 minutes of placing — instant cancellation, full refund
• Seller has accepted but not marked Ready for Pickup — request cancellation via the order detail page
• Seller has marked Ready for Pickup — cancellation may require seller agreement; if denied, you can wait for delivery and then open a dispute if needed

If you need help with a dispute or are not sure whether to open one, email support@winipat.com with your order number. Our team will guide you.