RESOLUTION
Disputes and complaints
If something goes wrong with a transaction, the funds stay where they are until it is resolved. This page explains how a dispute works, what evidence to keep, and how to complain about Rbcpay itself if that is what you need to do.
Funds held while open
Evidence based
Every case numbered
Both sides heard
Decision in writing
Before this page is published. The response windows, the deadline for raising a dispute after delivery, and the external escalation route must be confirmed by Rbcpay and must match the terms and conditions word for word. A timescale promised here and missed in practice is itself a complaint.
A dispute and a complaint are not the same thing
They go to different places and they are resolved in different ways. Starting in the right one saves time.
A dispute
A disagreement between a buyer and a seller about a transaction. The goods did not arrive, they are not what was agreed, or the terms are read differently by the two sides.
- Raised inside the transaction
- The funds are held while it is open
- Both parties submit evidence
- Decided against the terms recorded on the transaction
A complaint
Something Rbcpay did or failed to do. A delay that was not explained, an error in a transaction record, a charge you did not expect, or the way you were treated.
- Submitted through the complaints form
- Handled separately from the transaction
- Acknowledged in writing with a reference
- Escalated if you are not satisfied with the answer
If you are unsure which one applies, raise the dispute first. A dispute holds the funds. A complaint does not.
What a dispute does
Raising a dispute freezes the release, it does not reverse the payment
While a dispute is open, funds are not released to the seller and are not returned to the buyer. They stay held until the dispute is closed, either by agreement between the two parties or by a decision.
This is the point of the whole arrangement. Neither side can act unilaterally while the disagreement is live, so neither side is pressured into accepting something to get their money moving.
A dispute cannot
- Undo a release that has already happened
- Recover a payment sent outside Rbcpay
- Change terms that were never recorded on the transaction
- Replace a police report where a crime has occurred
- Act as legal advice for either party
Once the buyer approves and funds are released, the payment is final. Raise the dispute before you approve, not after.
How a dispute works
Six steps, in order. Nothing is decided on a phone call.
1
Talk first
Most disagreements are a misunderstanding. Message the other party through the transaction so the exchange is on the record.
2
Raise the dispute
Open the transaction and raise the dispute. The release is frozen from that moment.
3
Receive a case number
The case is numbered in the format RBP-DSP-YYYY-XXXXXX. Quote it in everything that follows.
4
Both sides submit evidence
Each party uploads what supports their position, within the response window.
5
Review
The case is reviewed against the terms recorded on the transaction and the evidence supplied.
6
Decision and close
The outcome is issued in writing on the transaction, and the funds move accordingly.
Timescales
| Deadline to raise a dispute after delivery | To be confirmed |
| Acknowledgement of a raised dispute | To be confirmed |
| Window for each party to submit evidence | To be confirmed |
| Target for a decision once evidence is in | To be confirmed |
| Case number format | RBP-DSP-YYYY-XXXXXX |
| Funds while the case is open | Held, not released and not returned |
A dispute raised after the deadline can still be reviewed, but the funds may already have been released, and a released payment cannot be reversed.
Evidence that actually helps
- The listing or written description as it stood when you agreed
- Messages between the parties, in full, not screenshots of one line
- Photographs or video of what arrived, dated
- Tracking and delivery confirmation
- Inspection or valuation reports, where relevant
- Any repair, service or authenticity documentation
- The transaction ID and the payment reference
Partial evidence is the most common reason a case takes longer than it should. Send the whole exchange, not the part that suits you.
How a dispute can end
Released to the seller
The evidence supports that what was agreed was delivered. The seller is paid under the transaction terms.
Returned to the buyer
The evidence supports that what was agreed was not delivered. The funds go back to the buyer, less anything the terms say otherwise.
Agreed between the parties
The two sides settle on a partial amount, a return, a repair or a replacement, and the case closes on that basis.
Outside this process
Where the matter turns on something Rbcpay cannot determine, the funds are dealt with under the terms and the parties are told what their options are.
Every outcome is recorded in writing on the transaction, with the reasoning. You do not have to ask for it and you do not have to take anyone’s word for what was decided.
About Rbcpay itself
Complaints
If Rbcpay has got something wrong, tell us. A complaint about our service is handled separately from any transaction dispute, and raising one does not affect a transaction that is in progress.
Send the transaction ID if there is one, what happened, when it happened, and what you would like done about it. That last part matters more than people expect, because it is often the fastest route to a resolution.
What happens after you complain
- You receive an acknowledgement with a reference
- The complaint is looked at by someone not involved in what happened
- You receive a written answer explaining the outcome
- If you are not satisfied, you can ask for it to be escalated
- The escalation route is set out in the terms and conditions
Escalation beyond Rbcpay
The external route available to you, and the body it goes to, depends on where you are and how the transaction was structured. To be confirmed for this site. It will be published here and in the terms and conditions together.
STOP
If you think you have been defrauded, this is not a dispute
A dispute is for a disagreement about a transaction. If you have been deceived, if you were persuaded to pay outside Rbcpay, or if someone is impersonating us, act on that first and act quickly.
- Contact your bank or payment provider immediately
- Report it to the police or the fraud reporting body where you live
- Tell us, with everything you have, so the account can be actioned
- Do not send any further payment, for any reason given
Most disputes are written in before the deal starts
The cases that take longest are the ones where the two sides agreed on a price and nothing else. Record the rest before the transaction is funded.
- Describe the item or service precisely, including condition
- State what counts as delivered, and where
- Set the inspection period and what may be checked in it
- Say who pays for shipping, insurance and any return
- Say what happens if it is rejected after inspection
- Record any deadline that actually matters to either side
While a case is open
Keep it on the record
Message through the transaction so the exchange is part of the case.
Do not dispose of anything
Keep the item, the packaging and the paperwork until the case closes.
Answer within the window
A missed response window is decided on what was actually submitted.
Stay civil
Nothing in a dispute is decided on tone, and abuse delays a resolution.
Common questions
When should I raise a dispute?
As soon as it is clear the disagreement is not going to be settled between you, and before you approve the release. Once funds are released the payment is final, so the moment to act is while the transaction is still open.
Does raising a dispute cost anything?
No. There is no fee for raising a dispute and no fee for taking part in one.
What happens to the money while the dispute is open?
It stays held. It is not released to the seller and it is not returned to the buyer until the case is closed, either by agreement or by a decision.
Can we settle it between ourselves after the dispute is raised?
Yes, and most cases end this way. If both parties agree on an outcome, the case is closed on that basis and the funds move accordingly.
What if the other party does not respond?
The case is decided on the evidence that was actually submitted within the response window. Not responding is not a way to prevent a decision.
Can I dispute a payment I made outside Rbcpay?
No. If the payment did not go through a Rbcpay transaction, there is nothing held and nothing to freeze. Contact your bank or payment provider, and report it.
Is a decision final?
The decision on the transaction is issued in writing with the reasoning. If you believe the process itself was handled wrongly, that is a complaint about Rbcpay rather than a second dispute, and it is escalated through the complaints route.
Do you give legal advice?
No. Rbcpay reviews a transaction against the terms both parties recorded and the evidence supplied. It is not legal advice and it does not replace it.
Something has gone wrong?
Raise it while the transaction is still open. The funds stay where they are, both sides get to be heard, and the outcome is put in writing.
Rbcpay is a marketplace transaction platform and is not a bank, trustee, escrow agent or law firm. A dispute is reviewed against the terms both parties recorded on the transaction and the evidence they supply. Nothing on this page is legal advice, and nothing here overrides the terms and conditions.