Refunds & disputes
How to cancel an order, open a dispute, and how refunds are decided when a deal goes wrong.
Most orders complete cleanly: the item arrives, you confirm, the seller gets paid. When they don’t, MerkatoHQ gives you two paths — cancelling, and disputing.
Cancelling before the item ships
If an order has not yet been fulfilled, it may be possible to cancel it and have the payment returned. Cancellation windows depend on the state of the order; open the order to see whether cancelling is still available.
Opening a dispute
If you have paid and the item never arrived or is not as described, open a dispute from the order — do not confirm receipt. While a dispute is open:
- Your payment stays held in escrow. Nothing is released to the seller.
- Our team reviews the order, the listing, and any evidence from both sides.
- The outcome is either a release to the seller or a refund to you.
Disputes are reviewed by a person. A member of the MerkatoHQ team resolves each dispute and directs the escrowed funds accordingly. Decisions and fund movements are recorded in an audit trail.
How refunds are decided
- Seller or platform at fault (item not received, not as described): you are refunded, and MerkatoHQ absorbs the associated processing costs.
- Buyer-initiated change of mind: the item price can be refunded, but the buyer’s processing surcharge may be non-refundable, since the card-processing cost was already incurred.
The exact split depends on the situation and is confirmed as part of resolving the dispute.
Tips for a smooth resolution
- Keep the item and packaging until the dispute is closed.
- Add clear photos and a short description of the problem when you open the dispute.
- Respond to any follow-up promptly so the review isn’t held up.