An order has not arrived
Most of what determines the result happens before you open anything. This page is about not spending your position badly.
The most common own goalIf the delivery window has not closed, do not file. An early dispute 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 | Yes, entirely | Wait. Nothing you do now improves it and filing damages it. |
| Window closed, nothing arrived | Usually | File with the order reference, dates and the unedited thread. |
| Arrived, not as described | Often, partly | Document first, then file naming a specific remedy. |
| Vendor has gone silent | Usually | Silence is weighed by the panel. Let the record show it rather than filling it with your own messages. |
| Paid outside escrow | No | There is no mechanism. |
| Platform unreachable | Yes, unaffected | A network outage has no effect on an escrow contract. Wait. |
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 first. 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. Volume is not persuasive. A tight submission gets read and a long one gets skimmed.
What makes it worse
- Arguing inside the ticket. The panel is not an audience for your disagreement with the vendor, and argument dilutes the evidence next to it.
- Threatening feedback. Visible to the arbitrator, reads as pressure, and moves the case against you.
- Filing several at once. A pattern of unsuccessful filings is visible and is weighed.
- Going public first. A thread moves no funds and commits you to a version of events before the record exists.
- Accepting an offer to settle privately. That removes the only leverage you have.
Timing
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 rather than filing forcefully.