Resolve a buyer and seller dispute

When two customers disagree, support is the referee. A fair process and a plain explanation matter more than which side wins.

Last reviewed October 14, 2026

Acknowledge both sides quickly

Tell the buyer and the seller you have the dispute and when each will hear from you. Silence makes both assume you are against them.

Ask the same questions of both: what was agreed, what happened and what they want. Ask for evidence such as messages, photos and tracking.

Describe what each side says without taking a side. Avoid words that imply blame until you have decided.

Apply your marketplace rules, not your sympathy. If the rules do not cover the case, decide, then fix the rules.

Send each side the decision and the reason in plain words, and say if there is an appeal. Record the case for next time.

A trained agent following a written policy. Escalate high-value or repeated cases to a second person.

Share the substance but not private details. Both sides should know the claim they are answering.

Decide by your policy's default, which is usually the buyer protection rule, and say so clearly.

Written by Flatdesk, a help desk for small support teams at one flat price per agent. Try it free for 14 days, no card.