How to Handle Disputes & Chargebacks

What Are Disputes?

If a customer feels they have been charged incorrectly or unfairly they can start a dispute by initiating a chargeback with their bank or credit card issuer. Most banks then automatically refund the customer’s money and charge you a $15.00 chargeback fee, leaving it up to you to contest the dispute on your own.

How Does BloomNation Help Process Disputes?

BloomNation will field and notify you of all card disputes and chargebacks. After notifying you, it is your responsibility to supply any relevant evidence which we’ll then communicate with the bank or card company on your behalf. Please note that positive resolution is not guaranteed, and it can take up to 60 days to the bank or card company to make a final decision.

Why Do People File Disputes?

Most banks ask the customer to categorize their dispute under the following categories:

• Unrecognized
  • The Problem: The customer doesn’t recognize the name or charge that appears on their statement.
  • The Solution: To overturn this dispute you simply need to remind your customer of their purchase so they can identify the charge and officially withdraw their dispute.
• Fraudulent
  • The Problem: The customer believes their card or information was stolen and used to purchase something from your business.
  • The Solution: Protect yourself from the start. If you suspect that an order is fraudulent, it is your final decision as to whether or not you complete the order. The most common reason specified, it usually just means that the customer doesn’t recognize the name that shows up on their statement. However, if their card or information really was stolen, your business is, unfortunately, the one who has to pay the price. The credit card networks assign liability for accepting fraudulent online transactions to you, the business. However, if you believe the cardholder is mistaken or lying, you can attempt to prove this (see Evidence You Can Use, below).
• Product Not Received
  • The Problem: The customer does not believe they ever got what they ordered.
  • The Solution: You need to be able to demonstrate that you did, in fact, deliver the arrangement or gift prior to the date the dispute was filed. HINT: This is where BloomSnaps, recipient signatures and marking orders delivered within the hour of delivery come in really handy.
• Product Unacceptable
  • The Problem: The customer believes their arrangement or gift was damaged or does not look like the picture the customer ordered from.
  • The Solution: Contact your customer to find out why they are dissatisfied and what you can do to make them feel better, be that with a replacement or perhaps a discount for the future. Avoid this claim by always calling if substitutions need to be made.
• Credit Not Processed
  • The Problem: The customer believes their order was canceled or returned but their money was never refunded.
  • The Solution: If you believe the dispute is unfounded, you’ll have to prove that your customer was either already refunded or you never agreed to refund them. Note that you cannot issue a refund after a dispute is initiated, which is why it’s important to avoid the $15.00 dispute fee by always responding to customer complaints and calls right away.
• Duplicate
  • The Problem: The customer believes they were charged twice for the same thing.
  • The Solution: If you believe the dispute is unfounded, you’ll have to prove that each charge was for a separate order. Again, this is where BloomSnap and delivery confirmations are useful pieces of evidence.

How does the dispute process work?

After your customer files an official dispute with their bank or credit card provider BloomNation immediately emails both you (the florist) and your customer with details including the sender’s name, email address, and billing address; the receiver’s name(s) and delivery address; and card message for review. At this point, you and your customer should be able to resolve the dispute by communicating directly.

Based on that conversation a few things will then happen:

• If you and your customer reach a resolution to reverse the dispute:
  • Your customer must ask their financial institution to withdraw the dispute. This will replace the money in your bank account and remove the $15.00 chargeback fee.
  • Ask your customer to email you confirmation of their agreement to drop the dispute.
  • You must email confirmation of the resolution to the Bloom Experts ([e-mail]) so that we may submit that on your behalf to the bank or credit card company.

• If you accept your customer’s dispute or this was an true instance of fraud:
  • Email the Bloom Experts ([e-mail]) saying that you choose to accept the dispute and agree to the refund of the transaction and $15.00 chargeback fee.
  • You will see the refund and chargeback appear in your Payouts Tab.

• If you cannot reach a resolution with your customer:
  • Email evidence that the chargeback is not justified to the BloomExperts ([e-mail]), who will help you through the process.

Evidence You Can Use to Disprove a Dispute

• BloomSnaps
  Sending a BloomSnap reassures customers that their gift has been created and is on its way to delivery. If a customer claims that you sent a damaged or low-quality arrangement, you may also be able to use your BloomSnap pictures as evidence against that claim. Past BloomSnaps can be found and retrieved from your Orders Tab.
• Proof of delivery
  It’s a good idea to get a signature from the recipient acknowledging receipt and time of delivery, so you can keep track of who accepted the arrangement and show additional proof if needed.  If the arrangement is left on a doorstep, take a picture with your phone of where you left it as evidence delivery was made just in case. Florists around the community recommend making sure your pictures have geotagging turned on, and keeping pictures for at least 30 days.

If You Accept or Lose a Dispute

If you accept or lose a dispute, the negative balance will be applied to future payouts. For example, if you lost a $50 dispute and you are scheduled to receive a payout of $100, your actual payout will be for $50.

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Although is it good to know how to react when a dispute is filed against you, it is better to prevent them in the first place. Check out our guide to preventing disputes!