How to Handle Disputes (including Raffle Tickets)

Here's what happens if a purchaser disputes the charge with their credit card/ bank.

When a donor or purchaser disputes a charge through their credit card or bank, a formal dispute process begins. This article explains how disputes work, what steps Trellis and the organization need to take, and special considerations when raffle tickets are involved.

 


🚩 Overview of the Dispute Process

  • Disputes are initiated by the donor/purchaser through their bank or credit card provider.

  • The dispute is between the donor’s bank and the organization’s bank.
    Trellis is only an intermediary with access to Stripe’s dispute portal; we do not control or decide the outcome.

  • Once Stripe receives the dispute, they notify Trellis via email with a link to the dispute portal.


🔗 Trellis’s Role

  • Trellis receives the notification email from Stripe and accesses the portal.

  • We send the "Dispute" template to the organization impacted.

  • The template includes:

    • Details of the disputed charge.

    • Instructions for the organization on what to do next.

    • The deadline by which evidence must be submitted.

  • We will take a screenshot of the dispute information in Stripe, as well as a screenshot of the transaction information in Trellis to include in the email along with the deadline found in the Stripe dispute portal.


👥 Your Role

Once informed, the organization must:

  1. Contact the donor directly.

    • You should ask the donor to reach out to their bank/credit card provider and cancel the dispute if it was made in error.

    • The donor must also send written confirmation (email is fine) that they acknowledge the dispute was a mistake.

  2. Collect and send evidence.

    • The organization needs to forward the donor’s written confirmation to Trellis within the time frame specified in the email template.

  3. Act promptly.

    • Disputes are time-sensitive. If the evidence is not submitted before the deadline, the organization will lose the dispute.


📤 Submitting Evidence

  • Trellis submits the evidence through the Stripe dispute portal on the organization’s behalf.

  • Once submitted, no further changes can be made — it’s final.

  • There is a wait period (usually at least one month) before Stripe informs Trellis whether the dispute was won or lost.


💸 Outcome of the Dispute

  • If the organization wins the dispute:

    • The donor’s funds remain with the organization.

    • No funds are withdrawn.

  • If the organization loses the dispute:

    • The funds are withdrawn automatically from the organization’s bank account (or Stripe balance if available).

    • The withdrawal happens only after the decision is made — nothing is withdrawn before the dispute is resolved.


🎟️ Special Note: Raffle Ticket Purchases

When a dispute involves a raffle ticket purchase, there is one critical additional step:

  • If the dispute is lost, the purchased raffle tickets are automatically voided in Trellis.

  • The transaction in Trellis is updated to show as “refunded.” (We currently do not have a “disputed” state in the system.)

  • If the donor later realizes the dispute was a mistake after it has already been resolved, they will need to repurchase tickets.
    Their original raffle tickets are no longer valid once voided.


📌 Key Points to Remember

✅ Trellis does not decide dispute outcomes — we facilitate the process through Stripe.
✅ The organization must act quickly and provide written confirmation from the donor.
✅ Once evidence is submitted, it cannot be changed.
✅ Funds are only withdrawn if the dispute is lost.
✅ For raffle tickets, losing a dispute voids the tickets automatically and permanently.

 


Need Help?

If you have questions about a specific dispute, reach out to support@trellis.org