How to Handle Disputes (including Raffle Tickets)

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 and Trellis reaches out to your Account Representative. 

Once informed, your 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.

   • Your organization needs to forward the donor’s written confirmation to Trellis within the time frame specified in the initial email from Trellis.

3. Act promptly.

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

📤 Submitting Evidence

• Trellis submits the evidence through the Stripe dispute portal on your 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 your organization wins the dispute:

  • The donor’s funds remain with your organization.

  • No funds are withdrawn.

• If your organization loses the dispute:

  • The funds are withdrawn automatically from your organization’s bank account (or Stripe balance if available).

  • The withdrawal happens only after the decision is made — nothing is withdrawn before the dispute is resolved.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