🏢 E-commerce, Education, and Healthcare

This category includes physical goods wholesalers and retailers (both online and physical stores), Education technology (Edtech) platforms that offer digital or in-person learning, and schools (colleges and universities).

Healthcare service providers such as laboratories, pharmacies, health maintenance organizations, hospitals, or wellness apps also fall under this industry. These merchants typically offer either physical goods or products and services, and transactions typically include purchases of goods, courses, consultation fees, health subscriptions, and lab tests.

• Value not received: Customers can raise disputes if:

  • They’ve yet to receive their physical orders

  • They are yet to receive the service that they paid for, e.g., a user of an online learning platform is unable to access the course they paid for, or a customer says they were not able to carry out the tests they had booked.

• Damaged goods and services: Customers can raise disputes if their order gets to them and is damaged.

  • For example, a customer orders a computer, and it arrives with a cracked screen.

  • If a service is delivered poorly or is incomplete, e.g., if a healthcare provider provides a service that results in harm to the customer or is not completed professionally.

• Product or service not as described: Customers may raise a dispute if the product or service they received differs significantly from what was advertised or expected. For example:

  • The wrong size of a shoe was delivered

  • A student is dissatisfied with the course content or unfulfilled promises relating to certifications, for instance.

  • A customer received an incorrect diagnosis or didn’t get a specific test carried out.

• Cancelled orders: A customer may raise a dispute:

  • If they cancelled an order on the merchant’s website, but still got charged.

  • A student opted out of a course online, but still got charged.

• Duplicate payments: Scenarios of this are:

  • A transaction is accidentally attempted and completed twice.

  • The payment session times out for the customer, and they get charged twice.

• Unrecognized transactions: Some customers may not recognize transaction descriptions on their bank statements, or they might get a debit days or weeks after completing a payment, making it difficult to identify. This confusion often leads to a dispute.

• Unauthorized transactions: Someone uses a stolen or saved card to make a purchase or register for a course. The original cardholder may raise a dispute at their bank to get their money back.

• Order or service details: An invoice showing the customer’s information, along with the transaction details (amount, date, etc.), and details of the order or the service that the payment was for.

  • As an e-commerce merchant, you should provide details of your customer’s purchase; items purchased with applicable pictures from your website, variants (specifications, size, colour, etc.), total cost, and delivery expectations.

  • As a merchant in the education category, you should be able to provide a receipt of the payment, details of the student’s school profile showing they have received what the payment was for (course registration, hostel accommodation, transcript processing, course outline or other content shared with the student, etc.).

  • As a merchant providing healthcare services, you should provide an invoice of payment with the customer’s information, details of the service that was paid for.

• Delivery details: For a physical order that was delivered to a location, you should provide shipping details and tracking logs from the logistics company, delivery confirmation photos, and a signed proof of delivery to the customer (if available). For a service such as a hospital visit or consultation, you should provide proof that the customer attended their appointment.

• Terms and conditions: You need to provide proof that the customer agreed to all terms and policies before scheduling their appointment or going in for a surgery, for example.

If a customer raises a pre-arbitration chargeback, it means they are dissatisfied with your response to the first chargeback. You need to review the transaction carefully to confirm if the customer indeed received value. If value was not given, then you should accept the chargeback so that the customer gets a refund of their payment.

However, if you confirm that the customer indeed received value, you would have to provide additional evidence to support this.

• As an e-commerce merchant:

  • If a customer insists that they’re yet to receive their order, you should provide tracking logs with timestamps and photos (if available) showing that the product was successfully delivered to the customer’s delivery address. These details are usually available on the shipping or logistics company’s website.

  • If a customer raises a pre-arbitration to say the order received was not as described, you should provide clear descriptions of the original product on your website or app, along with details of the product that was delivered. This is to prove that the item delivered matches what was displayed to the customer.

  • Proof of communication with the customer: If you have emails with the customer discussing the order, delivery, delays, or complaints, you should provide screenshots of these to back up the evidence already put together.

  • Refund and cancellation policy: You need to provide proof that the customer was aware of any refund or cancellation policies and that they agreed to them before completing their payment.

• As a merchant in the education industry:

  • Access logs and tracking: You should have and be able to provide evidence that the student, for instance, completed their course registration online, got access to a course online, or has completed a training successfully.

  • Proof of communication: If you contacted the customer to resolve the dispute and they’re no longer disputing the transaction, you should provide proof of this. It always helps to reach out to customers in a bid to resolve disputes.

• As a merchant in the healthcare industry:

  • Suppose a customer raises a pre-arbitration chargeback to say they did not receive a confirmation of their test or appointment booking. In that case, you should provide proof that the appointment confirmation was shared with the patient via email or SMS, and this confirmation should include the date, time, the particular appointment that was booked, and the transaction amount.

  • You should be able to provide proof that the customer attended their appointment accordingly. This proof must be in line with data protection policies.

  • You should have proof that the customer agreed to all terms of service and other policies. Examples of this are a no-show situation or late cancellation fees.

  • Proof of communication: If you contacted the customer to resolve the dispute and they’re no longer disputing the transaction, you should provide this as proof.

• For physical orders, always endeavor to use reliable delivery services that provide tracking details.

• Be concise and precise. It is important to set realistic product descriptions on your website or other platform, as well as expected delivery timelines after customers place orders.

• For appointments booked by customers, ensure to send confirmation of the appointment and then reminders to the customer before their appointment date.

• Build trust and transparency:

  • Transparent policies: Be clear about costs and any extra fees, as well as about the terms of service, refund, and other policies.

  • Strong customer service: Provide reliable customer support to promptly respond to customer complaints. Some issues can be resolved by great customer support, and do not have to escalate to the disputes stage.

• Prioritize patient experiences: It is necessary to prioritize seamless booking processes, keep clear communication around the services to be provided, have transparent pricing, and provide follow-up care. Make sure patients receive timely updates about their appointments, test results, or if there are any cancellations.