1. Definition of a Dispute

A dispute is a formal disagreement raised by a Consumer or Provider regarding the quality, completion, fulfilment, or timing of a booked service. Disputes exist to protect both parties when outcomes deviate from agreed expectations.

2. When a Dispute Can Be Raised

• Provider marks session as Complete, but Consumer disagrees with the outcome.
• The service was started but aborted unexpectedly.
• The service was not delivered as promised.
• Misrepresentation of skills, duration, or provider conduct occurred.

⏱ Deadline: Disputes must be raised within 30 minutes of the Provider marking a session as Complete. After this, completion auto-approves and funds are released.

3. Post-Session Flow

Once a Provider marks a session as Complete, the Consumer must within 30 minutes either:

• Approve Completion, or
• Raise a Dispute.

⚠️ If no action is taken, the session auto-approves and funds are released.

4. Experience-Based Refunds & Ratings

• ✅ Great / Satisfactory → No refund; Provider gets full payment.
• ⚠️ Not up to the Mark → Partial refund (10–20%); no evidence required.
• 🚫 Poor Experience → Moderate refund (30–40%); requires photo evidence.
• ❌ Waste of Time & Money → Full refund request; requires video evidence.

If evidence is missing or invalid, refund requests may be denied or downgraded.

5. Evidence Evaluation & Downgrading

Strings Social reviews all evidence. If insufficient or irrelevant, disputes may be downgraded:

• “Waste of Time” → downgraded to “Poor Experience.”
• “Poor Experience” → downgraded to “Not up to the Mark.”

All dispute decisions are final and binding.

6. Provider-Initiated Disputes

Providers may raise disputes for:

• No-shows or last-minute cancellations.
• Uncooperative or disruptive behaviour.
• False, malicious, or retaliatory feedback.

Evidence may include screenshots, session logs, photos, or statements.

7. Capturing & Uploading Evidence

Evidence can be uploaded during or up to 30 minutes after a session:

• 📸 Photos of setup, progress, or results.
• 🎥 Videos showing engagement.
• 📝 Text notes summarizing session details.

8. Abuse & Misconduct Handling

Strings Social maintains a zero-tolerance policy for abuse, harassment, or misconduct:

• Verbal Abuse: threats, insults, coercion.
• Physical Misconduct: aggression, intimidation.
• Digital Harassment: repeated unsolicited messages, disturbing content.
• Discrimination: racism, sexism, casteism, homophobia, hate speech.
• Exploitation: CSAE or narcotics-related services → permanent suspension & legal escalation.

Abuse can be reported through the in-app “Report Abuse” feature.

9. Consequences & Platform Authority

• Account suspension or permanent termination.
• Refund reversal, reduction, or denial.
• Escalation to law enforcement authorities.
• Flagging repeat violators for stricter monitoring.

All dispute and abuse handling decisions are final and non-reversible.

10. Contact & Support