Dispute Resolution

1. Introduction

1.1 Purpose

This Dispute Resolution Policy ("Policy") establishes the procedures for handling disputes raised by Customers against Suppliers for bookings made through the Kipgo platform. It also explains how chargebacks initiated by Customers through their banks are handled, including how chargeback amounts are recovered from your future payouts. As a Supplier, understanding these processes is essential for maintaining your account in good standing and responding effectively when issues arise.

1.2 Scope

This Policy covers disputes filed through Kipgo, including service quality or delivery issues, discrepancies between listing descriptions and actual services provided, requests for additional payment not disclosed in the original booking, and safety concerns or misconduct allegations. It also covers chargebacks, which are bank-initiated payment reversals where Customers dispute transactions directly with their financial institution. This includes how Kipgo contests chargebacks on your behalf and how chargeback amounts are recovered through deductions from future payouts.

1.3 Kipgo's Role

Kipgo acts as a neutral intermediary in the dispute resolution process. While the service contract exists directly between you and the Customer, Kipgo reserves the right to make final binding decisions on disputes. Such decisions shall be conclusive and may affect your payouts. For bank-initiated chargebacks, Kipgo will contest fraudulent or unjustified claims on your behalf when sufficient evidence exists.

2. How Disputes Are Filed

2.1 Customer-Initiated Process

Disputes are initiated exclusively by Customers through Kipgo's support channels. Customers may file disputes via support tickets in their account or by emailing support@gokipgo.com. You cannot file disputes against Customers; if you have concerns about Customer behavior, you must contact Kipgo Support directly.

2.2 Time Limits

Customers must file disputes within specific timeframes: service quality disputes must be filed within four (4) days after service completion, no-show or non-delivery disputes within four (4) days of the scheduled service date, and safety or misconduct disputes within thirty (30) days after service completion. Disputes filed outside these windows may be rejected, though Kipgo retains discretion to consider late filings in exceptional circumstances.

3. Dispute Categories

3.1 Service Not Provided

Filed when the Customer claims you failed to deliver the booked service entirely. This includes no-shows, last-minute cancellations without valid reason, or inability to provide the service. If verified, Customers are generally entitled to a full refund. Any pending payout for this booking will be cancelled.

3.2 Service Significantly Different from Description

Filed when the Customer claims the delivered service materially differed from your listing description at the time of booking. The Listing Snapshot captured at booking time serves as the definitive reference. Examples include accommodation substitutions, missing itinerary items, fewer inclusions than advertised, or vehicle/equipment downgrades.

3.3 Quality Issues

Filed when the service was provided but allegedly fell below reasonable standards. This includes claims of poor hygiene, safety concerns, unprofessional conduct, or substandard equipment. These disputes may result in partial refunds based on severity.

3.4 Unauthorized Payment Requests

Filed when the Customer claims you requested additional payments directly that were not disclosed in the original booking. Kipgo handles all payments through the Platform, and requesting off-platform payments is a violation of the Supplier Terms and Conditions.

3.5 Safety and Misconduct

Filed for serious allegations including harassment, discrimination, dangerous practices, or illegal activities. These disputes are treated with highest priority and may result in immediate suspension of your account pending investigation.

4. When You Are Notified

4.1 Notification Method

When a Customer files a dispute against one of your bookings, you will receive a notification in your Supplier Dashboard. The notification will reference the affected booking. You should regularly check your Dashboard notifications to stay informed of any disputes.

4.2 Viewing Dispute Details

To view the details of a dispute, navigate to the Bookings section in your Dashboard and locate the booking referenced in the notification. The booking detail page will display the dispute status and reason (if provided by the Customer). The booking itself serves as the reference for the dispute — there is no separate case number.

5. How to Respond

5.1 Contact Support

To respond to a dispute, you must contact Kipgo Support by submitting a support ticket via Dashboard → Support (referencing the booking ID) or by sending your response to support@gokipgo.com with the booking ID in the subject line.

5.2 Response Deadline

You have seventy-two (72) hours from the time of notification to submit your response and any supporting evidence. This deadline is strictly enforced. Failure to respond within this timeframe may result in a decision being made based solely on the Customer's submission.

5.3 What to Include

Your response should include the booking ID, your account of what occurred, any evidence supporting your position (photographs, videos, receipts, attendance records), relevant communications with the Customer, and any witnesses or third-party confirmations.

5.4 Professional Conduct

All communications during the dispute process must be professional and factual. Aggressive, threatening, or abusive language towards Kipgo staff or the Customer will not be tolerated and may negatively impact the outcome or result in additional account actions.

6. Investigation and Decision

6.1 What We Review

Kipgo's dispute resolution team will review the Listing Snapshot captured at booking time, platform message history between you and the Customer, evidence submitted by both parties, your booking history and dispute patterns, and the Customer's booking history and dispute patterns. We may request additional information from you during the investigation, and prompt responses to such requests are expected.

6.2 Timeline

Standard disputes are resolved within seven (7) to fourteen (14) business days from filing. Complex cases may take up to thirty (30) business days. Safety-related disputes receive priority handling with initial action within forty-eight (48) hours.

6.3 Decision Communication

You will receive an email notification when the dispute has been resolved. The booking status in your Dashboard will be updated to reflect the outcome.

7. Possible Outcomes

Once Kipgo completes its review, the dispute will be resolved in one of three ways. The outcome determines what happens to the Customer's payment and your payout.

7.1 Dispute Resolved in Your Favour

If the evidence supports that you delivered the service as described and the Customer's claim is not substantiated, the dispute will be resolved in your favour. No refund will be issued to the Customer, your payout will be released from hold (if it was on hold) and included in the next scheduled processing cycle, and the booking status will be updated to "Completed". This outcome has no negative impact on your account standing, and you will receive the full payout amount.

7.2 Dispute Resolved in Customer's Favour — Full Refund

If the evidence supports the Customer's claim and indicates a significant service failure, the dispute will be resolved in the Customer's favour with a full refund. This typically happens when the service was not delivered at all (no-show), the service was fundamentally different from what was advertised, safety issues made the service unenjoyable, or the Supplier cancelled without proper notice or valid reason. When a full refund is issued, the Customer receives a complete refund of their payment, your payout for this booking is cancelled entirely, you will not receive any earnings from this booking, and the booking status will be updated to "Cancelled".

7.3 Dispute Resolved in Customer's Favour — Partial Refund

In some situations, a partial refund may be more appropriate than a full refund. This typically occurs when the service was delivered but with notable shortcomings (e.g., shorter duration than advertised, missing amenities), only a portion of the booked service was affected by the issue, both parties share some responsibility, or the Customer still received meaningful value despite the issues. When a partial refund is issued, the Customer receives a refund for the determined amount, your payout is reduced by the refund amount, the remaining payout will be processed in the next cycle, and the booking status will be updated to "Completed".

Example: A Customer books a tour for Rs 10,000. Your commission rate is 15%, so your expected payout is Rs 8,500. If a partial refund of Rs 3,000 is issued to the Customer, your new payout will be Rs 5,500 (Rs 8,500 minus Rs 3,000).

7.4 Additional Consequences

Beyond the financial impact, disputes resolved against you may also affect your account standing. Depending on the nature and severity of the issue, you may face warning notices added to your account, listing suspension or removal, temporary or permanent account suspension, reduced visibility in search results, or increased scrutiny on future listings.

8. Payout Holds

To protect both Customers and the integrity of the platform, Kipgo implements automatic payout holds when disputes are filed. This section explains how holds work and what to expect.

8.1 Automatic Hold

When a dispute is filed against a booking, any associated payout that has not yet been processed will automatically be placed on hold. This is a precautionary measure that ensures funds remain available in case a refund needs to be issued. The hold is applied immediately upon dispute creation and requires no action from you.

If your payout has already been processed before the dispute was filed, the hold cannot be applied. In this case, the dispute will still be investigated, but any refund would need to be handled outside the standard payout system.

8.2 Hold Duration and Resolution

The payout will remain on hold for the entire duration of the dispute investigation. Once Kipgo reaches a decision, the hold is resolved based on the outcome. If resolved in your favour, the hold is immediately released and your payout will be included in the next scheduled processing cycle with the full amount (minus standard commission). If resolved in the Customer's favour with a full refund, the payout is cancelled entirely and the funds will be used to refund the Customer. If resolved with a partial refund, the payout is reduced by the refund amount and then released for processing.

9. Chargebacks

A chargeback occurs when a Customer disputes a transaction directly with their bank or card issuer, bypassing Kipgo's dispute resolution process. The bank reverses the transaction, withdrawing funds from the payment processor. This section explains how chargebacks are handled, how you are notified, and what happens based on the outcome.

9.1 When a Chargeback Is Filed

When a Customer initiates a chargeback with their bank, the customer's bank reverses the transaction and withdraws funds from Kipgo's payment processor. Kipgo is then notified of the chargeback, and the associated booking's status is changed to disputed. If your payout for this booking has not yet been processed, it is placed on hold. You will receive a Dashboard notification informing you that the booking has been marked as disputed, and you can view the disputed booking and any relevant information in your Dashboard.

9.2 Contesting Chargebacks

Kipgo will contest chargebacks on your behalf when there is sufficient evidence to support that the service was delivered as described. We may contact you to provide supporting evidence within forty-eight (48) hours. Evidence that strengthens a chargeback contest includes service delivery confirmations or attendance records, photographs or videos documenting service delivery, communications with the Customer confirming satisfaction, and any other documentation proving the service was provided as described. The bank typically takes thirty (30) to ninety (90) days to review the evidence and make a final decision. During this period, the booking remains in disputed status and any associated payout remains on hold.

9.3 Chargeback Outcomes

Once the bank reaches a decision, you will be notified via email or Dashboard notification. If the chargeback contest is successful, the bank reverses its decision and the funds are returned to the payment processor. The booking status is changed to completed, any payout hold is released, and your account standing is unaffected. If the chargeback contest is unsuccessful, the chargeback is finalised and the Customer keeps the refunded amount. The booking status is changed to cancelled. If your payout was on hold, it is cancelled. If your payout was already processed before the chargeback was filed, the amount is recorded as a deduction and will be recovered from your future payouts. Any chargeback fees imposed by the payment processor may also be included in the deduction if attributable to your actions or failures.

9.4 Excessive Chargebacks

If your account experiences an excessive number of chargebacks relative to your booking volume, you may face account review, extended payout holds, increased scrutiny on future bookings, or account termination. Kipgo determines what constitutes an excessive chargeback rate at its sole discretion, taking into account industry standards and platform-wide metrics.

9.5 Chargeback Deductions

Kipgo holds Customer payments on your behalf and releases them to you as payouts. If a chargeback occurs after your payout was already processed and transferred to your bank account, you owe this amount back to Kipgo — since the funds were reversed from the payment processor but had already been paid out to you. This amount is recorded as a deduction and will be recovered from your future payouts.

Note: Deductions only apply to lost chargebacks where the payout was already processed. For disputes filed through Kipgo's dispute process, Customers must file within four (4) days of the service end date, which is before payouts are processed. This means dispute-related refunds are handled by cancelling or reducing pending payouts — not through deductions.

9.6 Viewing Your Deductions

You can view all pending and settled deductions in the Chargebacks tab, accessible from the Profile section in your dashboard. Each entry displays the Chargeback ID (assigned by Kipgo), the Booking ID that triggered the deduction, the total amount owed, the current status of the deduction, and the date when the deduction was recorded.

9.7 Chargeback Statuses

Each deduction has one of three statuses. Pending means the deduction has been recorded and is awaiting settlement — the amount will be deducted from your next payout. Settled means the full amount owed has been deducted from your payouts and no further action is required. Waived means Kipgo has decided not to collect this amount (e.g., a chargeback was successfully contested after the deduction was created), and waived deductions have no impact on your future payouts.

9.8 How Deductions Are Processed

Pending deductions are automatically subtracted from your next payout when it is processed. When Kipgo processes your payout batch, the system checks for any pending chargebacks on your account. The total pending chargeback amount is subtracted from your payout, and the net amount is transferred to your bank account. The chargeback status is updated to "Settled" once the full amount owed has been deducted.

Example: You have a pending payout of Rs 15,000 and a pending deduction of Rs 4,000 from a chargeback. When the payout is processed, Rs 4,000 is deducted, and Rs 11,000 is transferred to your bank. The deduction is marked as "Settled".

9.9 Partial Settlement Across Multiple Payouts

If your pending deduction amount exceeds your current payout, the deduction will be partially settled and the remainder will carry forward to future payouts. The system tracks partial settlements and continues deducting until the full amount owed has been settled.

Example: You owe Rs 20,000 from a chargeback but your next payout is only Rs 8,000. The entire Rs 8,000 payout will be applied to the deduction (resulting in a Rs 0 transfer to you), and Rs 12,000 will remain outstanding. The remaining Rs 12,000 will be deducted from your subsequent payouts until fully settled.

9.10 Viewing Deductions in Payout Statements

When deductions are applied to a payout, this is clearly shown in your payout summary. The payout detail page displays a "Chargeback" line item showing the total amount recovered, the payout email notification includes the chargeback amount and net transfer amount, and the payout PDF statement itemises chargeback in the summary section. This ensures you have complete visibility into why your bank transfer amount may differ from your expected payout.

10. Appeals

10.1 Your Right to Appeal

If you believe a dispute decision was made in error, you may appeal within seven (7) days of the resolution. Appeals submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

10.2 Appeal Requirements

Your appeal must include the booking ID, specific grounds for the appeal, and new evidence or information not previously submitted. Appeals that merely restate your original position without new information may be summarily dismissed.

10.3 Appeal Review

Appeals are reviewed by a senior member of the dispute resolution team who was not involved in the original decision. The appeal review will be completed within fourteen (14) business days.

10.4 Final Decision

The appeal decision is final and binding. No further appeals will be considered for the same dispute.

11. Your Obligations

11.1 Cooperation

You are required to cooperate fully with the dispute resolution process, including monitoring your Dashboard notifications regularly, responding to disputes within seventy-two (72) hours, providing requested evidence and information promptly, and being available for follow-up communications during investigation.

11.2 Record Keeping

You should maintain records that may be relevant to potential disputes for at least six (6) months after the service date, including service delivery confirmations or attendance records, photographs or videos documenting service delivery, customer communications outside the Platform (if any), receipts for services or expenses, and equipment or vehicle condition documentation.

11.3 Proactive Resolution

You are encouraged to resolve Customer concerns directly through the Platform messaging system before issues escalate to formal disputes. Proactive communication and good-faith problem-solving can often prevent disputes and protect your reputation.

12. Fraudulent Disputes

12.1 Protection Against Fraud

Kipgo takes fraudulent dispute claims seriously. We employ various methods to detect false claims, including pattern analysis, evidence verification, and cross-referencing with booking records.

12.2 Reporting Suspected Fraud

If you believe a Customer has filed a fraudulent dispute, include this concern in your response and provide any evidence of fraud. Customers found to have filed false claims face account termination, refund reversal, and potential legal action.

12.3 Your Own Conduct

Providing false information or fabricated evidence in dispute responses is strictly prohibited and will result in the dispute being decided against you, additional account penalties, potential account termination, and possible legal action.

13. Limitations

13.1 Force Majeure

Disputes arising from Force Majeure events (natural disasters, government actions, civil unrest, pandemics, severe weather, etc.) are handled on a case-by-case basis. You will not be held liable for service failures directly caused by Force Majeure events, though good faith efforts to reschedule or offer alternatives are expected.

13.2 Third-Party Services

Kipgo does not resolve disputes related to third-party services not booked through the Platform or independent arrangements made directly between you and Customers outside the Platform.

13.3 Liability

Kipgo's liability in any dispute resolution shall not exceed the booking amount in question. Kipgo shall not be liable for indirect, consequential, or punitive damages arising from any dispute or its resolution.

14. Policy Updates

14.1 Modifications

Kipgo reserves the right to modify this Policy at any time. Material changes will be communicated via Dashboard notification at least fourteen (14) days before taking effect.

14.2 Applicable Version

Disputes will be resolved according to the version of this Policy in effect at the time the booking was made.

14.3 Continued Use

Continued use of the Platform after Policy changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the modified Policy.

15. Contact

For dispute-related inquiries or to respond to a dispute:

When contacting support about a dispute, always include the booking ID for faster processing.