Dispute Management
Flag, track, and resolve disputes on return requests.
Disputes are used to flag RMAs that have an unresolved issue requiring attention before the case can be closed. When a dispute is open, ReturnMate blocks closure and archiving to ensure the issue is addressed.
When to Flag a Dispute
Common reasons to flag a dispute:
- Customer disagrees with the inspection outcome
- Item condition doesn't match what was reported
- Refund amount is contested
- Customer claims item was not received
- Chargeback or payment dispute initiated
How Disputes Work
Flagging a Dispute
- Open the RMA
- Click the actions menu
- Select Flag Dispute
- The RMA is marked as disputed
While a dispute is open, the following actions are disabled:
- Close RMA — cannot close until dispute is resolved
- Soft Close — cannot soft close a disputed RMA
- Archive — blocked until dispute resolution
Dispute Banner
When a dispute is active, a critical banner appears at the top of the RMA detail page:
Dispute Open — This RMA has an open dispute. Close and archive are blocked until the dispute is resolved.
This banner is visible to all staff viewing the RMA.
Resolving a Dispute
Once the issue is settled:
- Open the RMA
- Click Resolve Dispute (this appears as the primary action on resolved/completed/refunded RMAs with an open dispute, or as a secondary action on other statuses)
- The dispute flag is removed
- Normal workflow actions are restored
- You can now close the RMA
Dispute Availability
| RMA Type | Disputes Available |
|---|---|
| Standard returns | Yes |
| Damaged / Wrong Item | Yes |
| Warranty claims | Yes |
| Third-Party Repair | Yes |
| Counter Swap (SWP-) | No |
| Closed / Offline Closed | No |
Counter Swap RMAs do not support disputes since they follow the internal offline repair workflow rather than a customer-facing process.
Dispute Flow
Any non-terminal status
↓
[Flag Dispute] → Dispute Open (blocks close/archive)
↓
[Resolve Dispute] → Normal workflow resumed
↓
Close RMA
Best Practices
- Document the dispute reason in the RMA timeline notes
- Communicate with the customer promptly when a dispute is flagged
- Resolve disputes before they escalate to chargebacks
- Use dispute data to identify patterns in customer complaints