The TripWorks platform utilizes Stripe as its payment processor. Once your Stripe Integration is set up and you beginning running charges, TripWorks monitors your account for customer disputes, notifies you of any disputes filed against your business, and manages the dispute process through Stripe on your behalf.
Customers may dispute a charge for a number of reasons. These are among the most common claims cited by dispute filers:
- Tour operator failed to refund a payment
- Amount charged does not align with agreed upon amount to be paid
-
Charge was made due to fraudulent activity
Please Note
We at TripWorks are here to manage and guide you through customer disputes. However, it is up to you to provide the requested information and evidence in accordance with Stripe's dispute resolution process. Additionally, the final decision in declaring a dispute winner belongs to the customer's bank and cannot be overturned by TripWorks.
Customer Dispute Process
1. TripWorks sends you the dispute details
If a dispute is filed against your business, we will send you an email notifying you of the occurrence. The email will also include:
- Trip details (which trip or charge in question is under dispute)
- Dispute amount (the charge amount being requested for return by the customer)
- Reason for the dispute (as provided by the customer's bank)
- A "respond by" deadline (the date by which you must notify us of how you'd like to proceed)
2. TripWorks processes 2 charges to your account
You will see 2 charges debited from the bank account linked to your TripWorks account:
- A $25, non-refundable chargeback fee (this covers Stripe's fees for dispute processing and will not be refunded even if you win the dispute)
- The dispute amount (the amount being requested by the customer, which will be refunded to your account if you win the dispute)
3. You notify TripWorks how you want to proceed
You may respond to TripWorks' dispute notification email 1 of 3 ways. Review the tabs below for details on each one:
Accept the Dispute
Accepting the dispute entails agreeing with the customer's claim. For example, if you review the trip in question and see that you intended to refund the customer but simply forgot, you would notify us at TripWorks of what happened and confirm that we should accept the dispute on your behalf.
What happens next?
At that point, TripWorks would notify Stripe that you are accepting the dispute. The dispute will be awarded to the customer, who keeps the dispute amount, and you will not be refunded either charge that was debited from your account.
Counter the Dispute
Countering the dispute entails denying the customer's claim against your business.
Please Note
Banks make their decision in settling disputes based on evidence. You are unlikely to win a countered dispute if you cannot provide proof of the customer's agreement/intent to pay the charge in question (signed waivers, screenshots of received/opened confirmation emails, etc.). In cases where fraudulent activity is claimed, further evidence may strengthen your case.
If you inform us that you want to counter the dispute, we will notify Stripe and initiate the dispute resolution process. During this time, we will need your cooperation in providing information and evidence to support your claim.
What happens next?
- If you win: If the bank settles the dispute in your favor, we will issue you a refund for the dispute amount. We will not refund the $25 chargeback fee.
- If you lose: If the bank settles the dispute in your customer's favor, you will not receive a refund for the dispute amount, nor will you be refunded the $25 chargeback fee.
Once a dispute is finalized, additional evidence cannot be submitted. The decision awarded by the customer's bank is final and cannot be further disputed by TripWorks or Stripe.
Do not respond
If you do not notify us of how you want to proceed by the "respond by" deadline provided in your dispute notification email, no response will be submitted on your behalf, and the dispute will be automatically resolved in the customer's favor.
What happens next?
With the dispute resolved in the customer's favor, you will not be refunded either charge that was debited from your account.