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Vidsmark CABETA Systems Add

Refunds & Disputes Policy

Effective date: June 30, 2026

This policy explains how refunds and disputes work on Vidsmark. It applies to protected (escrow) sales processed through Vidsmark checkout. It is part of, and should be read with, our Terms of Service.

1. Protected sales only

Vidsmark can only mediate and reverse protected (escrow) sales — those paid through Vidsmark checkout, where we hold the funds until release. Local cash/Interac e-Transfer pickup deals are NOT escrow-protected; Vidsmark does not hold those funds and cannot refund or mediate them. Choose protected checkout if you want this coverage.

2. Escrow protects both sides

Escrow is designed to be fair to buyers and sellers. Buyers don't pay into the void, and sellers don't lose an item to a buyer who simply changes their story. On a protected sale, the buyer's payment is held by Vidsmark (via Stripe) and is not released to the seller until:

  • the buyer confirms the item arrived as described — in person at handoff for local pay-online orders, or after a tracked shipment arrives (a shipped order can't be released until the seller has added tracking); or
  • Vidsmark releases it after an evidence-based review — for example when carrier tracking shows delivery but the buyer has gone silent, or when a dispute is decided in the seller's favour.

Importantly, money is not automatically refunded to a buyer just because they claim "it didn't arrive" or "it's not as described." Disputes are evidence-based, time-bound, and mediated by Vidsmark — the buyer's word alone is not the final say. Some confirmation mechanisms (such as automatic timed release) roll out through launch and beta.

3. Confirmation and dispute windows

  • Confirmation: on a shipped order the buyer is expected to confirm the item (or open a dispute) within 48 hours of carrier-confirmed delivery; on a local pay-online deal the buyer confirms in person at handoff, which releases funds immediately — sellers should have the buyer confirm before handing the item over.
  • If the buyer goes silent: where tracking shows delivery and the buyer neither confirms nor opens a dispute, Vidsmark reviews the evidence and releases to the seller. (An automatic timed release is rolling out through launch; until then this review is manual — contact us from your order.) A silent or ghosting buyer cannot leave a seller's payout hanging.
  • Seller response window: once a dispute is opened, the seller has 3 business days to respond with their side and any evidence before Vidsmark decides.

4. When you can get a refund

A buyer may be eligible for a full or partial refund on a protected sale if, for example:

  • the item never arrived;
  • the item is materially not as described (wrong item, undisclosed damage, wrong condition or collector grade — e.g. sold as CIB but missing the manual, sold as "tested" but not working);
  • the item is counterfeit, pirated, recalled/unsafe, or otherwise prohibited.

Buyer's remorse (you simply changed your mind) is generally not grounds for a refund unless the seller agrees.

4a. How sellers are protected

Refunds run both ways — sellers are not at the mercy of a bad-faith buyer. In particular:

  • A claim alone is not enough. The buyer must show the problem; Vidsmark weighs the evidence from both sides before any money moves.
  • Where tracking shows the item was delivered, or the buyer confirmed in person at handoff, the seller is protected against a false "it never arrived" claim.
  • On delivery, the buyer confirms the item matched the listed grade (CIB, loose, sealed, tested) — this "Description Accuracy" check protects honest sellers by turning disputes on an objective confirmation rather than a buyer's mood.
  • Buyers are rated and build a reputation too; buyers who make false claims, no-show, or abuse chargebacks can be flagged, limited, or removed.

5. How to open a dispute

  1. Do not confirm delivery if something is wrong.
  2. Open a dispute within the confirmation window through the Service, or email dispute@vidsmark.ca with your order number.
  3. Describe the problem and include photos or evidence.
  4. We may ask the buyer and seller for more information and, where appropriate, for the item to be returned.

6. How disputes are resolved

Because Vidsmark still holds the funds, we can work toward a fair outcome before the seller is paid. Our review is evidence-based and even-handed: we look at the listing, the messages, tracking or handoff confirmation, photos, and the reputation of both parties. Possible outcomes include releasing payment to the seller, a partial refund, a full refund (sometimes conditional on the item being returned in its original condition), or another resolution the parties agree to. Vidsmark's decision on an escrow dispute is final for the purposes of releasing held funds, without limiting any rights you have under applicable consumer-protection law.

7. Returns and return shipping

If a refund requires a return, the item must be sent back in the condition received, with tracking. Responsibility for return shipping costs depends on the reason for the return — generally the seller covers it when the item was not as described, and the buyer covers it otherwise.

8. How and when refunds are paid

Approved refunds are processed back through Stripe to the buyer's original payment method. The buyer protection fee may be refunded along with the item price where the seller is at fault. Buy-now-pay-later refunds (Affirm/Klarna) are handled through Stripe and may take longer to appear on a financing statement. Refunds funded by Vidsmark Credit are returned as Vidsmark Credit.

9. Seller fees on refunds

If a sale is fully refunded before funds are released, the seller does not receive a payout and the related seller fee is not charged. Details for sellers are in the Seller Terms.

10. Chargebacks

If a buyer files a chargeback with their card issuer instead of using our dispute process, Stripe's chargeback process applies and Vidsmark will provide transaction records — including tracking and handoff confirmation — to help contest fraudulent chargebacks, within what card-network and payment rules allow. We treat sellers fairly here: a chargeback is not an automatic loss for an honest seller who delivered. Abusing chargebacks, or a pattern of bad-faith claims, may lead to account action against the buyer.

11. Contact

Need help with a refund or dispute? Contact dispute@vidsmark.ca with your order number.