Refund & Dispute Policy

Last updated: June 10, 2026 Version: 2026-06-10

So You Sew is a peer-to-peer marketplace. We are not the seller of the goods you buy from other users, but we operate a structured dispute and refund process to keep transactions safe. This Policy explains how it works.

1. Who can open a dispute

Any buyer of a marketplace order that is in paid, shipped, or delivered status. Disputes are not available for digital pattern PDFs once you have downloaded them (the non-refundable pattern portion is disclosed at checkout), except where the listing itself was fraudulent (infringing pattern, never delivered, etc.).

2. The 3-step process

Step 1 — Contact the seller first

If something is wrong with your order, use the "Report a problem" button on the order screen, choose a reason, briefly describe the issue, and attach photos if relevant. This opens a dispute in "opened" state and notifies the seller. The seller has 48 hours to respond. Most issues are resolved here — a partial refund, a replacement, a shipping update, or a small accommodation.

Step 2 — Seller responds

The seller can:

• Offer a refund (full or partial) directly from the dispute thread. If you accept, we issue the refund through Stripe and the dispute closes as resolved_partial or resolved_full_refund.
• Reply with a resolution offer (replacement, additional shipping info, store credit) for you to accept or reject in the thread.
• Dispute your claim in the thread.

You can accept the seller's resolution at any time, or escalate to So You Sew if you are not satisfied.

Step 3 — Escalate to So You Sew

If the seller has not responded within 48 hours, or you reject their offer, you can escalate. A So You Sew trust-and-safety reviewer will:

• Read the full message thread between you and the seller.
• Review shipping status, tracking, the listing snapshot at time of purchase, and any evidence either side has uploaded.
• Consider seller history (prior strikes, dispute rate, suspensions).
• Decide within 7 business days in most cases.

Possible outcomes:

• Full refund (resolved_full_refund): the entire amount you paid (or a smaller amount up to the full amount) is refunded to your original payment method; the seller's transfer is reversed.
• Partial refund (resolved_partial): a portion of the amount you paid is refunded; the rest goes to the seller.
• Denied (resolved_denied): no refund; we provide our reasoning. You may still pursue your rights outside the platform.

We may also issue seller-side actions (warning, listing removal, strike, suspension, or permanent ban) independent of your refund outcome.

3. Reasons for a dispute

You can choose one of these reasons (and explain in your own words):

• Item not received — never delivered, despite tracking showing delivery, or never shipped.
• Item not as described — significantly different from listing photos, dimensions, fiber content, condition, or materials.
• Damaged — arrived broken, stained, soiled, or otherwise damaged.
• Wrong item — different item from the one ordered.
• Never shipped — seller never marked the order shipped, despite being paid.
• Fake or invalid tracking — tracking number does not validate or belongs to another shipment.
• Counterfeit / IP infringement — counterfeit pattern, brand, fabric, etc. (also reportable under the DMCA Policy).
• Other — anything else; please describe.

4. Evidence we ask you to share

In the dispute thread you should attach:

• Clear, well-lit photos of the item as received and any defects.
• Photos of the packaging and shipping label, where relevant.
• A copy of any seller messages outside the platform (we strongly recommend keeping conversations on So You Sew).
• A description of what you expected vs. what arrived.

Sellers should attach:

• Tracking confirmation.
• A photo of the packed parcel or printed shipping label if available.
• Photos of the item before shipment, where they have them.

5. Partial-refund scenarios

We commonly issue partial refunds when:

• The item is mostly accurate but has a small defect that materially affects value (e.g., 1/4 yard of fabric is unusable on a 2-yard cut).
• A digital pattern is included with a physical item: the pattern portion is non-refundable but the physical portion may be refunded.
• The buyer received the item but the shipping was unreasonably delayed through no fault of the carrier.
• The seller and buyer agree to a partial refund in the thread.

Partial refunds reduce the seller's payout by the refunded amount; the platform fee is refunded proportionally.

6. Cancellations before shipping

A buyer may request a cancellation before the seller marks the order shipped. Sellers should accept reasonable cancellation requests; we may issue a full refund automatically if the order is in paid status with no tracking for 10 days after payment.

7. Chargebacks

If you initiate a credit-card chargeback through your bank or card issuer without first using our dispute process, your account may be suspended pending review. Chargeback handling is governed by Stripe. We will defend chargebacks using all evidence collected through the in-app dispute system. If a chargeback is ruled in your favor by your card network, we will not also refund you a second time through the platform.

8. Fraudulent or abusive disputes

Buyers who file repeated unfounded disputes, or who file disputes after using or destroying items, may face account suspension, loss of buyer protection, and forfeiture of partial refunds.

Sellers who repeatedly lose disputes, ship fake tracking numbers, or fail to ship paid orders will be downgraded to restricted risk tier (payouts held), warned, suspended, or banned, depending on severity and pattern.

9. Time limits

• You must open a dispute within 30 days of delivered_at for delivery-related issues, or within 45 days of paid_at if the item never shipped.
• Sellers must respond within 48 hours of dispute open.
• Escalations to So You Sew are decided within 7 business days in most cases.

10. Off-platform purchases

If you bought from a So You Sew seller outside of Stripe Connect (e.g., a Venmo direct payment), that transaction is not covered by this Policy or by Stripe buyer protections. Always pay through the in-app checkout. Any seller asking you to pay off-platform is violating the Marketplace Seller Agreement; please report them.

11. Privacy

Disputes are private to the buyer, seller, and our trust & safety reviewers, except where we are compelled to share by law or to defend a chargeback. Evidence you upload is stored in a private bucket and accessible only via signed URLs.

12. Contact

chambersjohn310@gmail.com — dispute escalations, evidence questions, urgent issues, and general help.