Dispute Resolution - The Process

Modified on Thu, 28 May at 12:46 PM

Before you post a thread in the Dispute Resolution Section, you will need to carefully read the rules and procedures for this section.

Dispute Resolution threads MUST comply with these rules: https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/dispute-resolution-rules-procedures.1246633/

Note: All communication must stay on the forum for the duration of the dispute.

30-day Requirement

The issue must have occurred within the last 30 days and must involve a BHW seller.

Interaction must start on the BHW

The interaction with the seller must have started on BlackHat World. This means there must be meaningful communication or engagement on BHW before the dispute can proceed.

Key Terms:

Buyer	Any registered user on BHW who makes a purchase from an upgraded member in a location they're allowed to sell in.
Seller	Any upgraded member who makes a sale in the location their membership allows.
Interaction	Any meaningful back and forth between the buyer and seller about the purchase is somewhere on BHW. This could be in their sales thread, their WTB/HAF threads or via DM.
Proof of Payment	A date-stamped proof of money leaving your account and going to the accused.

Proof of payment must show the date/time, amount, payment method, and recipient details. Screenshots only saying that payment was sent are not valid proof by themselves.

Contacting the Accused

Before submitting a dispute, you must contact the other party (the accused) via Direct Message (DM) to inform them of your intent to open a dispute.

If you're unable to send a DM due to account restrictions, e.g., you have a post count of less than 15, you have a few options:

- Engage on the forum; it doesn't take too long to build up to 15 posts

- Indicate "No" on the DM question in the form and explain why

- Contact Support and ask for help in starting the DM

Failure to meet this step will delay or prevent your dispute from being accepted, and a warning may be issued if you ignore this requirement.

24-hour wait requirement

You must inform the accused that you are opening a dispute and then wait 24 hours before submitting the form.

Requirement for 2-factor authentication (2FA)

The Accuser (the person filing the Dispute) must have 2FA enabled for the duration of the dispute.

After the dispute form has been submitted

Your dispute will go into moderation, where a Dispute Resolution staff member will review it
You will receive a Direct Message with follow-up details or questions
If any information is missing, you must respond to the DM
If your dispute is rejected, you will be notified
After submitting the form, your dispute may be hidden while staff review it. Please do not submit the same dispute multiple times. If you need to add more evidence, reply to the automatic DM.

Once a resolution is agreed

The assigned Staff will take the conversation to DMs
If the agreed resolution is a refund, the refund MUST be made to the original payment method provided in the proof of transaction

Remember, All communication must stay on the forum for the duration of the dispute.

You can read more about recent rule changes here: https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/april-2026-update-to-the-dispute-resolution-rules.1808500/