Dispute Resolution & Safety

Want A Service takes disputes seriously. Our goal is to ensure fair outcomes for both Clients and Providers while maintaining the integrity of the marketplace. All disputes are handled in a timely, transparent, and impartial manner.

We strongly encourage Clients and Providers to resolve disputes directly first:

• •Use the in-platform messaging system to communicate about the issue
• •Clearly describe the problem and proposed resolution
• •Most disputes are resolved this way within 24–48 hours

If direct resolution fails, either party may escalate to Want A Service by emailing our Contact form (/contact) with:

• •Booking reference number
• •Full description of the dispute
• •Relevant evidence: screenshots, photos, messages, receipts
• •Your preferred resolution (refund, partial refund, re-do, etc.)

We will acknowledge the dispute within 1 business day and aim to reach a decision within 5 business days.

When we investigate a dispute, we:

• •Review all platform messages between Client and Provider
• •Examine booking records, payment history, and listing details
• •Request additional information from both parties if needed
• •Make a fair, evidence-based determination
• •Communicate the outcome to both parties by email

When a dispute is filed, any held payment on the booking is automatically frozen (status moved to 'disputed') for the duration of the investigation. This prevents the held funds from being released to the Provider while the dispute is open. If the dispute is dismissed ('no action'), the payment reverts to its prior state.

When a dispute is filed, the platform automatically captures a snapshot of the booking's payment status, the accepted quote (amount, inclusions, exclusives, duration), and the full message history between Client and Provider at the time of filing. This context is preserved so it remains available even if messages are later deleted. The filing party may also upload supporting evidence such as photos, documents, and screenshots.

Based on our investigation, we may:

• •Issue a full refund to the Client (including platform fee)
• •Issue a partial refund to the Client and release the remainder to the Provider
• •Release full payment to the Provider
• •Issue a split resolution (partial refund + partial payout)
• •Dismiss the dispute ('no action') and release or revert the payment to its prior state
• •Request the Provider to redo the service
• •Escalate to law enforcement in cases of suspected fraud
• •Suspend or ban either party's account for policy violations

Where a refund is issued through dispute resolution, a PayPal refund transaction ID is recorded on the dispute and payment records.

Disputes must be raised within the following windows:

• •Non-delivery / no-show: within 48 hours of the scheduled service date
• •Quality disputes: within 7 days of service completion
• •Billing errors or duplicate charges: within 30 days of the transaction

Disputes raised outside these windows may not be eligible for a refund.

For disputes between a user and Want A Service itself (not between Client and Provider) that cannot be resolved informally, both parties agree to binding arbitration administered by the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA) under its Commercial and Consumer Arbitration Rules, with the seat of arbitration in Johannesburg, South Africa. Users located outside South Africa may be subject to jurisdiction-specific consumer-protection laws in their country of residence; nothing in this section overrides any non-waivable statutory consumer rights you may have.

Dispute submissions: our Contact form (/contact)

Legal / formal notices: our Contact form (/contact)