Disputes: what happens when something goes wrong

Opening a dispute

Either side can open a dispute from the payment or job page. The moment it opens, the funds that are still held freeze: nobody can release, refund or withdraw them. Wlbr keeps them in the trust account until there is a clear instruction to move them.

How the funds move

Both sides can add evidence - the agreement, messages, photos, invoices - so everything is on one record. Wlbr doesn't judge the contract and won't hand the funds to either side on its own view of who is right.

The funds move only when you both give Wlbr the same instruction in the app, or on a Disputes Tribunal order or a court order. The Disputes Tribunal hears claims up to $60,000 without lawyers. Until one of those happens, the funds stay frozen in the trust account.

Possible outcomes

A joint instruction or an order can:

• Release - the funds pay out to the seller, in full or in part.
• Refund - the funds return to the customer's bank account, in full or in part.
• Split - the escrow is divided between both sides.
• Close the dispute with no funds moved - the payment carries on as before.

Complaints about Wlbr

If you're unhappy with how Wlbr handled your payment or your instruction, use our complaints process. If we can't resolve your complaint, you can take it to FSCL (Financial Services Complaints Ltd, scheme 9690), a free, independent scheme. FSCL looks at complaints about Wlbr's own service. It doesn't decide the dispute between you and the other party - that is for a joint instruction, the Disputes Tribunal or the courts.