Dispute policy
The dispute timeline, start to finish
This page documents what E4U already does on every order: when the clock starts, what freezes the money, which evidence is captured automatically and who makes the final call. Nothing here is discretionary marketing language — it is the order lifecycle as it runs.
Timeline
- 01
Payment
Funds enter E4U Protection
Your payment is held by E4U, not sent to the seller. The seller can see the order is funded and can begin delivery, but cannot access the money.
- 02
Delivery
The 48-hour review window opens
The moment the order is marked delivered, a 48-hour countdown starts and is shown live on the order page. Nothing is released while it runs.
- 03
Within 48h
You confirm, or you open a dispute
Confirming releases the payment to the seller. Opening a dispute — from the order page or a support ticket — must happen inside the window. If you take no action at all, the order auto-completes at the deadline and funds release to the seller.
- 04
Dispute opened
The payment freezes immediately
Opening a dispute moves the payment to a frozen state and pauses the seller's payout hold. Neither side can move the money while the case is open.
- 05
Review
E4U reviews the recorded evidence
Both sides can add context. A first reply arrives within 12–24 hours and cases are reviewed within 48 hours of the evidence being complete.
- 06
Outcome
Refund, release, or partial resolution
If the buyer's case succeeds the order is marked refunded and the money is returned. If the seller's case succeeds the payment returns to the security hold with its original remaining time. Every decision and its reason is written to a permanent record.
Funds and authority
What freezes the funds
Opening a dispute inside the 48-hour review window. Nothing else moves the money out of E4U Protection.
What does not freeze the funds
Messaging the seller, or opening a general support ticket after the window has closed and the order has completed.
Who decides
The E4U support and trust team — never the buyer, never the seller, and never an automated score.
Evidence recorded on every order
Evidence is captured as the order happens, not requested afterwards, and it cannot be edited by either side once recorded.
- Order ID, buyer, seller, price and every status change with its timestamp
- The full order chat, including offers, counters and system messages
- The delivery record: what was sent, when, and by which method
- Delivery proof uploaded by the seller — files and notes, revealed to the buyer only during a dispute
- Confirmation and payment events, including the acceptance of E4U's terms by both sides
What a dispute does not cover
A dispute settles whether the order was delivered as described. It does not cover action taken by a game publisher after delivery — buying or selling in-game accounts, items and services may breach a publisher's terms of service, and that risk sits with the buyer and the seller. This is disclosed on every listing page.