This policy forms part of the CouthActs Terms of Service. It covers disputes between a Customer and a Provider about a Booking. Disputes with CouthActs Incorporated are governed by Section 21 (Arbitration) of the Terms.
1. Talk First
Most problems are fixed by talking. Use the Booking chat to tell the other party what went wrong and what would put it right. Keep the conversation on CouthActs so there is a record.
2. Opening a Dispute
2.1 When. A Customer or a Provider can open a dispute from the Booking page while the Booking is booked or in progress, and, for a Booking with a Release Hold (Escrow and Payments Terms Section 5.5), after both parties have confirmed completion until the Release Hold ends. The Booking page shows when the Release Hold ends. Only one dispute can be open per Booking.
2.2 After release. Once the payment for a Booking has been released to the Provider, at the end of the Release Hold or earlier at the Customer's choice, the dispute button is no longer available. If you discover concealed loss or damage, or another problem, after that, make a claim under any Protection Plan bought for the Booking from the Booking page, or email support@couthacts.com with the Booking's tracking code within seven (7) days after delivery. After funds have been released to the Provider, CouthActs can no longer move them, but can review a claim under any Protection Plan bought for the Booking.
2.3 What to include. Give the reason and a clear description of what happened and what outcome you want. CouthActs will email both parties to ask for evidence, such as photographs, documents, receipts and the chat history.
2.4 Effect. Opening a dispute, including during the Release Hold, freezes the held payment for the Booking and stops its automatic release, blocks withdrawals by the Provider while the dispute is open, and is recorded in the Custody Record.
3. Review and Decision
3.1 Process. A member of the CouthActs team reviews the Job description, the Booking record, the Custody Record (including PIN handover and location checkpoints), the chat history and the evidence each party provides within seven (7) days of our request. We may ask follow-up questions and may escalate complex cases for senior review.
3.2 Outcomes. CouthActs decides how the held payment will be handled. It may: (a) return the full held amount to the Customer; (b) release the full amount to the Provider; (c) split it, with the escrow fee charged only on the Provider's share; and (d) where the Customer bought a Protection Plan, approve a Protection Plan payment under the Protection Plan Terms.
3.3 Standard. We decide based on the evidence available, these Terms, the Job description and any terms the parties agreed through the Services, and what is fair and reasonable. A verified PIN handover and timely location checkpoints are strong evidence of delivery, but are not conclusive.
3.4 Second review. Either party may ask for a second review by emailing support@couthacts.com within fourteen (14) days after the decision, with any new information. A second review may reopen the case, but cannot reverse a payment that has already been made.
3.5 Effect of a decision. CouthActs' decision determines only what happens to the funds held by CouthActs and to any Protection Plan payment. It is not a judgment of the parties' legal rights. A Customer and Provider remain free to pursue claims against each other in a court or other forum with jurisdiction, including Carmack Amendment claims against a carrier within the periods that law allows.
3.6 Freight cargo claims. For a Freight Job brokered by CouthActs, the Carrier is liable for loss, damage and delay under the Carmack Amendment, and a cargo claim is a claim against the Carrier. You may file it through CouthActs by emailing support@couthacts.com with the tracking code, a description of the loss, the amount claimed and supporting documents, and CouthActs will present it to the Carrier, which must handle it under 49 C.F.R. Part 370. You have at least nine (9) months after delivery (or the date delivery should have occurred) to file a written cargo claim with the Carrier, and at least two (2) years after the Carrier declines it to sue. A CouthActs decision on held funds under Section 3 does not limit that claim.
4. Score and Account Effects
Disputes are recorded on the Booking and reduce the Provider's CouthActs Score for twelve (12) months. Filing disputes in bad faith, or failing to cooperate, may lead to restrictions under the Acceptable Use and Prohibited Items Policy.
5. Card Chargebacks
Please open a dispute with CouthActs rather than a chargeback with your card issuer. A chargeback locks your Wallet and is handled under Section 8.2 of the Escrow and Payments Terms.
6. Disputes With CouthActs
If you have a complaint about CouthActs itself, including about a dispute decision, email legal@couthacts.com. Section 21 of the Terms requires an informal resolution process and then, unless you opted out or an exception applies, individual arbitration.
Version History
| Version | Date | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 2026.10.1 | October 21, 2026 | Sections 2.1, 2.2 and 2.4: a dispute can be opened during the Release Hold after completion; once payment is released, the Protection Plan claim route. |
| 2026.10 | October 19, 2026 | First standalone Dispute Resolution Policy, replacing Section 15 of the previous Terms of Service. |