- Nov 8, 2005
- 157
- 584
UPDATED: 20 May 2026
Dispute Resolution Rules (please read before progressing to the form)
This section is where users, buyers and sellers, can post a dispute if a BlackHat World sale goes sideways. Before filling out the Dispute Resolution form, there's a few important things to note:
If you can tick all of the above boxes, please continue reading. If you're stuck on one of the items above, please work on satisfying the requirement before proceeding with the dispute resolution form. Submitting the form without the proper requirements could result in a warning to your account.
Once you have filled out the Dispute Resolution form, someone from the Community Team that handles disputes will check the form and make sure everything is filled out. If the team member needs supporting evidence, please keep an eye on the thread itself, notifications as well as your DMs. The quicker you can answer questions or provide supporting evidence, the quicker your dispute can either go live or be resolved.
If you are able to resolve your issue with the accused, please let the team member know so your dispute can be deleted. Otherwise the thread will go live and the accused will have 24 hours to respond.
Of course, you will also need to be readily available to the staff member moderating your Dispute. Failure to answer DMs or a live Dispute thread within 24 hours may result in. your Dispute being deleted and your account receiving a warning.
How to Start a Dispute Step By Step
Step 1. Gather all of your evidence into a convenient location on your PC and get ready to upload it. This could mean screen shots, video(s), documents or other electronic forms of evidence. You can upload the screenshots to a service such as Imgur and post links or simply upload the screen shot files themselves.
Step 2. Reach out to the accused (the upgraded member you have made a purchase from) via the DM functionality on this forum to ask if they can resolve the situation. If they refuse, inform them that in 24 hours you will be starting the Dispute process. Please note this step is mandatory and can not be satisfied in any other way.
Step 3. If you could not resolve the issue in 24 hours (the accused isn't working with you or just ignored the DM) you can go and click the "Start a Dispute" button and start filling out the form. Please note, the only correct way to submit a Dispute is via the Dispute Resolution Form. Submitting it via the quick thread will result in a warning and deletion of the thread.
Step 4A. Once you have submitted the Dispute Resolution form, 2FA (2 Factor Authentication) will automatically become enabled on your account. You must set this up so you can access your account. Here are instructions for setting it up (Click Here). This MUST stay enabled through the entire Dispute process. If it is disabled during an active Dispute, the Dispute will be closed and Warnings may be added to your account. After the Dispute has been resolved, if you wish to disable 2FA you may do so at that time. However, we do recommend leaving it on for added security to your account.
Step 4B. Once you have submitted your dispute, you will receive a DM from a staff member. If the Dispute is valid, one of the Community Team members responsible for handling Disputes will be assigned to your case (this can take up to 3 business days). They will be added to the DM where you can interact with them further. They may have questions for you or want you to post extra information in the Dispute thread. Please be ready, available and responsive for their questions so they can help you quickly.
Step 5. If your Dispute goes live, the accused will have 24 hours to respond. If they fail to resolve the issue, their account will be banned.
Make 100% certain that all of requirements are fulfilled and evidence submitted. Failure could mean your Dispute being deleted and your account receiving a warning.
Step 6. Watch for updates to the Dispute Resolution thread once its made LIVE. You will be required to remain active to interact with staff members as well as the Accused. If at any time there is a pause longer than 24 hours, and we (staff) are not made aware that you need to be away, the Dispute will be resolved in the favor of the Accused. Likewise, if the Accused does not respond within 24 hours, the Dispute will automatically be found in your favor.
Please note that once a Dispute thread goes live, it will not be deleted after the staff decision is made. The Dispute thread will remain live as a matter of public record.
What to Expect During a Live Dispute
You have submitted your DR form and it gets assigned to one of the Community Team staff members. What can you expect?
There are several potential resolutions possible for a DR. Here are the most common resolutions. Please note that DR threads that have gone LIVE will not be deleted once resolved. They will stay open for 7 days for public comment then become locked.
The Accused Does Not Respond to DR
In the Accused does not respond and acnowledge the DR within the 24 hours granted, the resolution will default in favor of the Accuser and the account of the Accused will be banned from BHW.
The Accuser Stops Responding to the DR
In the event the Accuser stops responding to the DR thread, they will be given 24 hours to respond. If the 24 hours pass then the resolution will default to the favor of the Accused and the Accuser will receive a Dispute Warning.
If in the event an exceptional circumstance comes up that will prevent the Accuser from responding, they should contact Support immediately.
The Two Parties Agree to a Favorable Resolution
In the case that both parties agree to a favorable resolution (refund, replacement product, etc):
Accepted Dispute Evidence
Below is the evidence that will be accepted for the disputes. Note, this list is not exhaustive so if you have evidence not in the list, it's OK to post it.
About 2 Factor Authentication (2FA)
As stated in step 4A above, 2FA will become enabled on accounts that currently have it disabled from the moment the Dispute Resolution form is submitted to BHW. You can read more about the reasons for this step in this BlackHat World News & Update thread.
It is mandatory that 2FA remains enabled through the Dispute process. If it is disabled while the Dispute is still live, it will render the Dispute invalid and it will immediately be closed. Your account may receive Warnings for violating the Dispute Resolution Rules and Procedures.
Keep ALL COMMUNICATION concerning the Dispute on BlackHat World
All communication concerning the Dispute must stay on forum. This means from the moment that the Dispute Resolution form being sent to the resolution of the Dispute.
DO NOT go to any off forum means of communication otherwise the Dispute may become invalidated.
Please note that Black Hat World ownership, management, and staff members are not liable for your losses. Your business decisions are your responsibility, due diligence should be a vital component to any transactions. While we are not responsible for your losses, we will do our best to prevent, respond, and mediate applicable situations.
For tips on avoiding scams and staying safe on Black Hat World, please read our thread titled, "Avoiding Scams & Staying Safe On Black Hat World".
BlackHat World staff members will never contact you outside of official sources. Official sources include threads, posts or DMs on this forum or via our Support Desk.
Dispute Resolution Rules (please read before progressing to the form)
This section is where users, buyers and sellers, can post a dispute if a BlackHat World sale goes sideways. Before filling out the Dispute Resolution form, there's a few important things to note:
- the issue in your Dispute MUST have occured within the last 30 days with a BHW seller
- the interaction with the BHW seller MUST have started on BlackHat World (sales, wtb, or haf thread/DM/signature/advert banner)
- you MUST have DM'd the accused here on BHW (see below if you can't DM yet) to try to resolve the dispute
- you MUST have informed the accused that you're putting in a dispute
- you MUST have waited 24 hours between informing the accused of the dispute and submitting it
- you MUST have a proof of the payment between yourself and BHW seller you are accusing
- you MUST have evidence of the conversation surrounding the dispute
- you MUST submit the dispute via the Dispute Resolution Form
- you MUST keep all communication about the Dispute on BHW from the beginning to the end
- you MUST keep 2FA (2 Factor Authentication) enabled through the entire Dispute Resolution Process
| Buyer | Any registered user on BHW that 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 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. |
If you can tick all of the above boxes, please continue reading. If you're stuck on one of the items above, please work on satisfying the requirement before proceeding with the dispute resolution form. Submitting the form without the proper requirements could result in a warning to your account.
Once you have filled out the Dispute Resolution form, someone from the Community Team that handles disputes will check the form and make sure everything is filled out. If the team member needs supporting evidence, please keep an eye on the thread itself, notifications as well as your DMs. The quicker you can answer questions or provide supporting evidence, the quicker your dispute can either go live or be resolved.
If you are able to resolve your issue with the accused, please let the team member know so your dispute can be deleted. Otherwise the thread will go live and the accused will have 24 hours to respond.
Of course, you will also need to be readily available to the staff member moderating your Dispute. Failure to answer DMs or a live Dispute thread within 24 hours may result in. your Dispute being deleted and your account receiving a warning.
How to Start a Dispute Step By Step
Step 1. Gather all of your evidence into a convenient location on your PC and get ready to upload it. This could mean screen shots, video(s), documents or other electronic forms of evidence. You can upload the screenshots to a service such as Imgur and post links or simply upload the screen shot files themselves.
Step 2. Reach out to the accused (the upgraded member you have made a purchase from) via the DM functionality on this forum to ask if they can resolve the situation. If they refuse, inform them that in 24 hours you will be starting the Dispute process. Please note this step is mandatory and can not be satisfied in any other way.
You have a few options. First, you can go and engage on the forum. It doesn't take long to get 15 posts when you're answering questions or discussing your favorite digital marketing topics.
Second, you can always start filling out the Dispute Form. When you come to the part about having DM'd the accused, answer the question truthfully then follow the instructions on the page.
Third, you can reach out to Support and ask that they start a DM for you before you start the Dispute process.
Whatever you do, don't skip this step. If you do and staff find out this step has been skipped, the Dispute will be deleted and you will likely incur a warning on your account.
Second, you can always start filling out the Dispute Form. When you come to the part about having DM'd the accused, answer the question truthfully then follow the instructions on the page.
Third, you can reach out to Support and ask that they start a DM for you before you start the Dispute process.
Whatever you do, don't skip this step. If you do and staff find out this step has been skipped, the Dispute will be deleted and you will likely incur a warning on your account.
Step 3. If you could not resolve the issue in 24 hours (the accused isn't working with you or just ignored the DM) you can go and click the "Start a Dispute" button and start filling out the form. Please note, the only correct way to submit a Dispute is via the Dispute Resolution Form. Submitting it via the quick thread will result in a warning and deletion of the thread.
Step 4A. Once you have submitted the Dispute Resolution form, 2FA (2 Factor Authentication) will automatically become enabled on your account. You must set this up so you can access your account. Here are instructions for setting it up (Click Here). This MUST stay enabled through the entire Dispute process. If it is disabled during an active Dispute, the Dispute will be closed and Warnings may be added to your account. After the Dispute has been resolved, if you wish to disable 2FA you may do so at that time. However, we do recommend leaving it on for added security to your account.
Step 4B. Once you have submitted your dispute, you will receive a DM from a staff member. If the Dispute is valid, one of the Community Team members responsible for handling Disputes will be assigned to your case (this can take up to 3 business days). They will be added to the DM where you can interact with them further. They may have questions for you or want you to post extra information in the Dispute thread. Please be ready, available and responsive for their questions so they can help you quickly.
Step 5. If your Dispute goes live, the accused will have 24 hours to respond. If they fail to resolve the issue, their account will be banned.
- Make sure the issue you're disputing occurred within the last 30 days.
- Make sure that the issue occured somewhere on BHW. A sales thread, or WTB/HAF thread, someone's signature, an advert banner or elsewhere on this forum.
- Reach out to the accused via DM to see if they're willing to resolve the issue.
- If they're not willing to resolve it, tell them you're submitting a Dispute in 24 hours.
- Wait 24 hours.
- Fill out Dispute form.
- Read the DM that is sent upon sending in the form.
- Be ready and available to assist the Community Team so we can get your Dispute live.
- Keep all communication concerning the Dispute in the Dispute thread.
Make 100% certain that all of requirements are fulfilled and evidence submitted. Failure could mean your Dispute being deleted and your account receiving a warning.
Step 6. Watch for updates to the Dispute Resolution thread once its made LIVE. You will be required to remain active to interact with staff members as well as the Accused. If at any time there is a pause longer than 24 hours, and we (staff) are not made aware that you need to be away, the Dispute will be resolved in the favor of the Accused. Likewise, if the Accused does not respond within 24 hours, the Dispute will automatically be found in your favor.
Please note that once a Dispute thread goes live, it will not be deleted after the staff decision is made. The Dispute thread will remain live as a matter of public record.
What to Expect During a Live Dispute
You have submitted your DR form and it gets assigned to one of the Community Team staff members. What can you expect?
- At the time the Dispute goes LIVE, the Accused will receive a warning notifying them of the Dispute. This sends a DM to their Inbox. Additionally, the DM will be pushed to our Support Desk by the assigned staff member so a ticket is created which will result in an email to the Accused as well.
- The Accused will get 24 hours to acknowledge the Dispute. This does NOT mean that they need to come up with a counter argument then and there. They need to post an acknowledgement which will buy them time to put together evidence to defend their side.
Lack of any sort of acknowledgement will result in an automatic resolution in favor of the Accuser.
- The accused will get to share their side of the argument and provide any counter evidence. Once this is done, the Accuser may respond. The Staff Member assigned to the Dispute may also ask questions.
- Both parties are expected to remain respectful and responsive.
There are several potential resolutions possible for a DR. Here are the most common resolutions. Please note that DR threads that have gone LIVE will not be deleted once resolved. They will stay open for 7 days for public comment then become locked.
The Accused Does Not Respond to DR
In the Accused does not respond and acnowledge the DR within the 24 hours granted, the resolution will default in favor of the Accuser and the account of the Accused will be banned from BHW.
The Accuser Stops Responding to the DR
In the event the Accuser stops responding to the DR thread, they will be given 24 hours to respond. If the 24 hours pass then the resolution will default to the favor of the Accused and the Accuser will receive a Dispute Warning.
If in the event an exceptional circumstance comes up that will prevent the Accuser from responding, they should contact Support immediately.
The Two Parties Agree to a Favorable Resolution
In the case that both parties agree to a favorable resolution (refund, replacement product, etc):
- both parties will stop posting in the DR thread
- the Staff Member will start a 3Way Conversation with the 2 parties
- the necessary information will be exchanged for refund, replacement, etc via DM
- after the exchange of information and/or refund, both parties will then post in the DR:
- Accused - "refund given" or "replacement account sent"
- Accuser - "refund received" or "new account received"
- the Staff Member will then resolve the thread
Accepted Dispute Evidence
Below is the evidence that will be accepted for the disputes. Note, this list is not exhaustive so if you have evidence not in the list, it's OK to post it.
The following is the forms of proof showing that the problem or issue started on BHW:
- Link to or a screen shot of a DM (direct message)
- Link to where a conversation was started in a thread
- Screenshot showing the advert banner you clicked on.
A DM here on BlackHat World. If you can't start a DM yourself, please either note this in your Dispute form or contact Support for assistance.
The following is the forms of proof showing that the accused has been informed.
- Link to a DM (direct message)
- Screenshot of the DM
The following is the forms of evidence that money went from you to the accused. You will need to include 2 screen shots for this portion. One showing you paid the accused and one of the accused sharing their payment details with you.
Proof of payment can include:
Screenshots simply telling the accused the money was sent are not valid forms of proof.
Proof of payment can include:
- Bank transaction
- Paypal transaction
- Escrow transaction
- Crypto transaction
- Cashapp transaction
Screenshots simply telling the accused the money was sent are not valid forms of proof.
Post any supporting screenshots outlining the issue:
- Link to a DM (direct message)
- Screenshots of the conversation via other communication methods
- Screenshots showing the accused stopped communicating
- Videos of the issue (proving something doesn't work or wasn't as advertised, etc)
About 2 Factor Authentication (2FA)
As stated in step 4A above, 2FA will become enabled on accounts that currently have it disabled from the moment the Dispute Resolution form is submitted to BHW. You can read more about the reasons for this step in this BlackHat World News & Update thread.
It is mandatory that 2FA remains enabled through the Dispute process. If it is disabled while the Dispute is still live, it will render the Dispute invalid and it will immediately be closed. Your account may receive Warnings for violating the Dispute Resolution Rules and Procedures.
Keep ALL COMMUNICATION concerning the Dispute on BlackHat World
All communication concerning the Dispute must stay on forum. This means from the moment that the Dispute Resolution form being sent to the resolution of the Dispute.
DO NOT go to any off forum means of communication otherwise the Dispute may become invalidated.
Please note that Black Hat World ownership, management, and staff members are not liable for your losses. Your business decisions are your responsibility, due diligence should be a vital component to any transactions. While we are not responsible for your losses, we will do our best to prevent, respond, and mediate applicable situations.
For tips on avoiding scams and staying safe on Black Hat World, please read our thread titled, "Avoiding Scams & Staying Safe On Black Hat World".
BlackHat World staff members will never contact you outside of official sources. Official sources include threads, posts or DMs on this forum or via our Support Desk.
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