Customer Service

Your reputation on CaratX is built order by order, question by question. Buyers in the jewelry and gemstone market expect knowledgeable, prompt, and professional communication. Sellers who respond quickly and handle issues gracefully earn repeat business and better placement on the platform. --- ## 1. Answering Customer Questions Buyers can submit questions about your listings directly from your item pages. These arrive in your dashboard under **Support > Questions**. ### How it works - A buyer submits a question about one of your items from the product page. - You are notified and the question appears in your Questions queue. - Questions are marked **Unanswered** (status 1) until you reply. - Once you respond, the question is marked **Answered** and the buyer is notified automatically. ### How to respond 1. Go to **Support > Questions** in your seller dashboard. 2. Filter by **Unanswered** to prioritize new questions. 3. Click a question to open it and read the full context, including which item it relates to. 4. Type your reply (up to 5,000 characters). 5. Optionally check **Show on Website** to make the Q&A visible publicly on the item page. 6. Optionally check **Add to Product Q&A** to pin the answer permanently to the item's Q&A section — useful for common questions about carat weight, certifications, or metal type. 7. Click **Post Response**. ### Tips - Address the specific question — vague answers frustrate buyers and reduce conversion. - If the answer benefits all shoppers (e.g., "Is this GIA certified?"), add it to the Product Q&A so future visitors see it without asking. - If a question arrives after hours, aim to respond within one business day. --- ## 2. Handling Disputes A dispute is a formal complaint filed by a buyer after a completed or in-progress order. Disputes are tracked separately from general questions and involve more structured resolution steps. ### What triggers a dispute Buyers can open a dispute for any of these reasons: | Reason | Description | |--------|-------------| | Item Not Received | The buyer claims the order never arrived | | Item Not as Described | The item differs significantly from the listing | | Item Damaged | The item arrived in damaged condition | | Wrong Item Received | The buyer received a different item than ordered | | Other | Any other issue not covered above | ### How disputes reach you When a buyer opens a dispute, it appears immediately in your dashboard under **Support > Disputes** with status **Open**. You receive a notification. The dispute is assigned a unique reference number (e.g., `DSP-2026-000042`). ### How to respond to a dispute 1. Go to **Support > Disputes** and open the dispute. 2. Read the buyer's full complaint and any messages they have included. 3. Write a clear, professional response — explain your position, ask clarifying questions if needed, or acknowledge the issue. 4. Attach supporting evidence using the file upload (JPG, PNG, PDF, DOC, up to 10 MB per file): - Photos of the item before shipment - Tracking confirmation or delivery proof - Certificates of authenticity (GIA, AGS, etc.) - Correspondence with the buyer prior to the dispute 5. Click **Send Reply**. You can send multiple replies as the conversation progresses. Closed disputes cannot receive new messages. ### Providing evidence Strong evidence significantly affects how disputes are resolved. Recommended evidence by dispute type: - **Not Received** — carrier tracking showing delivery confirmation, signature required receipt. - **Not as Described** — high-resolution pre-shipment photos, listing screenshots, certificate scans. - **Damaged** — your pre-shipment photos vs. buyer's damage photos, carrier insurance claim if applicable. - **Wrong Item** — inventory records, packing photos, shipping label. --- ## 3. Dispute Statuses | Status | Meaning | |--------|---------| | **Open** | The dispute is active. You and the buyer can exchange messages. You can escalate to admin if needed. | | **Escalated** | A CaratX admin has been brought in to mediate. Both parties can still send messages. You cannot further escalate. | | **Resolved** | Admin has issued a ruling: full refund, partial refund, replacement, or no action. | | **Closed** | The dispute is finalized. No further messages are accepted. | ### Escalation If you and the buyer cannot reach agreement, either party can escalate the dispute. Escalation routes the case to a CaratX admin for mediation. To escalate, open the dispute and click **Escalate to Admin**. This option is only available when the dispute is Open. Use escalation judiciously. Frequent escalations without merit can affect your seller standing. --- ## 4. Refunds Refunds on CaratX are administered by platform admins — sellers do not issue refunds directly. When a dispute is resolved in the buyer's favor, admin determines the refund type and amount. ### Refund types | Type | What happens | |------|-------------| | **Full Refund** | The buyer receives the full order total. Your payout for that order is reversed. | | **Partial Refund** | Admin determines a fair partial amount. Your payout is reduced accordingly. | | **Replacement** | You ship a replacement item. No monetary refund is issued. | | **No Action** | The dispute is closed without a refund. Your payout is unaffected. | ### Impact on your earnings - Refund amounts are deducted from your pending or future payouts. - If a refund exceeds your current pending balance, the remainder is recovered from subsequent earnings. - Refund records are visible in your earnings history alongside the original order. ### Reducing refund risk - Ship promptly and use trackable carriers with insurance on high-value items. - Use accurate, detailed listing photos — all angles, under proper lighting. - Include certificates and appraisal documents with shipments whenever applicable. - Pack items securely. Damage during transit is your responsibility unless the buyer declines insurance at checkout. --- ## 5. Best Practices for Customer Service ### Response times | Channel | Target Response Time | |---------|---------------------| | Product questions | Within 24 hours on business days | | Dispute messages | Within 48 hours (escalation risk increases after 72 hours) | | Support tickets | Varies — platform handles these directly | Slow responses to disputes can result in admin ruling in the buyer's favor by default. ### Professional communication - **Stay factual.** Describe what happened, what you shipped, and what evidence you have. Avoid emotional language. - **Acknowledge the buyer's concern.** Even if you believe you are not at fault, a brief acknowledgment goes a long way. - **Offer solutions first.** Before a dispute escalates, consider whether a partial accommodation is more cost-effective than a prolonged dispute. - **Keep it on-platform.** All dispute communication must happen through the CaratX dispute system. Off-platform communication cannot be used as evidence. - **Never threaten or pressure buyers.** This can result in account action regardless of who is at fault in the underlying dispute. ### Building a strong track record - Answer questions thoroughly — buyers are more likely to purchase from sellers who respond clearly. - Resolve minor issues informally before they become disputes. - Keep your listings accurate and your photos current. Disputes caused by inaccurate descriptions are almost always resolved against the seller. --- ## 6. Support Tickets Support tickets are for issues between you and the CaratX platform — not between you and a buyer. Use support tickets when you need help with: - Payout discrepancies or missing payments - Listing or account technical issues - Questions about platform policies or seller tier requirements - Appeals regarding account actions ### How to create a ticket 1. Go to **Support > My Tickets** in your seller dashboard. 2. Click **New Ticket**. 3. Fill in a subject and describe the issue clearly. 4. Set a priority (Normal for most issues, High or Urgent for time-sensitive problems). 5. Submit. You will receive a ticket number (e.g., `TKT-2026-000018`) for reference. ### Ticket statuses | Status | Meaning | |--------|---------| | **Pending** | Submitted, not yet reviewed by support | | **Under Review** | Support has seen the ticket and is investigating | | **New Reply** | Support has responded — check your ticket for their message | | **Open** | Ongoing, awaiting further information | | **Resolved** | Issue addressed | | **Closed** | Ticket finalized | Tickets cannot receive new messages after being closed. If a closed issue recurs, open a new ticket and reference the original ticket number. --- Good customer service is not just about resolving complaints — it is a core part of how buyers decide who to purchase from and whether to return. Treat every question and dispute as an opportunity to demonstrate that you are a trustworthy, professional seller.