Resolving a supplier dispute

What to do when a claim conversation with your supplier gets stuck. How to open a dispute, what Everspring does as mediator, and what you can do upfront to resolve it.

Written By Bas den Hoed

What a dispute is

A dispute is what happens when a claim conversation with your supplier gets stuck. Maybe they reject a claim you think is valid. Maybe their proposed resolution doesn't match the damage. Maybe you've been waiting days for a reply that doesn't come. In all these cases, you can open a dispute and ask Everspring to step in as a mediator.

Before you open a dispute

A dispute isn't a first step. Two things to do first, because they often resolve the disagreement on their own:

  • Check your supplier's own terms and conditions. Everspring sets a baseline, but every supplier can add their own conditions on top, such as packaging standards, evidence requirements, time windows for filing a claim, or specific product care rules. The disagreement may come down to a supplemental rule you missed. See Your supplier's own terms.

  • Reply to the supplier with the specifics. Concrete photos, a short video, the exact damage you see, and what you'd consider fair. Many disagreements resolve once both sides have the same evidence in front of them.

If you've done both and you're still stuck, it's time for a dispute.

When to open a dispute

Dispute is for situations where you and the supplier can't reach a fair outcome together. Concrete examples:

  • The supplier won't reply. No response for days, the claim or order frozen.

  • You disagree with the resolution. The supplier offers a small discount for a serious defect, or refuses a replacement on plants that arrived damaged.

  • You're entitled to a refund or replacement but it's being held up. Our claim policy says yes, the supplier says no, and you can't bridge the gap.

  • The supplier rejected your claim and you think that's wrong. The evidence supports the claim, but the supplier won't approve it.

  • The handling itself doesn't feel right. Something about the communication or the assessment is off, and you want a neutral pair of eyes.

What isn't a dispute: end-customer change of mind, your customer mishandling the plant after delivery, or normal plant behaviour. Those belong to your own webshop's return policy, not to Everspring.

How to open a dispute

  1. Open the claim conversation with your supplier in the messenger.

  2. At the bottom of the chat you'll see Escalate to Everspring. The button is hidden when the claim is already resolved, or when the supplier hasn't had a chance to reply yet.

  3. Step 1 of the dialog explains when a dispute is the right move. Read through and click Next.

  4. Step 2 explains what Everspring does, and doesn't do, as a mediator. Click Next.

  5. Step 3 is the form. Pick a preferred outcome: replacement, full refund, credit on your eWallet, or something else. Then describe what happened in detail. The more concrete you are about the timeline, the evidence, and what a fair outcome looks like, the faster we can mediate.

  6. Submit. The conversation flips to Everspring is mediating this claim, and a support ticket opens on our side.

What Everspring does

Everspring is a network, not a judge. We don't decide the claim ourselves. What we do:

  • We contact the supplier directly. A mediator reaches out, presents your side of the story, and discusses your preferred outcome with the evidence from the conversation.

  • We hold both sides to the claim policy. If the supplier's proposal deviates from what's reasonable under our rules and their own supplementary conditions, we ask for justification and push for a fair outcome.

  • We keep the conversation moving. First reply within 2 working days. A final resolution usually takes 3 to 7 working days. We want both sides heard properly before we share a recommendation.

What Everspring doesn't do

  • We don't overrule the supplier. The supplier remains the owner of the final decision on the claim. On approval, your eWallet is credited automatically. On rejection, you'll see the reasoning directly in the chat.

  • We don't decide end-customer disputes. Whether your customer is entitled to a return is a question for your webshop's policy, not ours.

  • We don't act as a second opinion on every disagreement. Open a dispute when you're genuinely stuck, not as a routine step.

After you open a dispute

You'll see the Everspring is mediating this claim banner on the conversation. You can follow up via the support chat in the bottom right. Once a fair outcome is agreed:

  • For approved claims, the refund or credit settles to your eWallet automatically.

  • For rejected claims, the reasoning appears directly in the conversation.

  • For stuck orders or process issues, we unblock the next step and let you know what changed.

Examples

  • Stalled refund. You file a claim with photos showing a damaged batch. The supplier offers a 10% discount. You feel a full credit is warranted. You open a dispute with Full refund as preferred outcome. An Everspring mediator contacts the supplier, walks through the photos against the claim policy, and the supplier agrees to a full credit. eWallet credited within a working day.

  • Rejected claim you think is valid. Plants arrive with cold damage. You file a claim. The supplier rejects it, saying their packaging is fine. You check the supplier's terms (cold-sensitive products need insulated packaging above a certain temperature drop) and the evidence supports your side. You open a dispute. Everspring reviews and the supplier approves the claim.

  • Silent supplier. An order needs an address correction. The supplier hasn't replied in five days. You open a dispute. Everspring contacts the supplier, the correction is applied, the order ships.

Where to go from here