A not-as-described dispute is about the gap between what the customer was promised and what they received. Shipping proof alone does not answer it. The evidence has to reconstruct the representation at purchase time, the delivered product or service, and what happened when the customer complained.
Freeze the sales page version
Save the product page, proposal, menu, specification sheet, or scope of work that existed when the transaction occurred.
Capture: - product name/SKU; - size/color/model; - key specifications; - photos; - material claims; - delivery estimate if disputed; - refund/return terms.
Do not rely on today’s page if the listing changed after purchase. Use ecommerce version history, CMS revision, order confirmation, or archived internal material if available.
Put the complaint into one sentence
Examples: - “Customer says blue jacket was delivered instead of black.” - “Customer says consulting package promised four sessions but only two were provided.” - “Customer says item was damaged on arrival.” - “Customer says refurbished equipment was sold as new.”
Your packet should answer that sentence. Avoid irrelevant identity evidence.
If the complaint is correct, consider accepting the chargeback or resolving through the processor’s allowed workflow.
Show what was actually fulfilled
For goods, use pick/pack records, SKU scans, serial numbers, warehouse photos, carrier records, and customer-submitted photos.
For services, use the signed SOW, schedule, meeting attendance, deliverables, acceptance messages, and any revision/cure history.
If quality is subjective, objective records matter even more. Show the specification and what was delivered rather than saying “we think it was excellent.”
Document return or cure opportunities
Shopify’s guidance for product-unacceptable disputes highlights return attempts, replacement, and merchant communication.
Include: - return policy accepted or displayed; - return authorization; - customer’s return tracking; - replacement shipment; - refund offer; - troubleshooting or repair; - communication where the customer declined a proposed cure.
Do not use a “no refunds” policy as universal proof that a materially misdescribed product was acceptable. Contract and consumer law can override internal policy in some circumstances.
Handle partial disputes precisely
If a multi-item order contains one defective item, the disputed amount may not correspond to the entire order. Show the line-item price and any partial refund.
If only one project milestone is disputed, separate that deliverable from completed accepted milestones.
Overreaching for the whole transaction can make an otherwise strong packet look careless.
Build a side-by-side exhibit
A reviewer should see: - Promised: screenshot/specification; - Ordered: SKU/service package; - Fulfilled: warehouse/service record; - Customer complaint: date and wording; - Merchant response: return/replacement/cure; - Outcome: returned, retained, refunded, replaced, or unresolved.
Use arrows or labels sparingly. Make differences legible.
Prevention is a merchandising problem
Track not-as-described disputes by SKU, product page, salesperson, service package, and return reason.
If customers repeatedly misunderstand the same dimension, material, renewal term, or service scope, fix the sales representation. Better evidence helps contest an invalid dispute; clearer sales material prevents valid ones.
For custom services, require written scope and acceptance criteria before work. For physical goods, keep product content accurate and preserve the listing version associated with each order.
The strongest packet does not argue that the customer is unreasonable. It demonstrates that the delivered item matched the representation—or candidly shows why the dispute should be accepted if it did not.
Prove what the buyer was shown before purchase
The strongest description evidence is the version the customer actually saw, not today’s product page. Preserve the order-time title, variant, dimensions, material, condition, compatibility notes, photographs, and any required acknowledgments. If the product page changed after the order, use a CMS revision, catalog export, or archived order snapshot to establish the earlier version.
Then compare the complaint to the description point by point. A customer saying “wrong size” calls for the selected variant and size chart; “not genuine” calls for provenance or authorization evidence; “missing feature” calls for the feature list and model identifier. Avoid a long marketing brochure that never addresses the disputed characteristic.
Return and remediation evidence also matters. Show whether the merchant offered replacement, repair, exchange, or return under the disclosed policy, whether the buyer responded, and whether returned goods were received. A refusal to accept a valid return can undermine an otherwise good description packet.
Photograph condition at fulfillment and return
For physical goods, preserve packing photographs or quality-control records when they exist and connect them to the order identifier. If the buyer returns the item, photograph the returned condition before restocking. A return showing a different serial number, missing component, or damage can be relevant, but explain the comparison rather than implying fraud from a photo alone.
Separate preference from mismatch
A buyer disliking color or fit is not the same factual claim as receiving a different SKU or specification. Compare the disputed attribute with the selected variant and fulfillment record, then address any return right that applied to a preference-based complaint.
If serial numbers or lot numbers exist, include them when they connect the advertised model to the shipped item. This is more precise than relying on a generic product photograph.