Dispute Policy

A dispute is the formal way to raise an issue about a hire. Either side - lender or renter - can open one when something has gone wrong: damage to the item, a late or missing return, a delivery problem, the item being different to its listing, conduct concerns, anything that affected the hire.

This policy explains who can raise a dispute, what you can raise, the process from open to outcome, how decisions are made, and your rights throughout. It binds the way Ourfit handles disputes on the platform; it does not limit any rights you have under Australian law.

1. When you can raise a dispute

You can open a dispute from the moment a booking is confirmed (and you have access to the item or the rental has started) until 7 days after the rental's end date. After that window closes, no new disputes can be opened against that booking and the case is treated as closed in good standing.

Some practical examples of when each side typically raises one:

• The renter opens a dispute on arrival (item looks different to the listing, hygiene issue, delivery problem) or shortly after the hire (item was misdescribed).
• The lenderopens a dispute on return (item damaged, missing, returned late) or shortly after cleaning (damage that wasn't obvious at first glance).

There can only be one open dispute per booking at a time. Both sides can add their own claims and evidence to the same case until it's resolved.

2. The lifecycle of a dispute

1. Open. One side raises a dispute by submitting at least one claim with a category, a description, evidence, and (where relevant) a requested dollar amount.
2. Respond. The other side is notified and has 5 days to respond per claim: accept, counter-offer with a different amount or position, or contest with their own evidence.
3. Resolve.If both sides agree, the agreed outcome executes (charge, refund, no action) and the case closes. If they don't agree, the case enters Ourfit's review: a reviewer reads the evidence both sides provided and decides the outcome for each contested claim.
4. Close. Once every claim has an outcome, the case is closed. Decisions are recorded against the booking and communicated to both sides in writing.

The case can also close earlier - if the side that opened it withdraws all their claims, or if both sides agree to drop everything.

3. What you can dispute

Each claim has one category. We group them by type rather than listing the raw labels - this is what the categories mean and who they typically apply to.

Item condition (lender-raised)

• Damage.Stains that won't dry-clean out, rips, tears, holes, broken zips, missing trims, burns, dye discolouration, stretching, persistent odours.
• Total loss. Item destroyed beyond use.
• Late return. Item returned after the agreed end date.
• Non-return. Item not returned at all.

Item arrival (renter-raised)

• Misrepresentation. The item is materially different to its listing - colour, condition, size, material, brand.
• Hygiene.The item arrived in a state that wasn't hygienic to wear (stains, odours, visible dirt) and the lender should have noticed before shipping.
• Fit or expectation.The item didn't fit as described or didn't match a specific claim in the listing. Note that subjective dissatisfaction with the look or feel is generally not a basis for a refund.

Delivery

• Courier fault.The courier lost, damaged in transit, or significantly delayed the item. These claims usually need carrier tracking evidence and are often escalated to the carrier's own claims process.
• Lender fault.The lender shipped late, didn't ship at all, or shipped the wrong item.
• Renter fault.The renter provided a bad address, missed pickup, or didn't collect from Australia Post.

Conduct

• Communication. One side was unresponsive, abusive, or behaved in a way that affected the hire.
• Fraud. Reasonable evidence of deliberate dishonesty - fake listings, swap of returned item, identity misuse. Fraud claims need strong evidence and may also lead to account suspension.

4. Timelines and what happens if you ignore a claim

• Dispute window:opens when the booking is confirmed, closes 7 days after the rental's end date.
• Lender claim-open window for damage / late / non-return: within 7 days of the item arriving back, so issues are raised while evidence is fresh.
• Response window per claim:5 days from the moment you're notified. We send a reminder at 72 hours before the deadline and a final reminder at 24 hours.

If you don't respond in time - despite the two reminders - the claim is treated as auto-accepted at the amount the other side requested. Both reminder timestamps are recorded on the case. We strongly recommend responding promptly, even if just to acknowledge and request a few more days; we will typically accommodate reasonable extension requests where both sides agree.

5. Evidence - what to provide and what carries weight

Every claim asks for evidence. The more specific and timestamped your evidence, the more useful it is. We weigh evidence quality, not volume.

What helps

• Photos taken at the relevant moment - on receipt of the item, on return, of the damage itself with context shots
• Tracking numbers and carrier event logs for delivery claims
• In-platform messages between you and the other side
• Listing screenshots if the claim is about a mismatch between description and actual item
• Receipts (for cleaning, repair, replacement quotes)

What doesn't carry weight

• Photos with no timestamp or context
• Off-platform messages where we can't verify the participants (please keep your communication on Ourfit)
• Hearsay ("a friend said", "my dry-cleaner thinks")
• Generalised dissatisfaction without specific evidence

6. Possible outcomes

Each claim is resolved with one of the following outcomes. A single case can have several claims with different outcomes (for example, partial refund to the renter for a delivery delay + partial charge to the renter for minor damage).

• No action.The claim isn't upheld. Nothing changes financially.
• Charge to renter.An amount up to the item's retail price (RRP) is charged to the renter's card on file. See the Damage Policy for the cap, the retry behaviour, and the renter's prior consent.
• Refund to renter. A portion or all of the rental price is refunded by the lender to the renter.
• Carrier escalation.The case is referred to the courier's own claims process. No financial action happens on the Ourfit platform; we'll help you compile the carrier claim.

Amounts are entered explicitly at resolution time. They're informed by severity (light vs major vs total) and item value (the listing's RRP), not computed automatically - context matters and we'd rather get it right than be mechanically consistent.

7. Decisions and what "final" means

When a case can't be resolved by agreement and an Ourfit reviewer decides it, that decision is final on the Ourfit platform - we don't reopen the case or run further appeals here. We commit to:

• Sharing the reviewer's decision and the rationale in writing with both sides
• Recording the decision against the booking so there's a permanent record
• Applying the same standards consistently - so similar cases get similar outcomes

A "final" Ourfit decision does not limit any rights you have under Australian law. Specifically, it does not prevent you from disputing an individual charge with your bank or card issuer under the usual chargeback rules, or from pursuing a remedy through the Australian Consumer Law or a relevant tribunal.

8. Your rights throughout

• Right to contest. You can contest any claim raised against you during the response window, with your own evidence.
• Right to update your card.You can change or remove the card on file at any time. This doesn't retroactively undo charges that have already executed, but it stops future attempts.
• Right to a copy. You can request a copy of the case file, including the evidence submitted and the decision and rationale, by emailing support.
• Right to bank dispute.If a charge has executed and you don't agree with it, you can dispute it through your bank or card issuer.
• ACL rights are preserved. Nothing in this policy excludes, restricts or modifies any rights or guarantees you have under the Australian Consumer Law that cannot be excluded.

9. Versions of this policy

This is version 2026-06-03-v1 of the Dispute Policy. When we materially change the category list, lifecycle, response timelines, evidence rules, or possible outcomes, we bump the version. New versions apply to disputes opened after the version takes effect; in-flight cases are resolved under the version that was current when the dispute was opened. Past versions stay available at their own URL (this one is at /dispute-v1).

10. Questions

For questions about this policy, or to escalate a dispute that's gone off the rails, email hello@ourfit.app with your booking number and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.