Refund, Dispute & Escrow Policy

AgroBridge Africa Ltd ("AgroBridge," "we," "our," or "us") is committed to ensuring fair, transparent, and efficient resolution of all disputes arising from transactions on our digital agricultural marketplace. This Refund, Dispute & Escrow Policy ("Policy") sets out the rights and obligations of buyers, farmers, and logistics partners in relation to payment protection, refund eligibility, and the dispute resolution process.

This Policy forms an integral part of the AgroBridge Terms of Service and must be read together with the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Capitalised terms used but not defined herein have the meanings given in the Terms of Service.

By using the Platform, all users agree to be bound by this Policy as the exclusive mechanism for resolving transactional disputes arising on the Platform, prior to any external legal proceedings.

The AgroBridge Escrow System is a core pillar of our platform, designed to protect both buyers and farmers by ensuring that funds are only released when agreed conditions are met.

2.1 How Escrow Works

• Step 1 – Buyer Payment: When a buyer places an order and completes payment, funds are captured by AgroBridge's payment processing partner (Paystack) and held in a designated trust account.
• Step 2 – Order Fulfilment: The farmer prepares and delivers (or makes available for pickup) the ordered produce within the agreed timeframe.
• Step 3 – Delivery Confirmation: Upon successful delivery or pickup, the buyer is notified to confirm receipt within the confirmation window.
• Step 4 – Fund Release: Confirmed delivery triggers the release of escrow funds to the farmer's account, less applicable platform service fees, within 24–72 business hours.
• Step 5 – Auto-Release: Where a buyer fails to confirm or dispute delivery within the 48-hour dispute window, funds are automatically released to the farmer.

2.2 Escrow Coverage

Escrow protection applies to:

• All standard marketplace orders.
• All confirmed Group Buy participations.
• All Wholesale / B2B orders placed through the Platform.

Escrow does not apply to in-person transactions arranged outside the Platform, or transactions not processed through AgroBridge's official payment gateway.

Refunds may be approved by AgroBridge, at its sole reasonable discretion, in the following circumstances:

3.1 Full Refund Situations

• Non-Delivery: A farmer or logistics partner confirms inability to deliver or has not delivered within 72 hours of the confirmed delivery date with no communication.
• Group Buy Cancellation: A Group Buy fails to reach its minimum participation threshold within the stated window, or is cancelled by AgroBridge or the farmer.
• Substantially Different Goods: Produce received is materially different from the listing description in terms of type, quality grade, or weight (a variance of more than 15% in weight or a significant deviation in quality grade).
• Damaged or Unfit Goods: Produce is delivered in a damaged, rotten, or otherwise unfit-for-consumption condition, and the buyer provides adequate photographic or video evidence within the dispute window.
• Duplicate Payment: A confirmed technical error results in a buyer being charged more than once for the same order.

3.2 Partial Refund Situations

• Where only a portion of an order is undelivered or does not meet quality standards, a partial refund proportional to the affected portion may be granted.
• Where quality issues affect part of an order and evidence is provided for only that portion.

3.3 Non-Refundable Situations

Refunds will not be granted in the following circumstances:

• The buyer fails to collect produce at the agreed pickup hub or delivery location within the designated collection window (typically 24 hours from the notified availability time).
• The buyer provided incorrect delivery or contact information, resulting in failed delivery.
• The buyer disputes delivery after the 48-hour dispute window has elapsed without a filed dispute.
• Evidence confirms that delivery was made as described and accepted by the buyer or an authorised representative.
• The buyer's dissatisfaction is based on personal preference, taste, or a subjective assessment of quality that does not constitute a material deviation from the listing.
• Losses arising from the buyer's own mishandling or improper storage of perishable goods after delivery.
• Platform service fees and delivery charges are generally non-refundable, except in cases of proven platform error.

All disputes must be filed within 48 hours of the confirmed delivery or scheduled delivery date, whichever is earlier. Disputes filed after this window will only be considered in exceptional circumstances at AgroBridge's discretion.

4.1 Filing a Dispute

To raise a dispute:

1. Log in to your AgroBridge account and navigate to Orders → [Affected Order] → Raise a Dispute.
2. Select the dispute reason from the provided categories.
3. Provide a clear written description of the issue.
4. Upload supporting evidence (photographs, videos, screenshots of communications).
5. Submit the dispute. You will receive an acknowledgement via email within 2 business hours.

Alternatively, disputes may be filed via email to disputes@agrobridge.com.ng with your Order ID, account email, and supporting evidence.

4.2 Evidence Requirements

• Photographs of received produce clearly showing the condition and relevant measurements or labels.
• Video evidence for quality disputes (strongly recommended).
• Any written communications with the farmer relevant to the dispute.
• Delivery receipts or confirmations, if applicable.

AgroBridge may request additional evidence during the investigation process. Failure to provide requested evidence within the stated timeframe may result in the dispute being resolved in favour of the other party.

Upon receiving a valid dispute, AgroBridge will:

1. Acknowledge Receipt: Confirm receipt of the dispute within 2 business hours.
2. Freeze Escrow: Immediately place a hold on any escrow funds pending resolution to ensure no premature release.
3. Notify Counterparty: Notify the farmer (or buyer, as applicable) of the dispute and invite their response within 24 hours.
4. Conduct Investigation: Our disputes team will review all submitted evidence, order records, delivery logs, communication records, and any other relevant platform data.
5. Issue Determination: A determination will be issued within 5–7 business days of the dispute submission. Complex cases may take up to 14 business days.

During investigation, both parties must cooperate fully and respond to information requests within the timeframes specified. Failure to cooperate may be taken as evidence against the non-cooperating party.

Following investigation, AgroBridge may issue one of the following determinations:

• Full Refund to Buyer: Escrow funds are released back to the buyer's original payment method within 5–10 business days.
• Full Release to Farmer: Escrow funds are released to the farmer where the dispute is found to be unfounded or the buyer has failed to substantiate their claim.
• Partial Resolution: A proportional refund to the buyer with partial payout to the farmer based on evidence of partial performance.
• Account Action: In addition to the financial resolution, AgroBridge may issue warnings, temporary suspensions, or permanent bans to users found to have acted in bad faith, committed fraud, or repeatedly violated platform policies.

AgroBridge's determination is final and binding on both parties as an express term of the agreement to use the Platform, subject only to challenge through formal arbitration as set out in the Terms of Service.

AgroBridge reserves the right to withhold, delay, or clawback farmer payouts in the following circumstances:

• An active dispute is pending against the farmer's order.
• The farmer's account is under investigation for suspected fraud or policy violations.
• The farmer has outstanding negative balance from previously reversed payouts.
• The farmer fails to provide updated bank account details for payout processing.
• A court order, government authority, or regulatory body directs us to freeze funds.

Where a payout is withheld, the farmer will be notified in writing with the reason. Disputes about payout withholding should be directed to farmers@agrobridge.com.ng.

AgroBridge operates a zero-tolerance policy for fraudulent use of the dispute and refund mechanism. The following activities constitute misuse and may result in account suspension and referral to law enforcement:

• Filing a dispute while having received and accepted the correct produce (buyer fraud).
• Fabricating, altering, or staging photographic or video evidence.
• Filing repeated unfounded disputes to obtain refunds without legitimate grounds.
• Coordinating with others to submit false claims (collusive fraud).
• Failing to deliver and falsely claiming delivery to trigger payout (farmer fraud).

Users found to have committed fraud may, in addition to account termination, be subject to civil proceedings for recovery of fraudulently obtained funds and criminal prosecution under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act and the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act of Nigeria.

• Disputes Portal: Via your account dashboard under Orders.
• Disputes Email: disputes@agrobridge.com.ng
• Farmer Support: farmers@agrobridge.com.ng
• General Support: support@agrobridge.com.ng
• Telephone: +234 703 891 5555 (Mon–Fri, 8am–6pm WAT)

Please include your Order ID and registered account email in all correspondence to expedite processing.