What Happens When a Data Delivery Is Disputed

If a buyer disputes a data delivery on LogitAtlas before funds auto-release, the money stays in escrow and an admin reviews the dispute before any funds move. Both sides should expect to show what was promised, what was delivered and how the buyer checked it. A clear listing and a clear delivery record prevent most disputes.

What is a data delivery dispute?

A data delivery dispute is a buyer's formal objection that what they received does not match what they paid for. It differs from a negotiation question or a support request: it is a claim that the order is not complete or not as described, and it pauses the normal path to payment.

Disputes happen with data because data is hard to inspect at a glance. A physical product can be unboxed and checked in a minute.

A dataset of millions of records may take days to load, parse and assess. A buyer may only discover a problem after running their pipeline, long after the files arrived. That gap between delivery and discovery is why the review window and the evidence you keep matter.

How does escrow work in a data order?

In an escrowed order the buyer pays up front through Stripe, the platform holds the funds, the seller delivers, and the money moves to the seller when the buyer confirms or the review window ends. Escrow protects both sides from going first.

On LogitAtlas the sequence is:

1. The buyer and seller agree a price, either as listed or through the bid flow, where an accepted bid becomes the checkout price.
2. The buyer pays through Stripe and funds are held in escrow.
3. The seller delivers using the agreed mode: files in secure platform storage, a seller-hosted link revealed after payment, or scoped API credentials.
4. The buyer checks the delivery and confirms, at which point funds are released to the seller, less the 10% platform commission.
5. If the buyer does nothing, funds auto-release after 72 hours.
6. If the buyer opens a dispute first, an admin reviews it before funds move.

Sellers receive payouts through Stripe Connect. The full flow is described in how it works.

What happens after a buyer opens a dispute?

Once a dispute is opened, the release of funds is held until an admin has reviewed the case. The practical effect is that the automatic 72-hour release no longer completes the order by default, and the question moves to a human reviewer.

Do not read more into this than the process states. The platform's rule is that an admin reviews before funds move. Questions about exactly what an outcome looks like, such as a full release, a refund or a partial resolution, belong with the platform's support, which you can reach through support. Treat anything not stated in the published process as unconfirmed rather than assuming how it will go.

What you can control is the quality of your evidence and how clearly each side explains its position. A reviewer can only weigh what is in front of them: the listing, the message thread, the agreed price and the delivery record.

What reasons do buyers give for disputing a delivery?

Buyers dispute for a handful of recurring reasons, and most of them trace back to a gap between the listing's description and the delivered data. Knowing them helps sellers prevent disputes and helps buyers frame them precisely.

• Nothing arrived, or access did not work: the link was dead, the credentials failed or the files could not be opened.
• The delivery is incomplete: fewer records, fewer files or a shorter time span than described.
• The schema or format differs from the listing: missing fields, different encodings or different structure.
• Quality is much worse than described: heavy duplication, large numbers of empty fields, corrupted files.
• Content differs from the description: the data covers a different period, source or type than the listing said.
• Rights concerns: the buyer believes the data includes material the seller had no right to license, or that personal information remains.
• Mismatch with an agreed sample: the full delivery behaves differently from the sample the buyer evaluated.

Not every complaint is a valid dispute. "The data turned out less useful for my model than I hoped" is a different matter from "the data does not match what was listed", and the difference is central to the review.

What evidence helps in a data dispute?

The strongest evidence is a precise description of what was promised, a record of what was delivered, and a record of how the buyer checked it. Both sides benefit from clear, dated, specific material instead of general statements.

For sellers:

• The listing text, schema description and any data dictionary as published at the time of purchase.
• The message thread showing what was discussed and agreed, including any scope or format changes.
• Delivery records: when and how data was delivered and what was included.
• Counts, checksums or summary statistics that match the description, if you produced them.
• Any sample shared earlier, so the buyer can be pointed to what they already saw.

For buyers:

• Specific descriptions of the discrepancy, with examples, not general dissatisfaction.
• What you ran and how: the checks, scripts or queries that exposed the issue.
• A comparison against the listing and the agreed terms.
• Timing, to show you raised the issue before the auto-release window closed.

Keep the tone factual. A short, specific, well-evidenced account serves a reviewer better than a long emotional one.

What does a typical dispute look like?

A typical dispute turns on a specific, checkable gap between the listing and the delivery. Here is a hypothetical example, with invented details, to show how the evidence works.

Suppose a listing describes a corpus of anonymised support conversations covering a stated date range, with a stated set of fields. The buyer pays, receives the files and runs a parser. They find that one described field is empty in many records, and that the date range ends earlier than listed. They open a dispute and attach their counts and a few examples.

The seller replies with the listing text, the data dictionary and the delivery record, and notes that the field was described as optional. The reviewer can then compare three things: the listing's wording about the field, the stated date range, and the delivered files. The date range gap looks like a real mismatch. The empty optional field looks like a matter of description.

Clear wording on both sides decides which claim stands, which is exactly why precise listings matter.

How can sellers avoid disputes?

Sellers avoid most disputes by describing the data accurately, giving buyers a way to test it before paying, and keeping a record of what was delivered. Accurate descriptions cost nothing and prevent most disagreements.

1. Describe the data honestly: record counts, date range, languages, source types, formats and known gaps. Say what is not included.
2. Document the schema and any known quirks, so oddities are not discovered as surprises.
3. Offer a representative sample under NDA where appropriate, so the buyer tests before committing.
4. Agree scope in the thread before accepting a bid, and restate it in writing.
5. Deliver in the agreed mode and tell the buyer when and how, so the 72-hour window is not wasted on a missing link.
6. Keep your own copy of exactly what was delivered, plus any validation output.
7. Respond quickly and politely if a buyer raises a concern in the thread, before it becomes a formal dispute.

Preparation work done earlier helps here too. How to run a company data inventory is the right starting point for knowing what you have before describing it.

How can buyers avoid disputes?

Buyers avoid disputes by testing early, checking the delivery promptly and raising issues in the thread before the window closes. Because funds auto-release after 72 hours if you do nothing, a passive buyer gives up the chance to object.

• Ask for a sample and test it against your real pipeline before agreeing the price.
• Write down your acceptance criteria before paying, for example record count within the described range, required fields present, files parse correctly.
• Check the delivery as soon as it arrives rather than waiting. Plan your team's time so someone can run checks within the window.
• Raise concerns in the message thread early. Many issues, such as a broken link or a missing file, are fixed by the seller within hours.
• If a real mismatch exists, open the dispute before the window ends, not after.

How to request and assess a data sample under NDA covers pre-purchase testing in more depth, and provenance and rights questions are worth settling before payment, not after.

When is a dispute the wrong tool?

A dispute is the wrong tool for ordinary disappointment, for disagreements about price after the fact and for problems that a conversation would fix. It is meant for a real mismatch between what was agreed and what was delivered.

Consider these alternatives first:

• A quick message to the seller or buyer, because many problems are misunderstandings or small gaps.
• A request for a corrected or replacement delivery, if the problem is a missing file or a broken link.
• A negotiated partial remedy, if both sides agree the delivery is close but not perfect.

If you cannot agree and the window is running, opening a dispute preserves your position. If you are unsure how to proceed in a specific case, ask support.

License scope matters too. A delivery can match the files described yet still be disputed if the parties disagreed about what the license allowed. Vague scope is a quiet source of conflict, even where the data itself is fine.

Make sure the permitted use, term, exclusivity and derivative rights are clear before payment. How to structure data license tiers and scope explains the dials, and the clauses on use, term and deletion most often cause trouble. This is general information and not legal advice; if real money or sensitive data is at stake, speak to a qualified lawyer. Sellers who want to prepare a clear listing can start at /sell.

Frequently asked questions

What happens to the money when a buyer disputes a delivery?

The funds remain in escrow. On LogitAtlas, if the buyer opens a dispute before the order auto-releases, an admin reviews the case before any funds move. Neither side receives the money until that review has taken place. For questions about a specific outcome, contact support.

How long does a buyer have to dispute a delivery?

Funds auto-release 72 hours after delivery if the buyer does nothing, so a buyer who wants to dispute should do so before that window closes. Buyers should plan their checks so someone can run them promptly after delivery, and raise any concern in the message thread right away.

Can a seller be paid if the buyer does not respond?

Yes. If the buyer takes no action, the funds auto-release after 72 hours and the order completes, less the 10% platform commission. That is why buyers need to check promptly, and why sellers should deliver clearly and tell the buyer exactly how to access the data.

What evidence should I keep as a seller?

Keep the listing as published, the message thread, the agreed price and scope, a record of what was delivered and when, and any validation results such as counts or summary statistics. Keep a copy of exactly what you delivered. This evidence lets a reviewer compare the promise with the delivery.

Is "the data was not useful" grounds for a dispute?

Usually not on its own. A dispute concerns a mismatch between what was described or agreed and what was delivered, such as missing fields, wrong coverage or inaccessible files. Disappointment about how a model performed is a different matter, which is why sample testing before purchase is so valuable.