General Dispute Resolution Rules
- Threads in this section may only pertain to business that began on Bible Study Forum Market Place sections which includes sections of the forum that involves buying and selling, paid services forums, PMs also included. Business that began away from the forum (e.g., Skype, Telegram, Whatsapp, another forum, etc) is not covered.
- You must attempt all reasonable forms of resolution before posting a thread in this section. This includes diligently exhausting all forms of contact available, waiting 48 hours at a minimum, and informing the other party of your intention to list them in the Dispute Resolution forum them.
- Evidence in the form of conversation logs, screenshots, URLs, videos, and, links to any posts related to the dispute are required. Any attempts to falsify evidence will result in your Dispute Resolution being rejected and a warning.
- If you are not directly related to the situation or are not offering information directly related to the situation, do not post in the thread. Ensure sensitive information is blurred/masked.
- Do not post personal information in your Dispute Resolution thread. Personal information includes, but is not limited to: physical addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, real names, unrelated internet properties, pictures of the accused, SSNs, government-issued IDs, and social media accounts.
- With the exception of cases concerning non-delivery, we do not handle Dispute Resolutions where bartering was involved (e.g., value of item A is now more than the value of item B).
- Resolved disputes will be closed 2 weeks after their resolution.
Dispute Resolution Procedure
- Reach out to the other party using all reasonable forms of contact.
- Inform the other party on Bible Study Forum of your intention to create a Dispute Resolution thread about them.
- If the other party does not respond after 8 hours, open a Dispute Resolution thread using the instructions below.
- A moderator will respond to your thread once they're ready to review your case. If insufficient information has been provided, you'll be sent an alert to resubmit the thread, or you may be asked to submit the extra information in the same thread depending on how minor the issues are.
- We will mediate the dispute via a group conversation (unless the accused does not respond to the conversation in the allotted time) before setting the Dispute Resolution thread live. Note that in some cases, we may expedite a Dispute Resolution thread by making the thread live first.
- The accused will have 24 hours to respond and will be prohibited from engaging in other activities on the forum whilst we await their initial response.
Instructions For Submitting A Dispute Resolution Thread
A list of everything you need to include in your Dispute Resolution post is below. Please note that you must state your case clearly and concisely.
- Link or screenshot proof that the transaction began on BSF.
- Screenshot proof that you informed the other party of your intention to post a Dispute Resolution thread about them 48 hours beforehand.
- Screenshot proof that you tried every reasonable form of contact before opening the Dispute Resolution thread.
- A brief summary of your dispute with the accused (e.g., failure to deliver the product or service)
- What you need from the accused to consider this resolved. Examples include a refund or a replacement.
- Ensure you check your Dispute Resolution thread daily as you will not receive any alerts for responses in your thread until it goes live.
Mandatory Template
Please title your thread using the following format:- Dispute: @yourusernamehere v. @theotheraccount
Now, when you submit your Dispute Resolution, please use the following format as this makes it easier for everyone involved.
- Proof that the transaction began on BSF: (Submit a link to a post or conversation showing that this issue began on BSF. A link to the sales thread is not sufficient)
- Proof the other party has been informed of this Dispute Resolution: (Submit a screenshot of you informing the other party here)
- Proof of Contact: (Submit screenshots showing that you have tried every reasonable form of contact such as emails, Skype, support tickets, etc)
- Proof of Transaction: (Proof that you purchased the product or service (i.e., a service agreement or an order receipt)
- Summary of Dispute: (In roughly five sentences or less, concisely go over the issue)
- Evidence of the Issue: (Post screenshots evidence of the issues you encountered with the other party)
- What you hope to gain from this Dispute Resolution: (State whether you wish to receive a refund or a replacement)
- (Optional) Additional Information: (If you need to go over the issue in more detail, please use this section to describe it)
Code:
[B]Proof that the transaction began on BSF:[/B] (Submit a link to a post or conversation showing that this issue began on BSF)
[B]Proof the other party has been informed of this Dispute Resolution:[/B] (Submit a screenshot of you informing the other party here)
[B]Proof of Contact:[/B] (Submit screenshots showing that you have tried every reasonable form of contact such as emails, Skype, support tickets, etc)
[B]Summary of Dispute:[/B] (In roughly five sentences or less, concisely go over the issue.)
[B]Evidence of the Issue:[/B] (Post screenshots or video evidence of the issues you encountered with the other party)
[B]What you hope to gain from this Dispute Resolution:[/B] (State whether you wish to receive a refund or a replacement)
[B](Optional) Additional Information[/B]: (If you need to go over the issue in more detail, please use this section to describe it)
Members who do not use the template above will have their Dispute Resolution thread rejected. It's important that you are able to lay out all of the relevant information in the Dispute Resolution as clearly as possible. If you post a lot of irrelevant information or lay out your evidence in an unstructured manner, it will make it harder for a Dispute Resolution moderator to go through the evidence and determine the next step, and ultimately cause delays for your Dispute Resolution thread.
Please note that Bible Study Forum ownership, management, and staff members are not liable for your losses. Your business decisions are your responsibility, due diligence should be a vital component to any transactions. While we are not responsible for your losses, we will do our best to prevent, respond, and mediate applicable situations. For tips on avoiding scams and staying safe on Bible Study Forum, please read our thread titled, "Avoiding Scams & Staying Safe On Bible Study Forum".