When purchases may be refunded and how disputes are handled.
REFUND, RETURN, DISPUTE, AND DELIVERY HOLD POLICY
Effective Date: 03/26/2026
Company: Pedestal Studio Inc. d/b/a Pedestal Studio (“Pedestal,” “Pedestal Studio,” “we,” “our,” or “us”)
Pedestal Studio is a moderated online marketplace that enables users to purchase eligible goods, services, commissions, and digital content from independent creators (“Creators”). This Refund, Return, Dispute, and Delivery Hold Policy explains the rules governing refunds, returns, chargebacks, shipped goods, commissions, and payment holds on the platform.
By making a purchase through Pedestal Studio, you agree to this Policy, our Terms of Service, and any listing-specific terms that do not conflict with this Policy.
1. Marketplace Role
Pedestal Studio provides the platform, payment processing infrastructure, moderation systems, and support tools used to facilitate transactions between buyers and Creators. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the Creator is responsible for the listing, description, fulfillment, production timeline, shipping, and customer-facing performance of the goods or services sold through the platform.
Pedestal reserves the right to intervene in any transaction to enforce platform rules, prevent fraud, comply with legal requirements, satisfy payment processor obligations, or protect the integrity of the marketplace.
2. General Rule
All sales made through Pedestal Studio are final except where a refund is expressly permitted under this Policy, required by applicable law, approved by the Creator where applicable, or issued by Pedestal in its sole discretion for fraud, abuse, policy enforcement, transaction error, processor compliance, or legal reasons.
3. No Refunds for Digital Products.
All digital product purchases are final and non-refundable.
This includes, without limitation, downloadable products, digital files, digital art, paid digital content, subscription access, exclusive content access, digital unlocks, and digital commissions once delivered or made accessible.
Because digital products can be accessed, copied, downloaded, retained, or consumed immediately, no refunds will be issued for digital purchases after delivery, access, transmission, download availability, or account unlock, except where required by law or where Pedestal determines that a refund is necessary due to fraud, duplicate payment, technical failure, non-delivery, or another platform-documented error.
Pedestal may rely on platform logs, access records, download records, message history, fulfillment records, and delivery records in determining whether a digital product has been delivered or accessed.
4. Physical Goods and Physical Commissions
Physical goods, including shipped custom commissions and made-to-order physical items, may be eligible for review under this Policy. Refunds for physical goods are not automatic and are subject to the facts of the transaction, including listing terms, shipping status, delivery confirmation, item condition, communications, and evidence provided by the parties.
5. Delivery Hold on Shipped Goods and Physical Commissions
To reduce fraud, non-delivery claims, fulfillment abuse, and chargeback risk, Pedestal may place funds associated with shipped physical goods and physical commission orders on hold until delivery is confirmed or otherwise verified.
Pedestal may delay or condition release of funds where an order is custom-made, high-risk, under review, lacking valid tracking, subject to a delivery complaint, flagged for fraud screening, or requires additional proof of fulfillment.
Pedestal may require tracking, proof of shipment, proof of delivery, signature confirmation, buyer acknowledgment, milestone confirmation, photo evidence, or other reasonable documentation before releasing funds.
Pedestal may extend a hold period if there is an active complaint, refund request, chargeback, fraud review, moderation review, carrier issue, or policy investigation.
6. Refunds for Physical Goods
Refunds for physical goods and physical commissions are generally available only upon Creator approval, unless Pedestal determines in its sole discretion that a refund, reversal, or other corrective action is required by law, payment processor rules, card network requirements, fraud prevention, moderation enforcement, or platform policy.
A refund for physical goods may be issued as a full refund, partial refund, replacement, return-for-refund, or another resolution approved by Pedestal.
Pedestal may require return of the item before a refund is issued unless return is impractical, impossible, unsafe, unnecessary, or otherwise waived by Pedestal.
7. Situations Where Refunds May Be Denied
Except where required by law, refunds may be denied in situations including but not limited to buyer’s remorse, dissatisfaction based on personal preference where the item materially matches the listing, delays caused by the buyer, incorrect shipping information provided by the buyer, failure to retrieve a package, unsupported damage claims, unsupported “item not as described” claims, or custom work already started, completed, or approved through milestones.
Minor differences consistent with handmade, artistic, custom, or made-to-order work are not grounds for a refund where the delivered item substantially conforms to the listing or approved commission terms.
8. Commission Orders
Commission orders may involve custom work, milestone approvals, concept approvals, deposits, draft stages, personalized production, and delivery windows that differ from ordinary goods.
For commission orders, no refund is available for completed digital commission work once delivered, accessed, transmitted, or otherwise made available to the buyer.
For physical commissions, refunds are not guaranteed once work has begun, materials have been ordered, customization has started, milestone approval has been given, or the item has shipped.
Where disclosed in the listing or commission terms, deposits, concept fees, labor fees, drafting fees, and non-recoverable production costs may be non-refundable.
Pedestal may consider approved concepts, milestone confirmations, work-in-progress messages, and delivery proofs when evaluating a commission-related claim.
9. Refund Request Windows
Unless a different period is required by applicable law or expressly stated by Pedestal for a specific category of product, the following request windows apply:
Digital products are not eligible for discretionary refunds after access or delivery.
Physical goods must be reported within 7 days after confirmed delivery.
Non-delivery claims must be submitted within 14 days after the latest estimated delivery date.
Unauthorized transaction claims should be reported immediately upon discovery.
Late claims may be denied.
10. Evidence Required for Refund or Return Review
Pedestal may require buyers and Creators to provide supporting evidence, including order numbers, written explanations, photographs, videos, carrier scans, package images, communications, timeline summaries, or other relevant materials.
Pedestal may also rely on internal platform records, including listing data, transaction logs, device and session records, IP-based risk records, tracking records, communications, access logs, moderation records, and fulfillment records.
Failure to provide requested supporting information may result in denial of the claim.
11. Processing of Approved Refunds
Approved refunds are generally sent back to the original payment method used for the transaction. Refund timing depends on the payment method, the financial institution, and processor handling. Stripe states that refunds are debited from the platform’s Stripe balance, and failed refunds can be returned to that balance if the customer’s bank cannot process them.
Pedestal may issue full or partial refunds where appropriate. A partial refund does not prevent a buyer from later initiating a dispute for the full amount under card network rules. Stripe notes that fully refunded payments generally can’t be disputed, but partially refunded payments still can be.
12. Chargebacks and Payment Disputes
If a buyer files a chargeback, bank reversal, or formal payment dispute, Pedestal may suspend any separate refund review because Stripe’s dispute process governs the transaction while the dispute is open. Stripe states that a refund cannot be issued outside the dispute process while an open dispute exists, and the final outcome is determined by the card issuer or other applicable financial institution.
Pedestal may, in its sole discretion, accept a dispute, contest a dispute, submit evidence, decline to contest a dispute, or seek additional evidence from the buyer or Creator.
Pedestal is not the final decision-maker on payment disputes. Banks, card issuers, and payment networks control the chargeback outcome.
13. Recovery of Refunded or Disputed Funds
Where permitted by platform structure, payment processor rules, and applicable law, Pedestal may recover refunded or disputed amounts from the Creator connected to the transaction, including through transfer reversals, offsets, reserves, negative balances, delayed payouts, or other lawful recovery methods.
Stripe’s Connect documentation states that the platform balance is generally debited for refunds and disputes, and that platforms can often recover those amounts from connected accounts by reversing transfers. Stripe also states that negative connected account balances may lead to reserves or other recovery handling.
14. Fraud, Abuse, and Policy Violations
Pedestal may deny refunds, remove listings, freeze funds, reverse payments, hold payouts, suspend transactions, or terminate accounts where we suspect fraud, friendly fraud, chargeback abuse, return abuse, policy evasion, listing misrepresentation, unauthorized activity, or any violation of platform policy.
Pedestal may also issue a refund or cancel a transaction without Creator approval where necessary to comply with law, card network rules, Stripe requirements, platform safety standards, moderation enforcement, or prohibited transaction restrictions.
15. Shipping and Carrier Issues
Creators are responsible for proper packaging, accurate order fulfillment, and truthful tracking information. Buyers are responsible for providing a correct shipping address and monitoring delivery.
Pedestal is not a shipping carrier and does not guarantee carrier performance, but may review shipping issues and consider carrier scans, proof of mailing, delivery confirmation, signature records, insurance evidence, and communications between the parties in resolving claims.
16. No Guarantee of Refund Approval
Submission of a complaint, refund request, dispute claim, or return request does not guarantee that a refund, replacement, or return will be approved.
All resolutions are fact-specific and may be denied where evidence is lacking, the claim is abusive, the item materially matches the description, or platform records contradict the claim.
17. Reservation of Rights
Pedestal reserves the right at any time to investigate transactions, request supporting information, hold or delay funds, issue or deny refunds, reverse transfers, offset losses, recover disputed amounts, suspend payouts, remove listings, restrict account activity, or take any other action reasonably necessary to enforce this Policy, protect users, comply with law, or satisfy payment processor obligations.
18. Contact
For refund, return, delivery, or dispute-related support, contact:
Email: [Insert Support Email]
Support URL: [Insert Support URL]
CREATOR REFUND, RETURN, DELIVERY HOLD, AND DISPUTE CLAUSE
Creator Refund, Return, Delivery Hold, and Dispute Responsibilities
By selling on Pedestal Studio, Creator agrees to the following:
Creator acknowledges that Pedestal Studio is a moderated marketplace and may enforce refund, return, dispute, reserve, payout hold, and transfer reversal actions in its sole discretion.
Creator agrees that all digital sales are final and non-refundable once delivered, accessed, transmitted, downloaded, unlocked, or otherwise made available to the buyer, except where refund is required by law or where Pedestal determines a refund is necessary for fraud, technical failure, duplicate payment, non-delivery, policy enforcement, or processor compliance.
Creator agrees that refunds for shipped physical goods and physical commissions are generally subject to Creator approval, except where Pedestal determines that a refund, reversal, reserve, hold, offset, or other action is required by law, Stripe requirements, card network rules, risk control, moderation enforcement, or platform policy.
Creator authorizes Pedestal to place transaction proceeds on hold for shipped physical goods, made-to-order items, and physical commissions until delivery is confirmed or otherwise verified. Creator further authorizes Pedestal to extend such holds in the event of dispute, chargeback, fraud review, moderation review, shipping exception, non-delivery allegation, or insufficient supporting documentation.
Creator must provide accurate listing information, clear production timelines, valid shipment records, accurate tracking information, proof of fulfillment, proof of delivery where available, and complete communications requested by Pedestal in connection with any complaint, refund review, return request, or chargeback defense.
Creator agrees that Pedestal may recover refunds, chargebacks, dispute fees, penalties, reversals, reserves, losses, or related amounts attributable to Creator transactions through transfer reversals, deductions, offsets, negative balances, payout holds, reserve creation, future payout withholding, or any other lawful recovery method permitted under the Pedestal Terms and Stripe configuration. Stripe documents that marketplace platforms are typically debited first for refunds and disputes and may recover from connected accounts depending on the charge structure.
Creator agrees that if a buyer opens a formal chargeback or payment dispute, Pedestal may control the response, submit evidence, accept the dispute, or decline to challenge it. Stripe states that while a dispute is open, a refund cannot be issued outside that dispute flow, and the final decision is made by the issuer or financial institution.
Creator agrees to fully cooperate in any dispute investigation and to provide requested evidence before Pedestal’s deadline. Stripe notes that disputes generally have response deadlines and that failing to respond results in loss of the dispute.
If Creator fails to cooperate, fails to provide adequate evidence, materially misrepresents a listing, violates platform policy, sells prohibited goods, attempts to evade holds, manipulates tracking or fulfillment records, or otherwise creates unreasonable dispute risk, Pedestal may issue refunds, accept disputes, hold or seize payouts to the extent permitted by law, suspend listings, suspend account features, terminate the Creator account, and pursue any other remedies available under the Terms.
Creator agrees that custom work, personalized goods, milestone-based work, concept approvals, drafting fees, labor fees, and production costs may be treated as non-refundable where disclosed to the buyer, but Pedestal retains final platform enforcement authority for refunds, holds, and dispute handling.
Creator agrees that Pedestal may maintain reserves, delay payouts, or require additional verification for higher-risk categories, large transactions, custom orders, or repeat dispute activity.
Creator agrees that Pedestal’s records, including transaction records, tracking records, message history, listing history, moderation records, device/session records, and fulfillment records, may be used in evaluating any dispute, chargeback, or refund request.
Creator remains liable for all losses arising from fraud, listing misrepresentation, non-fulfillment, prohibited content, policy violations, or chargeback-causing conduct associated with Creator transactions, to the fullest extent permitted by law and contract.