Kim Koodwin posted 4 months ago

Disputes and Cancellations

We aim for every rental on ViyahVogue to go smoothly. When something goes wrong, this guide explains how we handle disputes and cancellations to ensure a fair outcome for both lenders and borrowers.

In this article

The Most Important Thing: Document Everything

Our ability to help you in a dispute depends entirely on the evidence available. Whether you’re a lender or a borrower, take photos and video at both the collection handover and the return.

Lenders: Document the outfit’s condition immediately before handover
Borrowers: If you spot undisclosed damage at collection, photograph or film it immediately – and do not take the outfit home if you intend to cancel

The shared frame. To make your video evidence indisputable, make sure both the lender and borrower are visible in the frame. This confirms both parties were present and witnessed the condition of the outfit at that moment. The handover app guides you through this process.

Most disputes are avoided entirely by being thorough at the handover inspection. Taking 30 seconds to check zips and hems together saves hours of stress later.

Damage Disputes and Security Deposits

If an outfit is returned with significant damage – major stains, rips, broken zips or substantial embellishment loss – the process is:

Step 1 – Discuss directly. We encourage lenders and borrowers to try to reach an amicable agreement on the repair cost through the platform first. Many disputes are resolved quickly once a professional repair quote is shared.

Step 2 – Raise a dispute. If an agreement cannot be reached, either party can raise a formal dispute. ViyahVogue will review the available evidence – photos and video from handover and return, platform messaging, professional repair quotes and the original listing description – and make a determination on any deposit deduction.

Normal wear and tear. Minor issues such as a small number of missing beads or light dirt at the hem from an event are considered normal wear and tear and are not grounds for a deposit claim. Deposit claims should be reserved for significant damage that requires professional repair.

Fit Disputes

To protect lenders’ time and income, we have a clear policy on fit:

If the outfit doesn’t fit at collection and no try-on was arranged: The borrower is not eligible for a full refund. This is treated as a late cancellation – the £20 fee will be deducted from the deposit and paid to the lender. Borrowers are strongly encouraged to message lenders about fit before booking and to arrange a try-on if they have any concerns.

If the listing description was inaccurate: If a borrower can demonstrate that the outfit’s actual measurements were significantly different from those stated in the listing, ViyahVogue will investigate this as a misrepresentation claim.

No-Shows, Lateness and Cancellations

If the other party doesn’t show up: Document it. Film a short video of the agreed meeting location at the scheduled time to show you were there. ViyahVogue will review all platform communications between both parties to determine what happened.

The 24-hour cancellation rule: If a borrower cancels within 24 hours of the scheduled collection, a £20 late cancellation fee is automatically deducted from their deposit and paid to the lender.

Lender no-shows: If a lender fails to show up, the borrower is entitled to a full refund. Borrowers are encouraged to mention no-shows in their public review. Lenders who repeatedly fail to show up may face penalties or removal from the platform.

Lateness: If one party is running late, they should message the other through the platform immediately. ViyahVogue will take platform messaging into account when reviewing any dispute related to timing.

Late returns: If the outfit is not returned by the agreed return date, a late return fee applies for each day it remains outstanding – the normal daily rental rate, plus an additional 50% as a late penalty. For example, a £20/day outfit returned 2 days late would incur £60 in late fees (£40 rental plus £20 penalty).
This fee is deducted from the security deposit and is capped at the full deposit amount – we cannot take more than what has been held.
If your outfit is returned late, alert us at operations@viyahvogue.com as soon as possible. ViyahVogue will attempt mediation between both parties for 5 working days from the point we are notified. Late fees continue to accrue throughout this period, up to the deposit cap.
If the outfit remains unreturned after mediation has been attempted, this will be treated as theft and reported to the police and relevant credit authorities.
The security deposit is not released to the lender until ViyahVogue’s full investigation into the matter has concluded.

Safety and Conduct

If a dispute arises from a meeting where you felt unsafe, uncomfortable or disrespected, do not wait for the financial resolution process. Contact ViyahVogue directly at operations@viyahvogue.com immediately.

Any party found to be submitting false evidence or acting dishonestly during a dispute will be permanently banned from the platform.

How ViyahVogue Arbitrates

When a dispute is escalated to ViyahVogue, we act as a neutral mediator. Both parties agree to be bound by our dispute resolution process as outlined in the Terms of Service.

We consider:

Date-stamped photo and video evidence from handover and return, including shared-frame footage
Platform messaging history between both parties
Professional repair or cleaning quotes
The outfit’s original listing description and photographs

We will contact both parties during the review and aim to reach a fair resolution as quickly as possible.