Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Users, Buyers, Sellers, and other parties to a transaction or relationship governed by the Company's documents.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This Policy is the governing dispute instrument for the Company's entire document library. Every other document in the library incorporates this Policy by reference for dispute resolution, and the arbitration agreement in Article 7 lives only in this Policy. This Policy states, in order: informal resolution between the parties, the Platform dispute process, appeal within that process, and binding arbitration as the final step.
1.2 Products sold by the Company are "Sold by Pawz Shop." Products sold by a Seller are "Sold by {Seller name}." This Policy applies to a dispute arising from either relationship and to a dispute between a party and the Company arising under any Company document.
1.3 The Platform dispute process in Articles 3 through 6 is the first resort for a transaction problem the parties cannot resolve directly. Participation in that process is a condition of selling through the Platform and is not optional for a Seller. The process is neutral, evidence-based, and binding within the marketplace, subject to Article 7.
1.4 If a provision of this Policy conflicts with the Terms of Use, this Policy controls for dispute resolution. If a provision of this Policy conflicts with the terms of a program in which a party participates, this Policy controls for dispute resolution and the program terms control for program matters the program terms govern.
Article 2: Definitions
2.1 Account: the account a person or business establishes with the Company to use the Platform.
2.2 Buyer: a person who purchases Products or Services through the Platform.
2.3 Company: All About Pawz, LLC, a Tennessee limited liability company.
2.4 Order: a Buyer's purchase of Products or Services through the Platform, accepted in accordance with the Order Formation and Acceptance Policy.
2.5 Platform: the websites, applications, and services the Company operates under the name All About Pawz, including aapawz.com.
2.6 Products: goods offered for sale through the Platform.
2.7 Seller: a person or business the Company has accepted to offer Products or Services through the Platform.
2.8 Services: services offered through the Platform, including grooming, veterinary, pharmacy, and fulfillment services, as applicable.
2.9 User: any person who accesses or uses the Platform, whether or not the person holds an Account.
Article 3: Informal Resolution and Scope of the Platform Dispute Process
3.1 Before filing a dispute, the filing party shall attempt resolution directly with the other party through the Platform's messaging facility, stating the problem and the remedy sought, and shall allow two (2) business days for a response. The record of that attempt forms part of the dispute record.
3.2 The Platform dispute process covers transaction disputes, including: a return denied or mishandled; a refund missing, short, or late; an item not received; an item not as described; an item damaged on arrival; a wrong item; late delivery; a cancellation dispute; failure of a Seller to respond; funds held; a chargeback-related question of Platform handling, as distinct from the chargeback itself under the Chargeback Policy; a fee dispute; a tax collection dispute; a statement or reconciliation dispute; an invoice and settlement dispute; and abusive communication in a transaction.
3.3 The following are not disputes under this Policy and follow the process the governing document states: (a) an appeal of an enforcement measure, governed by the Enforcement and Appeals Policy; a denied enforcement appeal does not enter the Platform dispute process and proceeds, if at all, under Article 7; (b) a card-network chargeback, governed by the Chargeback Policy; (c) an appeal of a denied privacy request, governed by the State Privacy Rights Addendum; (d) an intellectual property takedown and counter-notice, governed by the DMCA and Copyright Policy; and (e) a product safety report, governed by the Product Recall Policy, which is an incident report and not a dispute.
3.4 A party shall not file a chargeback while a dispute on the same Order is pending, as stated in the Chargeback Policy. Parallel remedies on one Order create a duplicate claim.
3.5 Each party shall preserve evidence from the start of a disagreement, including Order confirmations, tracking records, photographs of an item as received, messages, and receipts, and shall produce the evidence in the party's possession when the dispute process requires it.
Article 4: Filing a Platform Dispute
4.1 A dispute is filed from the filing party's Account, by selection of the Order, identification of the dispute type, and a statement of the facts and the remedy sought. A filing that does not identify the Order, the facts, and the remedy is not complete. Filing under an incorrect type does not forfeit the dispute; the reviewer reclassifies the dispute to the correct type.
4.2 Filing windows: (a) thirty (30) calendar days from the triggering event for most dispute types, the triggering event being the delivery date, the refund decision, the charge, or the communication, as applicable; and (b) sixty (60) calendar days for a fee, tax, and statement dispute, which commonly surfaces on a reconciliation cycle. An untimely filing may be denied. The window is applied with judgment: a filing one day late supported by decisive evidence may be heard, and a filing six months late without evidence may be denied.
4.3 No filing fee is charged for the Platform dispute process. The Company bears the cost of the process as a cost of operating the marketplace.
Article 5: Decision of a Platform Dispute
5.1 A dispute is decided by a neutral reviewer who did not participate in the original decision or transaction under review. The reviewer decides on the record and is an advocate for neither party.
5.2 Standards of review apply by dispute type: (a) preponderance of the evidence: more likely than not: is the default standard for an Order-outcome dispute; (b) buyer-favorable construction applies to a not-as-described and a defective-on-arrival dispute, in which a close question is resolved for the Buyer because the Seller wrote the listing and ambiguity in the listing is the Seller's risk; (c) clear and convincing evidence is required for a finding against a party's honesty; and (d) adverse inference applies where a party fails to produce evidence that party is required to keep or plainly holds, and the missing evidence is read against that party.
5.3 Each party may submit evidence and one round of response. The reviewer may request specific records, including fulfillment records, carrier data, and message history, and each party shall produce records so requested. No depositions, discovery motions, or oral hearings form part of the Platform dispute process.
5.4 A decision issues within seven (7) calendar days after the evidence is complete. Evidence is complete when each party has had the response round or the response period has lapsed. Non-participation does not delay a decision and is read under Article 5.2(d).
5.5 The Company records each dispute, response, decision, and compliance action in a complete record of the proceeding.
5.6 On the record presented, the reviewer may order: (a) a refund, in full or in part, to the original payment method; (b) reshipment at the Seller's cost where the Seller's failure caused the dispute; (c) release of held funds where the hold is found unsupported; (d) a fee or tax correction with a corrected statement; and (e) correction of a performance record where the dispute establishes that a finding rested on incorrect data. The reviewer does not award consequential damages or punitive amounts. A matter that belongs to enforcement is referred to enforcement and is not decided as a dispute remedy.
5.7 A Seller shall participate in a dispute concerning the Seller and shall comply with a dispute decision within the compliance period the decision states. Non-participation is governed by Article 5.4, and non-compliance is an enforcement matter under the Enforcement and Appeals Policy, not a new dispute. A Seller shall not retaliate against a Buyer for filing a dispute; retaliation, including a threat, review manipulation, and refusal of future service by reason of a past dispute, is a separate violation.
Article 6: Appeal of a Platform Dispute Decision
6.1 Either party may appeal a dispute decision within fourteen (14) calendar days, to a senior reviewer who did not make the original decision and who reviews the record anew. The appeal shall state what the original decision got wrong; disagreement without a stated ground is not an appeal.
6.2 The senior reviewer's decision is final within the marketplace. No third level of Platform review exists. A party that remains dissatisfied after appeal may proceed under Article 7. Platform remedies under Articles 3 through 6 shall be exhausted before arbitration is commenced, and the complete dispute record forms part of the arbitration record.
Article 7: Arbitration Agreement
7.1 Agreement to arbitrate. Except as Article 7.5 provides, any dispute arising out of or relating to the Company's documents, the Platform, or a transaction through the Platform that is not resolved under Articles 3 through 6 shall be resolved exclusively by binding arbitration on an individual basis, conducted by a single arbitrator in Shelby County, Tennessee, under the Federal Arbitration Act. The arbitrator, and not a court, decides questions of arbitrability, except that a court decides the enforceability of Article 7.3.
7.2 Individual basis. Arbitration under this Article proceeds on an individual basis only. No arbitration under this Article proceeds as a class, collective, consolidated, or representative proceeding, and the arbitrator has no authority to certify a class, to consolidate claims of different parties, or to award relief to a person who is not a party to the arbitration.
7.3 Class action and jury waiver. EACH PARTY WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO BRING OR PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS, COLLECTIVE, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION IN ANY FORUM, AND EACH PARTY WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE COMPANY'S DOCUMENTS OR A TRANSACTION THROUGH THE PLATFORM, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
7.4 Procedure and relief. The arbitrator shall apply the governing law stated in Article 13.3 and may award any relief available to an individual party under applicable law, subject to the Liability Article of the document that governs the underlying claim. Each party bears its own attorneys' fees except as the arbitrator orders otherwise under applicable law. The arbitrator's award is final and binding, and judgment on the award may be entered in a court of competent jurisdiction in Shelby County, Tennessee.
7.5 Carve-outs. This Article does not apply to: (a) a claim within the jurisdiction of a small-claims court in Shelby County, Tennessee, which either party may bring in that court on an individual basis; (b) a claim for injunctive or other equitable relief to prevent infringement of intellectual property rights, disclosure of confidential information, or a risk to the safety of a person or an animal, which either party may bring in the courts stated in Article 13.3; and (c) a chargeback under card network rules, governed by the Chargeback Policy, which is not a dispute under this Article.
7.6 Notice before arbitration. A party shall give written notice of a claim under this Article to the other party: to legal@aapawz.com for a claim against the Company: and shall allow thirty (30) days for informal resolution before filing an arbitration demand.
7.7 Severability of this Article. If Article 7.2 or Article 7.3 is held unenforceable as to a claim, that claim shall be brought in the courts stated in Article 13.3 and not in arbitration. If any other provision of this Article is held unenforceable, the provision shall be enforced to the fullest extent permitted and the remaining provisions of this Article continue in full effect. The severability rule in Article 13.4 applies to the remainder of this Policy; this Article 7.7 governs severability within this Article.
Article 8: Liability
8.1 Exclusion of certain damages. To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither party is liable to the other for indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages, or for lost profits, lost revenue, or loss of goodwill, arising out of or relating to this Policy, even if the party has been advised of the possibility of those damages.
8.2 Cap. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company's total liability arising out of or relating to this Policy shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amounts the party paid to the Company under the Company's documents in the twelve months before the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred dollars ($100).
8.3 Carve-outs. This Article does not limit (a) a party's indemnification obligations under this Policy; (b) liability for fraud or willful misconduct; (c) amounts owed for Orders, fees, chargebacks, or refunds under the Company's documents; or (d) liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
8.4 Essential purpose. The parties agree that this Article allocates risk between them, that it is an essential part of the basis of their bargain, and that it applies even if a limited remedy fails of its essential purpose.
Article 9: Indemnification
9.1 Duty. Each party shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Company and its members, managers, employees, and agents from and against every claim, demand, action, loss, liability, judgment, settlement, cost, and expense (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to: (a) that party's breach of this Policy; (b) that party's Products, Services, listings, or User Content where that party is a Seller; (c) that party's violation of any law or of the rights of any person; and (d) taxes for which that party is responsible under the Company's documents. For a Buyer or User, this duty is limited to claims arising from that party's own User Content and misuse of the Platform.
9.2 Procedure. The Company shall give prompt written notice of a claim under this Article. The indemnifying party shall control the defense with counsel reasonably acceptable to the Company. The Company may participate in the defense at its own expense. The indemnifying party shall not settle a claim in a manner that imposes any obligation or restriction on the Company, or that does not release the Company fully, without the Company's prior written consent.
9.3 Survival. This Article survives the termination of this Policy.
Article 10: Enforcement and Appeals
10.1 Enforcement of a dispute decision under this Policy, and appeal of an enforcement measure taken under any Company document, are governed by the Enforcement and Appeals Policy. Articles 4 through 6 of this Policy govern the filing, decision, and appeal of a transaction dispute and are the exclusive Platform process for such a dispute.
10.2 Investigation. The Company may investigate any suspected violation of this Policy. The party under investigation shall cooperate with an investigation and shall produce the records the Company's documents require the party to keep.
10.3 Notice. If the Company determines that a party has violated this Policy, the Company shall give written notice stating the provision violated and the facts relied on, except where notice would compromise an investigation of fraud, a safety risk, or a legal obligation.
10.4 Opportunity to cure. Where a violation is capable of cure, the party has ten (10) business days from notice to cure it and to confirm the cure in writing. No cure period applies to fraud, a risk to the safety of a person or an animal, unlawful conduct, or a violation that by its nature cannot be cured.
10.5 Measures. If a violation is established and is not cured within the period allowed, the Company may, proportionate to the violation: (a) issue a written warning; (b) remove or suppress a listing or content; (c) cancel an Order; (d) suspend the Account, in whole or in part; (e) terminate this Policy and the Account; and (f) exercise any other right or remedy available under the Company's documents or at law.
10.6 Appeal. A party may appeal a measure under this Article by written notice to legal@aapawz.com within thirty (30) days of the measure, stating the grounds and attaching the records relied on. The appeal is decided by a person who did not make the original decision. The Company's decision on appeal is final. A measure remains in effect during an appeal unless the Company directs otherwise in writing.
10.7 No waiver by delay. The Company's delay in acting on a violation is not a waiver of the violation or of any later violation of the same kind.
Article 11: Term and Termination
11.1 Term. This Policy takes effect when a User first uses the Platform and continues until terminated under this Article. Termination does not extinguish Article 7 for a dispute that arose before termination.
11.2 Termination by the Company. The Company may terminate this Policy as it applies to a party, and the party's Account, on thirty (30) days' written notice for any reason, and immediately on written notice if the party materially breaches this Policy, engages in fraud, or becomes ineligible to participate.
11.3 Termination by the party. A party may terminate this Policy as it applies to that party on thirty (30) days' written notice to support@aapawz.com, provided the party has no Order, dispute, or investigation outstanding.
11.4 Effect of termination. On termination: (a) the rights granted under the Company's documents end; (b) obligations that arose before termination: including payment, refund, chargeback, record-keeping, and indemnification obligations: survive until satisfied; and (c) the Company shall disburse amounts owed, less amounts the Company may set off under the Company's documents, within thirty (30) days, except amounts held in connection with an open investigation or dispute.
11.5 Survival. The Definitions, Liability, Indemnification, Enforcement and Appeals (for measures taken before termination), Article 7, and General Provisions survive termination.
Article 12: Dispute Resolution
12.1 This Policy is the Dispute Resolution Policy referred to throughout the Company's document library. A dispute arising out of or relating to this Policy itself is governed by Articles 3 through 7 of this Policy.
Article 13: General Provisions
13.1 Amendments. The Company may amend this Policy by posting the amended Policy in the Document Center and giving notice to the affected party at the email address in the Account. An amendment that materially increases a party's obligations, and any amendment to Article 7, takes effect thirty (30) days after notice; other amendments take effect on posting. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date of an amendment is acceptance of it. A party that does not accept an amendment may terminate under Article 11 before the amendment takes effect.
13.2 Notices. Legal notices under this Policy shall be sent to legal@aapawz.com. Operational notices and all other communications shall be sent to support@aapawz.com. A notice to the Company is effective when the Company acknowledges receipt or, for email, one business day after sending, whichever is earlier. Notices to a party are effective when sent to the email address in the Account or posted to the Account's notice facility in the portal, whichever occurs first. Each party shall keep the email address in the Account current.
13.3 Governing law and venue. This Policy is governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Subject to Article 7, any proceeding arising out of this Policy shall be brought in the state or federal courts located in Shelby County, Tennessee, and the parties consent to personal jurisdiction there.
13.4 Severability. If any provision of this Policy is held unenforceable, the provision shall be enforced to the fullest extent permitted, and the remaining provisions continue in full effect, subject to Article 7.7 for provisions of Article 7.
13.5 Entire agreement. This Policy, together with the documents it incorporates by reference, is the entire agreement between the Company and each party for the subject it governs and supersedes every prior or contemporaneous statement, communication, or agreement on that subject, whether written or oral.
13.6 Assignment. A party other than the Company shall not assign this Policy or any right or obligation under it without the Company's prior written consent, and an assignment without consent is void. The Company may assign this Policy to an affiliate or in connection with a sale of all or part of its business, on notice to the affected party.
13.7 Waiver. A waiver of any provision of this Policy is effective only in writing and only for the instance stated. No waiver is a waiver of any other provision or instance.
13.8 Interpretation. Headings are for convenience only. "Including" means "including without limitation." This Policy shall not be construed against a party as its drafter. The English-language text controls over any translation.
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