Disputes

When you can open one

Either side can open a dispute while the funds are on hold, from the moment of hiring until the work is approved. Once the money has been released, a dispute can't be opened. Choose Report a problem on the contract page, pick what went wrong and tell us what happened.

Our team can also open a dispute on a contract if we see a problem. If we do, both of you are told.

What happens straight away

• The money freezes, and nobody can approve or cancel the contract.
• Automatic approval stops.
• The other side gets a notification and an email.

How we decide

Our team looks at the brief as it was agreed, what was delivered, and your messages to each other. Staff can read that conversation but can't post in it, and every time they read it, that's recorded in an internal log.

The possible outcomes

• Released: the creator is paid in full, the platform keeps its fee, and the contract moves to approved.
• Refunded: the brand gets everything back, including the fee, and the contract is cancelled.
• Split: the creator gets a share. The fee shrinks to match that share, and the rest goes back to the brand.

You both get a notification with our decision and the reason for it. Our decision on where held funds go is final on Hookline, but it doesn't limit any legal rights you may have. See our terms.