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Payments, refunds, and disputes

How payments work between members and vendors, what Vendor Hub's role is, and what to do when something goes wrong.

Vendor Hub does not process payments

When a member hires a vendor through Vendor Hub, the two parties handle payment directly — invoice, Venmo, check, the vendor's own card processor, whatever you usually use. Vendor Hub doesn't hold escrow, doesn't transfer money, and doesn't charge platform fees on completed work. Your subscription is the only thing we bill for.

What that means for refunds

Because we don't hold the money, we can't issue refunds. Refunds are between the member and the vendor based on whatever terms they agreed to (cancellation policies, deposit retention, milestone work). Be clear about cancellation terms before you accept a bid or take a deposit.

Vendor Hub's role in disputes

If a disagreement arises, Vendor Hub's role is limited but useful. We keep the full record of engagement — the original quote request, the bid that was accepted, every message, every scheduled appointment, every uploaded file. That record is available to both parties and can be exported as evidence if the dispute escalates (to a card chargeback, small-claims, etc.). We don't arbitrate the underlying refund question; we provide the audit trail.

Account-level enforcement

Where Vendor Hub does step in is at the account level. Patterns of unresolved disputes, no-shows, or unresponsiveness can result in: loss of vendor verification badges, removal from the public directory, lower placement in search, or account suspension. Both sides have skin in the game on the platform's reputation — bad behavior shows up over time.

When to escalate to support

Email support@getvendorhub.com if: (a) a vendor has stopped responding for 7+ days on an active job, (b) a member is misrepresenting work that was delivered, (c) you suspect fraud or off-platform circumvention, or (d) you need the engagement record exported for a chargeback or legal proceeding. We respond within 1 business day.

Frequently asked

Why doesn't Vendor Hub process payments anymore?
We focus on what actually makes the platform valuable — discovery, quoting, side-by-side comparison, messaging, scheduling, and the engagement record. The payment problem is already well-solved by Square, Stripe, banks, and check; what wasn't well-solved was the rest of the workflow. By charging subscriptions instead of taking a cut of every transaction, we make the platform substantially cheaper for vendors doing real volume and we keep ourselves out of the money flow.
What if the vendor disappears mid-job?
Email support@getvendorhub.com with the quote ID and the date of last contact. We'll attempt to reach the vendor; if we can't, we'll log it against their account, surface the failure on their public reputation, and help you re-source the job through your preferred-vendor list or the directory.
What if a member doesn't pay me?
Treat it the way you'd treat any client non-payment outside Vendor Hub — invoice reminders, then a collections route if needed. Email support@getvendorhub.com and we'll flag the member's account. Patterns of non-payment will lead to suspension. The engagement record (message thread, awarded bid, scheduled work) is available to you as evidence if you pursue formal collection.

Still stuck?

Email support@getvendorhub.com with your account email and what you were trying to do. We respond within 24 business hours.