Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Buyers who pay for an Order by payment card and all Sellers whose Orders are paid by payment card through the Platform.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This Policy governs the handling of a chargeback in the relationship among the Buyer, the Seller, and the Company. A chargeback is a dispute the Buyer files with the Buyer's card issuer. The card network's rules control the chargeback itself, including its timelines, reason codes, and evidence standards. This Policy controls the parties' rights and duties toward the Company in connection with the chargeback, including evidence duties, recovery, and setoff.
1.2 Products sold by the Company are "Sold by Pawz Shop." Products sold by a Seller are "Sold by {Seller name}." For a first-party sale, the Company bears the Seller duties in this Policy. For a third-party sale, the Seller bears those duties. A Seller's chargeback obligations and account consequences are stated in the Chargeback Policy (Sellers) (Chargeback Policy (Sellers)), which incorporates this Policy by reference.
1.3 If a provision of this Policy conflicts with the Terms of Use, this Policy controls for the subject it governs. If a provision of this Policy conflicts with the terms of a program in which the Seller participates, the program terms control for that program.
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 Chargeback: a reversal or dispute of a card payment initiated by the Buyer through the Buyer's card issuer under the applicable card network rules.
2.4 Company: All About Pawz, LLC, a Tennessee limited liability company.
2.5 Order: a Buyer's purchase of Products or Services through the Platform, accepted in accordance with the Order Formation and Acceptance Policy.
2.6 Platform: the websites, applications, and services the Company operates under the name All About Pawz, including aapawz.com.
2.7 Products: goods offered for sale through the Platform.
2.8 Seller: a person or business the Company has accepted to offer Products or Services through the Platform.
2.9 Services: services offered through the Platform, including grooming, veterinary, pharmacy, and fulfillment services, as applicable.
2.10 User: any person who accesses or uses the Platform, whether or not the person holds an Account.
Article 3: Order of Remedies and Duplicate Claims
3.1 A chargeback is not a refund method and is not a substitute for the Platform's return and dispute processes. Before filing a chargeback, the Buyer is directed to pursue, in order: (a) a return under the Returns and Refunds Policy; and (b) a dispute under the Dispute Resolution Policy. Article 3.1 is guidance on the order of remedies and does not condition or limit a right the Buyer holds under card network rules or applicable law.
3.2 Filing of a chargeback while a return or a dispute on the same Order is pending creates a duplicate claim. The Company may defend the chargeback with the Order record, and the pending return or dispute on that Order may be closed as superseded by the chargeback. One remedy path applies to an Order at one time.
3.3 When a chargeback is filed, the return and dispute paths for that Order are suspended while the network process runs, to prevent a duplicate recovery. If the chargeback is decided for the Buyer, the resulting refund stands as the resolution of the payment for that Order. If the chargeback is decided for the merchant of record, the Order record reflects the outcome and any Platform-held amounts are released accordingly.
3.4 A chargeback outcome decides the payment under network rules. A chargeback outcome does not decide Platform participation: a Seller that prevails on a chargeback and separately violated the Company's documents remains subject to the document that governs the violation, and a Buyer that prevails on a chargeback remains subject to Article 4 where the record establishes chargeback fraud.
Article 4: Chargeback Fraud and Evidence Standard
4.1 Chargeback fraud: receipt of a Product followed by a chargeback claiming non-receipt, non-authorization, or material non-conformity contrary to the record: is governed by the Fraud and Abuse Policy.
4.2 The evidence standard for a finding of chargeback fraud is the standard stated in the Fraud and Abuse Policy: clear and convincing evidence on the full Order record. The record includes the Order details, the acceptance record, the shipment record, the carrier's delivery records, and the Buyer's communications. Delivery confirmed to the correct address is evidence against a non-receipt claim; a Buyer's own communication acknowledging receipt is evidence against a non-receipt or non-authorization claim.
4.3 A single disputed chargeback is handled as a dispute. A pattern: including three (3) chargebacks in six (6) months for Orders the record shows as delivered: is investigated as fraud under the Fraud and Abuse Policy, not handled as separate disputes.
Article 5: Evidence, Recovery, and Setoff
5.1 The Seller shall respond to a chargeback evidence request within seven (7) calendar days of notice. The request states the evidence required, which includes the Order record, proof of fulfillment, delivery confirmation, and Buyer communications for the Order. The Seller shall keep those records for each Order for the period the Selling Terms of Service requires.
5.2 The Company shall submit evidence to the payment processor within two (2) business days of receipt of the Seller's complete evidence. The strength of the submission depends on the completeness of the Seller's records.
5.3 The Seller bears the chargeback amount, the network and processor fees assessed on the chargeback, and any compliance fine assessed on the transaction, for a third-party sale. The Company may recover those amounts from the Seller and may set off those amounts against disbursements and other amounts otherwise owed to the Seller, in accordance with the Payment Services Terms. For a first-party sale, the Company bears those amounts as the seller of record.
5.4 Prevention is a Seller duty under the Selling Terms of Service: an accurate listing, on-time shipment with valid tracking, and responsive service to the Buyer reduce the disputes that become chargebacks. Article 5.4 states the allocation of responsibility; the performance consequence of a chargeback rate is stated in the Chargeback Policy (Sellers) (Chargeback Policy (Sellers)).
Article 6: Liability
6.1 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.
6.2 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 Buyer paid for the Order giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred dollars ($100).
6.3 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, including amounts recoverable under Article 5.3; or (d) liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
6.4 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 7: Indemnification
7.1 Duty. The Seller 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) the Seller's breach of this Policy; (b) the Seller's Products, listings, or content; (c) the Seller's violation of any law or of the rights of any person; and (d) taxes for which the Seller is responsible under the Company's documents. A Buyer's duty under this Article is limited to claims arising from the Buyer's own User Content and misuse of the Platform.
7.2 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.
7.3 Survival. This Article survives the termination of this Policy.
Article 8: Enforcement and Appeals
8.1 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 this Policy requires the party to keep.
8.2 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.
8.3 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.
8.4 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, including recovery and setoff under Article 5.3.
8.5 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.
8.6 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 9: Term and Termination
9.1 Term. This Policy takes effect when a party first pays for or sells an Order by payment card through the Platform and continues until terminated under this Article.
9.2 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.
9.3 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, chargeback, or investigation outstanding.
9.4 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. An open chargeback survives termination until the network process concludes.
9.5 Survival. The Definitions, Liability, Indemnification, Enforcement and Appeals (for measures taken before termination), Dispute Resolution, and General Provisions Articles survive termination.
Article 10: Dispute Resolution
10.1 Any dispute arising out of or relating to this Policy, or to the relationship it governs, is governed by the Dispute Resolution Policy, which is incorporated into this Policy by reference.
Article 11: General Provisions
11.1 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 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 9 before the amendment takes effect.
11.2 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.
11.3 Governing law. This Policy is governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Subject to the Dispute Resolution Policy, 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.
11.4 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.
11.5 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.
11.6 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.
11.7 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.
11.8 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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