For buyers
Refunds, cancellations & issues
What to do when a delivery isn't right, when a brief is refused, and how a dispute is decided.
When do I get my money back?
| Situation | Outcome |
|---|---|
| You cancel while the order is Pending | Full refund to your wallet. |
| The publisher refuses your brief | Full refund to your wallet, with the publisher's reason. |
| Your dispute is decided in your favour | Full refund to your wallet. |
| You already confirmed the delivery | No refund: the order is Completed. |
Refunds always go back to your HIKALINK wallet, as credit you can spend on another order. They are not sent to your card.
My brief was refused
A publisher may refuse a brief that doesn't fit their editorial charter, for example a restricted industry, an off-topic angle or a promotional tone they don't publish. You are refunded in full and you can see the reason on the order.
To avoid refusals, check the listing description and the topics the site covers before you order, and be upfront about your industry in the briefing.
Reporting a problem with a delivery
From a Delivered order, press Dispute and explain precisely what is wrong. Good reasons are factual and checkable:
- The link points to the wrong URL, or the anchor text isn't the one you asked for.
- The article isn't live, is behind a login, or has been noindexed contrary to the listing.
- The content doesn't follow the brief or has serious quality or language errors.
- The link attribute doesn't match the listing (for example nofollow on a dofollow listing).
A dispute needs a written reason. “I changed my mind” or a disagreement about performance (rankings, traffic) isn't a delivery problem.
The two-step dispute process
- 1First report → revision. The order becomes Disputed and goes back to the publisher with your explanation. They fix it and deliver again.
- 2Second report → HIKALINK review. If the new delivery still isn't right, reporting it again escalates the order to Under review. We read the brief, the delivery and both explanations, then either complete the order (the publisher is paid) or refund you.
During the whole process your money stays in escrow, so neither side can lose out while the case is open.
If a link disappears later
Publishers commit to keeping a placement live for the duration agreed on the listing. If a link is removed or changed after you confirmed, contact us with the order reference and the URL and we'll follow it up with the publisher.
Note that confirmed orders can't be refunded automatically, so the earlier you check a delivery, the better.