Disputes and deposits

Reserving a lot

A buyer reserves a lot by paying a deposit of 10% of the lot's value, at least UGX 50,000 and at most UGX 2,000,000. The deposit counts toward the price.

• The buyer has 10 minutes to approve the mobile money prompt. Until then nobody else can reserve the lot.
• Once the deposit is paid, the lot is held for the buyer for 4 hours and the seller's name, phone and store location are shared with them.
• A buyer can reserve the whole lot or part of it, down to the smallest amount the seller allows (1 t unless the seller sets another). The reserved coffee cannot be reserved or sold to anyone else on Get Uganda Coffee; the rest of the lot stays on the market.

When a reservation ends without a deal

• Buyer cancels or doesn't collect in time: the deposit goes to the seller, the coffee returns to the market and the buyer gets a strike.
• Seller cancels: the buyer's deposit is refunded in full and the lot is withdrawn. If the deposit was already paid, the seller gets a strike and owes Get Uganda Coffee a penalty of UGX 100,000.
• The coffee doesn't match the verified listing: the buyer can report a problem, and if Get Uganda Coffee upholds it the deposit is refunded.

Checking the coffee at collection

At collection the coffee is weighed and its moisture tested again, by a Get Uganda Coffee field agent or by the buyer. If the weight differs from the reserved amount by more than 0.5%, or the moisture differs from the verified figure by more than 0.5 percentage points, a dispute is opened automatically.

Reporting a problem

Either side can report a problem from the reservation in the app or on the web, for example if the weight, moisture or grade at collection differs from what the agent measured, or a payment is not received. Describe what happened and include any measurements you took.

• The Get Uganda Coffee operations team reviews every report, aiming to resolve it within 48 hours, and may contact both sides and the field agent.
• While a dispute is open, the reservation does not expire.
• A dispute moves from open to investigating, then to resolved or rejected with a written explanation. Both sides are notified at each step.
• Where the team finds the listing was wrong, it can cancel the reservation and refund the deposit.

Strikes and suspension

• A business that gets 3 strikes within 90 days is suspended from trading for 30 days.
• A business with an unpaid penalty cannot trade until it is settled with Get Uganda Coffee.

After every deal

Buyer and seller each rate the other. Ratings are shown on future listings and reservations.

Contact

Questions about deposits or disputes: privacy@canephora.ug.