HandyMandyMan acts as a neutral marketplace. All customer payments are held in escrow by our payment processor (Stripe) until the customer confirms job completion or 48 hours pass without action.
How escrow works
- When a customer books a job, their card is authorized for the agreed amount plus the booking fee — but not charged.
- Funds remain held until the contractor marks the job complete and uploads after-photos.
- The customer has 48 hours to confirm completion or open a dispute. After 48 hours of no response, funds auto-release to the contractor.
Eligible refunds
- Full refund: Contractor cancels, fails to show up, or job is not started.
- Partial refund: Job is partially completed but materially deficient — assessed by our dispute team using photo and message evidence.
- No refund: Customer changes their mind after work is satisfactorily completed; cosmetic preference disputes without objective deficiency.
Filing a dispute
Open a dispute from your job page within 48 hours of the contractor marking the job complete. Upload photos and a written description. Our team reviews disputes within 3 business days.
Chargebacks
Filing a chargeback with your card issuer instead of using our dispute process may result in account suspension and forfeiture of any pending refund. Please contact us first.
Contractor cancellations
Contractors who cancel after accepting a job are subject to lower placement and, with repeat offenses, removal from the platform.