What Happens After You Submit a Chargeback Defense

Modified on Thu, Apr 23 at 10:38 AM

Once you submit a defense in DealerWorks, the dispute moves into the card network's review process. This article explains what happens next, how long it can take, and what the possible outcomes mean for your account.

What Happens Immediately After You Submit

When you click Submit Defense, DealerWorks sends your response — including all uploaded documents and your written summary — to the card network (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, etc.) for review.

The dispute status in DealerWorks will update to reflect the submission. If the status doesn't update right away, click Sync with Adyen on the dispute detail page to pull the latest status.

Once submitted, the dispute is in the hands of the card network and the customer's bank. You cannot add to or change your defense after it has been submitted.

How Long the Review Takes

There is no fixed timeline. How long the review takes depends on the card network, the type of dispute, and the complexity of the case. Decisions can take several weeks and may take longer in more complicated situations.

DealerWorks doesn't send updates while the review is in progress. Check Accounting → Disputes periodically to see if the status has changed, and use Sync with Adyen if you want to manually pull the latest information.

Possible Outcomes

Won

The card network ruled in the dealership's favor

The chargeback has been reversed and the status in DealerWorks updates to Won. The disputed funds will be returned to your account as part of your next payment settlement.

Lost

The card network ruled in the customer's favor

The chargeback stands, the status updates to Lost, and the disputed funds are not recovered. No further action is available through the standard dispute process. Contact DealerWorks support if you believe the outcome was incorrect.

If the Dispute Is Escalated Further

In some cases, after the earlier dispute defense cycle in supported dispute flows, the customer's bank may escalate the dispute to a second round of review. This is sometimes called pre-arbitration. It doesn't happen in every dispute and is not a standard part of the process.

If this happens, DealerWorks may show a new dispute event, depending on how your account surfaces updates from the card network. If you see an unexpected new event or status change on a dispute you thought was closed, use Sync with Adyen and contact DealerWorks support to confirm what's happening before taking any action.

At this stage, you generally have two options:

Option	What It Means
Accept	You concede the pre-arbitration in full. The dispute is lost and a second chargeback is issued.
Partially Accept	You agree to accept a portion of the disputed amount. The case closes at this stage without escalating further.
Decline Pre-Arbitration	You reject the pre-arbitration. The issuer may escalate the case to scheme arbitration, where the card network decides based on the existing dispute record — no new documents can be submitted at this stage. If the network rules against the dealership, a fee of up to USD 600 may be added.

Escalated Disputes Carry Significant Financial Risk

If your dealership receives a notification that a dispute has been escalated for a second round of review, contact DealerWorks support before taking any action. Do not accept or decline pre-arbitration without fully understanding the implications for your specific case.

Keeping an Eye on Your Disputes

After submitting a defense, continue checking the dispute in Accounting → Disputes. Status changes will appear as the review progresses. If a dispute you submitted a defense for shows no update after an extended period, use Sync with Adyen or contact DealerWorks support to confirm the submission was received.