Shopee & TikTok Shop dispute windows: why 90 days is the minimum

When an order is returned with a reason like "item not as described" or "counterfeit item", a seller has exactly one way to protect themselves: proving the item was packed correctly and completely before it shipped. The problem is that most sellers never keep this evidence, or keep it on a personal phone and delete it a few weeks later to free up storage.

1. Each platform's dispute timeline

Every e-commerce platform gives buyers a different window to open a return or dispute after delivery:

• Shopee: buyers can request a Return/Refund within 7-15 days after an order is marked "Delivered", but the full dispute process (escalation, platform response, appeal) can extend the timeline by another 30-45 days.
• TikTok Shop: the standard return window is 15 days, but complex disputes (quality issues, counterfeit claims) can be reviewed by the platform for up to 60 days from the delivery date.
• Lazada: a 15-day return policy, with an extended dispute mechanism that can run up to 45 days in certain special cases.

2. Why 90 days is the absolute minimum

Add it up: shipping time (3-7 days), the dispute window itself (15-60 days), dispute processing time (15-30 days), and a buffer for late-filed disputes or slow buyer responses — the real-world time a seller needs to retain packing evidence routinely exceeds 60 days, and 90 days is the safe buffer that covers nearly every realistic scenario.

If proof-of-packing video is deleted on day 31 because the phone ran out of storage, but the dispute is only opened by the platform on day 40 — the seller has completely lost their ability to defend themselves, even though they packed the order correctly.

3. The solution: automatic storage, independent of personal phones

Hoàn Hàng records a packing video for every order, watermarks it with the tracking number and timestamp, automatically uploads it to managed storage, and retains it for a fixed 90 days — independent of device storage or whether staff remember to keep the video. When a dispute arises, the shop owner just enters the tracking number to find the video in seconds.