Ownership Transfer Dispute Policy
What happens when a transfer goes wrong — and how Ownich resolves it.
72-hour window
Raise a dispute within 72 hours of transfer completion
Admin reversal
Ownich can reverse a transfer if fraud is confirmed
England & Wales law
All disputes governed under English law
1. Transfer Methods & How They Work
How it works: A one-time alphanumeric code is generated and shared with the buyer. The buyer redeems it in their Ownich account to claim the certificate. The code expires after a set period and is single-use.
Dispute trigger: Disputes are possible if the code was shared without consent, intercepted, or redeemed by the wrong party.
How it works: Both parties must be physically present. The buyer scans a QR code and digitally signs to accept. The seller also signs to confirm. Both signatures and a timestamp are recorded on the transfer record.
Dispute trigger: Disputes may arise if a signature was obtained under duress, the QR was scanned without the seller's knowledge, or the in-person exchange was fraudulent.
How it works: Instant transfer to a registered Ownich account by email. No code or QR required. The buyer receives a notification immediately.
Dispute trigger: Disputes may arise if the wrong email was entered, the account was compromised, or the transfer was initiated without the seller's authorisation.
How it works: Splits ownership percentage between multiple parties. Governed by the fractional transfer state machine with 15 states and a full audit trail.
Dispute trigger: Disputes may involve disagreements over percentage allocation, a co-owner refusing to accept, or a fraudulent initiation by one party.
2. When Can You Raise a Dispute?
Transfer completed within the last 72 hours
You are the registered seller or original certificate owner
Evidence of fraud, coercion, or account compromise is available
The wrong buyer email was entered and the recipient confirms non-receipt
A Secure Transfer Code was redeemed without your knowledge
Transfer was completed more than 72 hours ago (unless fraud is proven)
You changed your mind after a legitimate, consensual transfer
The buyer has already re-transferred the certificate to a third party
No supporting evidence is provided
3. How to Raise a Dispute
Contact Ownich immediately
Email hello@ownich.io with the subject line "Transfer Dispute — [Transfer ID]". Include your account email, the certificate ID (OWN-YYYY-XXXXXX), the Transfer ID, and a description of what went wrong.
Provide supporting evidence
Attach any relevant evidence: screenshots, messages, proof of fraud, or confirmation from the unintended recipient. The stronger your evidence, the faster the review.
Ownich reviews the transfer audit trail
Every transfer generates a full audit log — timestamps, IP addresses, method used, signatures, and redemption events. Our team reviews this against your claim.
Decision & outcome
We aim to respond within 5 business days. If the dispute is upheld, an admin reversal is applied. If declined, you will receive a written explanation.
4. Admin Reversal Process
Ownich has the ability to reverse a completed transfer. This is a privileged action that:
- Restores the certificate to the previous owner
- Stamps the reversal event in the transfer history with admin ID and timestamp
- Notifies both parties by email
- Marks the original transfer as reversed in the audit log
- Cannot be undone — a new transfer must be initiated if needed
Reversals are only performed after a formal dispute review. They are not available to users directly and cannot be self-initiated.
5. Cancellation vs Dispute — What's the Difference?
- Available before the buyer redeems the transfer
- Self-service — no admin required
- Instant — transfer is voided immediately
- No evidence needed
- Use: changed your mind, wrong buyer details entered
- Required after the transfer has been completed
- Requires admin review and approval
- Takes up to 5 business days
- Evidence strongly recommended
- Use: fraud, coercion, account compromise
6. Fractional Transfer Disputes
Fractional transfers involve multiple parties and a 15-state machine. Disputes in fractional transfers are handled separately via the fractional dispute endpoint.
7. Insurance & Fractional Transfers
Accepting a fractional transfer on Ownich automatically activates an insurance policy for the item. This section explains how that affects disputes.
- Insurance is triggered the moment the buyer or receiver accepts a fractional transfer — not when it is initiated.
- Ownich contacts an appropriate insurer on behalf of the possessor and arranges the policy.
- The possessor — the party with the highest ownership percentage — is responsible for paying the recurring insurance premium (monthly or annual).
- If a fractional transfer is reversed following a dispute, the insurance policy is cancelled and any unused premium is refunded pro-rata to the possessor.
- If a dispute is raised while an insurance claim is active on the same item, both processes run in parallel. The insurance claim is not automatically cancelled by a transfer dispute.
- If all parties decline possession — and therefore decline the insurance premium obligation — Ownich can facilitate a custody arrangement. See the Insurance Policy Agreement for details.
8. Governing Law & Formal Resolution
We encourage you to contact us first at to resolve any dispute informally. If a dispute cannot be resolved informally within 30 days, it shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.hello@ownich.io to resolve any dispute informally. If a dispute cannot be resolved informally within 30 days, it shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
If you are a consumer resident in the EEA, you may also have the right to use the EU Online Dispute Resolution platform at ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.
Ownich is not a party to any sale transaction and accepts no liability for disputes between buyers and sellers regarding the price, condition, or authenticity of items.
Need to raise a dispute?
Contact our team as soon as possible. Include your Transfer ID and certificate ID for the fastest resolution.
Email hello@ownich.io