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What to Do When You Get a Bad Lead

You accepted a lead, called the number, and it's a dead line. Or the homeowner already hired someone else. Or the whole thing feels made up. Here's how to get your money back.

When Should You File a Dispute?

Disputes are for leads that are genuinely bad — not just leads that didn't close. Here's the difference:

  • Dispute-worthy: Wrong phone number, client says they never requested service, fake contact info, client already hired someone before you got the lead
  • Not dispute-worthy: Client went with a cheaper quote, client ghosted after the estimate, job was smaller than expected

The rule of thumb: if the lead info itself was bad or misleading, dispute it. If the lead was legit but the client just didn't pick you, that's not a dispute — that's sales.

Why the Dispute System Exists

Nobody wants to pay for garbage. The dispute system protects receivers from bad leads while keeping senders accountable. When someone sends junk leads, disputes flag them — their acceptance rate drops, their trust level can go down, and repeat offenders get suspended.

How to File a Dispute

  1. Go to your Leads page
  2. Find the lead you want to dispute
  3. Click the Dispute button on the lead detail page
  4. Select the reason (wrong number, fake info, already hired, etc.)
  5. Add any notes explaining the situation
  6. Submit
Lead detail with Dispute button

⏰ The 7-Day Window

You have 7 days from acceptanceto file a dispute. After that, the window closes and you can't get a refund. Don't sit on it — call the lead right away and file immediately if something's off.

What Happens After You File

  1. Sender gets notified — they have 7 days to respond
  2. If the sender doesn't respond — the dispute is automatically approved in your favor
  3. If the sender responds — LeadChuck reviews and makes a call

How Refunds Work

Dispute refunds come as credits, not cash back to your bank. Here's what you get:

  • If the lead is still in hold period: You get back the lead fee + the 10% platform fee as credits
  • If the hold period already passed: You get the lead fee back as credits (platform fee is already processed)

Credits apply automatically to your next lead fee — they work just like cash on the platform. First in, first out.

💡 Pro Tips

  • File disputes fast.You only have 7 days from acceptance. Don't wait to "see if it works out."
  • Credits are as good as cash on the platform. They auto-apply to your next lead fee. If you have $20 in credits and accept a $50 lead, you only pay $30.
  • Don't abuse the system.If you're disputing more than 20% of your leads, that's a red flag. Use lead filters and rejection properly before accepting leads.
  • Reject before accepting when possible. If a lead looks sketchy from the description, just reject it — no charge, no dispute needed.

Disputes vs. Rejections — Know the Difference

Rejection

Before you accept. Free. No charge ever happens. Use this when you can tell upfront that a lead isn't right for you.

Dispute

After you accept. Gets you credits back. Use this when you accepted in good faith but the lead turned out to be bad.