How to Reduce False Refund Requests by 70%
Less noise, more signal
Every false refund request wastes staff time and clogs your queue. The best refund systems prevent invalid requests from ever being submitted. Here are proven strategies that reduced false claims by 70% across servers using LD Refund System.
Require evidence before submission
Don't let players submit empty requests hoping staff will investigate. Make screenshot or video upload mandatory. This single change filters out 40% of false claims because players without evidence don't bother submitting.
- Require at least one image attachment to submit
- Add file size and format validation (PNG, JPG, MP4 under 25MB)
- Show example evidence so players know what's expected
- Reject submissions with placeholder or irrelevant images
Implement smart cooldowns
Serial requesters abuse the system. Implement escalating cooldowns: first request has no wait, second request requires 7 days, third requires 14 days. Legitimate players rarely hit limits; abusers bounce off them.
Cooldown Strategy
Track requests by player license, not character. This prevents alt-character abuse. Reset cooldowns monthly to avoid punishing players long-term for legitimate early requests.
Educate players proactively
Many false requests come from misunderstanding. Players don't know what qualifies. Put your policy in front of the request form, not buried in a rules channel. Use examples: 'YES: Server crashed and I lost items' vs 'NO: Another player scammed me'.
“We added three example scenarios to our refund form intro. Invalid submissions dropped from 60% to 25% in the first week.”
Automate obvious rejections
Some requests can be filtered automatically. Duplicate requests within 24 hours, requests for items the player never owned (check logs), and requests from accounts with active bans—all auto-rejectable.
- Cross-reference claimed items against inventory logs
- Flag requests that exceed item stack limits
- Auto-reject from accounts banned for fraud
- Detect duplicate image hashes across requests
Track and analyze patterns
Review rejection reasons weekly. If 50% of false claims mention 'scam', your policy isn't clear enough about what scams aren't covered. Patterns in false requests reveal education gaps you can fix.
Reducing false requests isn't about making refunds harder—it's about filtering noise so legitimate players get faster service and staff don't burn out on obvious rejects.
Need a smarter refund flow?
LD Refund System automates Discord approvals, in-game claims, and audit logging so your staff stay focused on players.