HelpWhatsAppWhen WhatsApp is down on our side, and your refund

When WhatsApp is down on our side, and your refund

Sometimes WhatsApp cannot go out because of something on our side, not yours. This page says what counts, when you are refunded automatically, and what you do (nothing).

Owner Where: Billing → WhatsApp messages 4 min read
Your visitors always keep the free tracking page, the lobby TV and email, whatever happens to WhatsApp.

What it is

A problem on our side means WhatsApp stops working for your business for a reason that is not yours and not your visitors’. If it lasts long enough, we refund your unused messages automatically, and you do not have to ask.

How to check it in turnda

  1. Look for a banner that says WhatsApp isn’t working on our side — visitors still have their link, the TV and email. It says: “This is our problem, not yours. No action needed.” Managers see the banner too, without the money details.
  2. On the WhatsApp messages card in Billing, look at the status pill and the title. The pill reads Not working on our side, and the title reads WhatsApp hasn’t been working on our side since the date it started. The card says no new pack is bought meanwhile, and that visitors keep their tracking link, the TV and email.
  3. After a refund, open Billing history and Money activity. The credit note and the refund to your card are listed there.

A real example

WhatsApp stops working for your business on Monday. It stays down from Monday 9 am until Thursday 9 am, which is 72 hours in all, within seven days. At that point your unused messages are refunded to the card that paid. You get one email with the amount and the date. Meanwhile your visitors kept the tracking page, the TV and email.

Whose side is it?

What happenedWhose side
WhatsApp’s service is down, or turnda’s connection to it is broken. Ours. It counts.
A visitor’s phone is switched off, or they have left WhatsApp. Not ours. The message was sent, so it is used.
A visitor’s own message window had closed. Not ours. See A visitor did not get a WhatsApp message.

What happens in the system

  1. 1WhatsApp stops working on our side
    A banner tells you, and no new pack is bought meanwhile
  2. 2Visitors keep their link, the TV and email
    Nobody loses their place
  3. 372 hours in total within any seven days
    A short pause, for minutes or a few hours, refunds nothing. Only 72 hours down in all (three full days) does
From the first failed message to your refund.
A short pause 72 hours in seven days Popular
What you see A banner while sending is paused A banner, then an email with the amount
Refund — ✓
Your messages Kept for when it ends Refunded to your card
A short pause is not a refund, because your messages are still yours when it ends.

What you need to do

  • Nothing, to get the refund. It is automatic. Every pack you hold is refunded together, and WhatsApp is switched off for your business, so nothing new is charged.
  • If the refund does not go through the first time, for example because the payment service did not answer, turnda tries it again at its next regular checks. You do not need to ask again.
  • Only your own hours count. Hours before you bought your oldest pack, and hours already refunded, are left out, so nothing is counted twice.
  • If the card company returns the refund, the app asks you to give your bank details. We pay within 5 working days of receiving them, and until then it shows as “owed to you” on your statement.
  • When WhatsApp works again, we email you. To buy a new pack, press Switch WhatsApp on again in Billing. Nothing is charged until you do.

Text messages, once a country is open for them, follow the same rule. See Refunds: when, how and how long for every refund.

What turnda does not cover

  • A visitor’s phone, network or WhatsApp account. These never count as a problem on our side.
  • A change of mind. A pack is not refunded because you switched WhatsApp off or moved to Free. Unused packs end when a closed account is finally deleted.
  • Your bank’s timing. We send the refund at once. When it shows on your statement is up to your bank.

Common questions

QuestionAnswer
Do I have to ask for the refund? No. It is automatic once the rule is met.
Do visitors lose their place? No. The tracking link, the lobby TV and email carry on.
Will I be charged for a new pack during the problem? No. No new pack is bought until WhatsApp works again and you switch it on.

Related: Refunds: when, how and how long