What is the difference between a severe dispute and a general dispute?

Type of Dispute

Definition

Resolution

Severe dispute

1) No goods received after full payment.
2) No payment received after full delivery.
3) Products received are not as described, for example:
a) Only an empty box received.
b) Ordered a mobile phone but received a T-shirt.
c) Ordered original products but received fake ones.
d) Received less than the quantity ordered, the short-weight quantity is more than 20% of the total order, or the short-weight value is higher than 20% of the total order value. e.g. ordered 10 SD cards but received only 3.

We'll resolve the case based on evidence provided by both parties. Once a decision has been made, it’ll be conveyed to both parties (complainant withdraws the case and/or Alibaba.com closes the complaint).
Another resolution is that Alibaba.com, after considering the evidence, will terminate and blacklist the guilty supplier's account in severe dispute cases, or publish the complaint case record on the defendant’s mini-site on Alibaba.com for 90 days in general dispute cases.

General dispute

1) After-sales service problems - e.g. problems related to length of warranty.
2) Problems related to size/ color/texture/model - e.g. ordered XL dark blue bombazine T-shirt - received XXL light blue cotton T-shirt.
3) Received damaged products.
4) Problems related to logistics/shipping fees.
5) Problems related to documentation - e.g. FDA etc.
6) Taxes/detained shipment at customs.
7) Received less than the ordered quantity, the short-weight quantity is less than 20% of the total order, or the short-weight value is less than 20% of the total order value. - e.g. ordered 10 SD cards but received only 9.
8) Contractual issues - e.g. according to the contract, the buyer should have made a full payment before delivery, though actually only a partial payment was made. The supplier refused to give a refund because the products were already halfway in production.