The evidence-pack helper lives on the dispute workspace at /app/disputes/[id], inside the Evidence pack panel. Click one button and it looks at the reason attached to the dispute and what proof you already have on file for that customer — invoices, quotes, job photos, message history, warranty records, and past appointments — then suggests which of those pieces to include in your evidence pack, plus drafts a short cover note arguing your side. Nothing gets checked, saved, or submitted automatically: the suggestion only ever shows up as an on-screen draft, and you decide whether to apply it, edit it, and save your own selections before anything actually goes out.
Getting a suggestion
Open a dispute from the queue and look at the Evidence pack card in the center column. At the top sits an "AI · Suggest evidence pack" button — click it and the app surveys what's actually on file tied to that dispute's customer (how many quotes, invoices, photos, warranty records, past appointments, and messages exist) along with the reason the dispute was opened for. A few seconds later a suggestion panel appears in its place: a one-line rationale for the approach it took, a list of which evidence sections it recommends turning on, and a boxed draft of a short cover note. A small dot next to the "AI suggestion" label shows whether the answer came from a live AI call (green) or a stub/placeholder (amber) — see Things to know below.
Applying it
The suggestion is only a draft until you act on it. Click "Apply suggestion" and it sets the evidence checklist below to match its picks — turning on the sections it recommends and off anything it doesn't, so if you'd already checked something by hand before running the suggestion, applying can turn it back off — and fills in the cover-notes box. Every one of those toggles, plus the cover note text, stays fully editable afterward. Review each section, add or remove anything by hand, adjust the wording of the cover note, then click "Save selections" to actually write your choices to the dispute record. Don't like the first pass? "Regenerate" runs it again. Either way, nothing is saved or sent anywhere until you choose to apply and save it yourself — submitting the finished evidence pack to the card issuer is a separate step you take afterward.
Things to know
- Plan requirement: getting a live, case-specific suggestion requires the Professional plan or above, alongside SalesThumb's other AI-assist tools. Below that plan the button and workflow still work, but the suggestion will always come back as the generic placeholder described under Stub mode below — never a real read of this dispute.
- Stub mode: the amber dot means you're looking at a placeholder, not a live read of your case — a suggestion built from simple rules of thumb rather than an AI call. This shows up if the workspace doesn't have a live AI connection configured, if your shop's plan doesn't include this feature, or if your shop has hit its AI usage limit for the period. Either way, it's not something to rely on for an actual dispute response — treat it as a rough starting template.
- Evidence counts are customer-wide, not job-specific: the "what's on file" survey looks at everything tied to that customer's record — quotes, photos, messages, warranties, and appointments across their whole history with your shop — not narrowed down to just the one invoice or job being disputed. If a customer has unrelated history, that gets counted too.
- It won't invent evidence for the sections it checks: before showing you the suggestion, the app cross-checks it against what's actually on file for that customer — for quotes, invoices, job photos, message history, warranty records, and past appointments, it will never turn on a section that's actually empty for that customer. Waiver and QC-inspection sections aren't cross-checked this way, so give those two a look yourself before saving.
- It's a draft, not a decision: the cover note and section picks are a starting point for a human to review and edit. Deciding how to respond, whether to contest a dispute, and what to actually submit stays with you and your team.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Does the AI decide whether to fight the chargeback, or actually submit anything?
A: No. It only suggests which evidence sections to include and drafts a cover note. Nothing is submitted, and nothing is even saved to the dispute record, until you review it and click Save (and later, submit the pack yourself).
Q: If I click "Apply suggestion," does that send anything to the customer or the card issuer?
A: No. Applying just fills in the on-screen checklist and cover-note box with the AI's picks. You still need to review it, optionally edit anything, and click "Save selections" — and actually submitting the finished pack is a separate step after that.
Q: What plan do I need for this?
A: Getting a live, case-specific suggestion requires the Professional plan or above. On a lower plan you can still click the button, but you'll only get the generic placeholder version described below, not a suggestion based on your actual dispute.
Q: What if I don't have photos, a signed quote, or other evidence on file for this customer?
A: For quotes, invoices, job photos, message history, warranty records, and past appointments, the tool only suggests a section if there's actually content behind it for that customer, so an empty one won't get checked off. Waiver and QC-inspection sections aren't checked against your records this way, so double-check those two yourself before saving.
Q: What does the amber dot / "stub" suggestion mean?
A: It means you're seeing a placeholder, not a live analysis of this specific dispute — built from simple rules of thumb instead of an AI call. That can happen if the workspace doesn't have a live AI connection configured, if your plan doesn't include this feature, or if your shop has hit its AI usage limit. Treat it as a starting template, not a finished answer.
Q: Can I edit the suggested cover note before using it?
A: Yes — after you apply the suggestion, the cover-notes box is a normal text field. Rewrite as much or as little as you want before saving.