Runbook: Vendor Suspension & Enforcement Procedure

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1. Classification of Infractions & Trigger Thresholds

Severity Tier	Trigger Conditions	Immediate Action	Authority Required
Tier 1: Regulatory / Fraud Emergency	Confirmed wire fraud, counterfeit electronics, stolen card ring, narcotics/weapons listing.	Instant Zero-Notice Account Freeze & Escrow Quarantine.	Trust & Safety Officer / Automated Guard
Tier 2: Strike Accumulation	Vendor accumulates 3 strikes within a rolling 90-day window.	Standard Account Suspension & Product Delisting.	Moderation Case Arbiter
Tier 3: Operational Failure	Order cancellation rate $> 25%$ or dispute loss rate $> 15%$ over 30 days.	14-Day Probationary Listing Pause.	Merchant Operations Lead

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2. Emergency Account Freezing Protocol

When an emergency suspension is authorized, the on-call Trust & Safety engineer or automated guard executes a 5-step containment procedure:

sequenceDiagram
    autonumber
    actor Officer as Trust & Safety Officer
    participant API as VendorService
    participant DB as Postgres Security Definer
    participant Redis as Redis Edge Cache
    participant Auth as Supabase Auth Engine

    Officer->>API: 1. suspendVendor(vendorId, reason, severity)
    API->>DB: 2. UPDATE vendor_profiles SET status='suspended'
    API->>DB: 3. UPDATE products SET status='inactive' WHERE vendor_id=X
    API->>Redis: 4. Invalidate vendor search indexes & campus feeds
    API->>DB: 5. Quarantine pending payout batches in ReviewedPayoutBatch
    API->>Auth: 6. Invalidate active JWTs & refresh tokens
    API-->>Officer: 7. Confirmation receipt & audit logged

Step 1: Delist Active Products & Invalidate Cache

Deactivate all active listings and immediately flush edge cache so products vanish from storefront search:

BEGIN;
  -- Deactivate vendor profile
  UPDATE public.vendor_profiles 
  SET status = 'suspended', 
      suspension_reason = '<SUSPENSION_REASON>',
      suspended_at = now()
  WHERE id = '<VENDOR_ID>';

  -- Delist active catalog items
  UPDATE public.products 
  SET status = 'inactive', updated_at = now()
  WHERE vendor_id = '<VENDOR_ID>' AND status = 'active';
COMMIT;

Flush edge search cache via backend CLI:

fly ssh console -C "npm run cache:invalidate -- --vendor <VENDOR_ID>"

Step 2: Quarantine Pending Escrow Balances

To protect buyers and ensure funds are available for potential chargebacks, freeze all outbound withdrawals:

UPDATE public.payout_requests 
SET status = 'quarantined', 
    transfer_failure = 'Account suspended for policy violation; funds held for 90-day chargeback buffer'
WHERE vendor_id = '<VENDOR_ID>' AND status IN ('pending', 'processing');

Step 3: Revoke Authentication & Terminate Active Sessions

Terminate active sessions across web and mobile surfaces by revoking Supabase Auth tokens:

-- Force token refresh invalidation in Supabase Auth
UPDATE auth.users 
SET raw_app_meta_data = raw_app_meta_data || '{"suspended": true}'::jsonb
WHERE id = '<VENDOR_USER_ID>';

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3. In-Flight Order Management & Buyer Protection

When a vendor is suspended, existing orders must be handled according to their fulfillment state:

State A: Orders Placed but Not Yet Shipped (status = 'Processing')

• The vendor cannot be trusted to fulfill new orders.
• Automated Cancellation: Orders are automatically cancelled.
• Full Restitution: 100% of escrow funds are immediately refunded to buyer in-app wallets via ReviewedWalletRefundService.

State B: Orders In Transit (status = 'Shipped')

• Goods have already left the vendor's physical custody and may be at a campus hub or with a student courier.
• Allow Delivery to Proceed: The buyer retains the right to inspect the goods and provide their Delivery PIN.
• Quarantined Credit: If the PIN is verified, the net funds unlock into the vendor's quarantined balance (ineligible for withdrawal until the suspension is resolved or 90 days have elapsed).

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4. Vendor Appeal Protocol (ModerationAppealService.ts)

Under Debelu's merchant governance charter, suspended vendors maintain a statutory right to appeal:

stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> Suspended : Account Frozen
    Suspended --> AppealLodged : Vendor submits appeal within 14 days
    Suspended --> Deplatformed : 14 days elapse without appeal
    
    AppealLodged --> UnderReview : Independent Review Board assigned
    
    UnderReview --> Reinstated : Appeal Upheld (Mistake / Evidence Verified)
    UnderReview --> Deplatformed : Appeal Rejected (Violation Confirmed)
    
    Reinstated --> [*] : Listings Restored & 30-Day Probation
    Deplatformed --> [*] : Permanent Blacklist & Fund Settlement

Appeal Review Rules

1. 14-Day Filing Window: Vendor must lodge formal appeal within 14 calendar days via the support portal.
2. Acceptable Evidence: Legitimate tax invoices from authorized distributors, verifiable waybill receipts, or physical proof of delivery.
3. Independent Review Board: The appeal must be evaluated by two staff members who had zero involvement in the original suspension decision.

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5. Permanent Deplatforming & Legal Protocol

If an appeal is rejected or severe criminal wire fraud is confirmed:

1. Permanent Blacklisting:
   • Add the vendor's NUBAN bank account number, phone number, and hashed BVN to public.blacklisted_identities.
   • Any future attempt to register on Debelu using these credentials is blocked automatically.
2. Escrow Liquidation & Chargeback Reserve:
   • Quarantined funds are retained for 90 calendar days from the last order date to absorb lagging commercial bank chargebacks and return claims.
   • After 90 days, any residual funds minus verified customer losses and administrative penalty fees are disbursed to the vendor's original bank account.
3. Law Enforcement Escalation:
   • For confirmed criminal operations ($> ₦200,000$ in defrauded student funds), the Legal Compliance Officer compiles a digital evidence dossier and submits a formal referral to the Nigerian Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) and NFIU.