If a marketplace seller sends the wrong item, doesn't deliver it, or promises a refund that never appears, start with the order's return or dispute process. Save the records, contact the seller through the platform, and escalate before the applicable deadline. Don't begin with a public review or an immediate card dispute.

An unauthorized card charge is different: contact the card issuer promptly through its fraud or dispute channel rather than waiting for the seller.

For an eligible U.S. credit-card billing error, the Federal Trade Commission's guidance says your written notice generally must reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent. The issuer generally must acknowledge the complaint within 30 days, unless it has already resolved the issue, and resolve the dispute within 90 days.

These steps are for U.S. consumers. Marketplace policies, payment methods, order eligibility, and other consumer protections can vary.

What actually controls a marketplace complaint?

The right route depends on both the problem and the payment method.

A marketplace case and a credit-card dispute are separate processes. The platform applies its own buyer-protection policy. The card issuer separately decides whether the transaction qualifies for a billing dispute or another card-network remedy.

A seller's "no returns" term doesn't automatically determine whether a platform protection applies to an item that was never delivered or was materially different from the listing. Check the policy for the specific problem.

Gather evidence before contacting the seller

Save the records before the listing changes, a message disappears, or a return window closes:

• Order confirmation, receipt, order number, and seller name.
• The listing, including photos, description, measurements, condition, shipping promise, and return terms.
• Photos of damage, incorrect items, missing parts, packaging, and the shipping label.
• Tracking details, including the promised and actual delivery dates.
• Every message exchanged through the marketplace.
• The date you reported the problem and each response.
• Any return authorization, shipping receipt, tracking number, refund confirmation, or case number.
• The payment method and the date the charge appeared on your statement.

Create a short timeline. For example:

1. March 3: Order placed.
2. March 10: Package marked delivered, but not received.
3. March 11: Seller contacted through platform messages.
4. March 14: Seller promised a refund.
5. March 20: No refund appeared.

Don't send your full card number, Social Security number, password, or a one-time security code in a marketplace message. The seller normally needs order details, not your sensitive financial credentials.

Send one clear request to the seller

A factual message gives the seller a clear remedy to consider and creates a record for the platform or payment provider.

You can adapt this wording:

Order [number], placed on [date], has the following problem: [brief factual description]. The listing or order stated [relevant promise]. I'm requesting [a refund, replacement, missing part, or return instructions]. Please confirm the next step and expected timing through this message thread.

Attach only evidence that proves the issue. Avoid insults, threats, or claims you can't support. If the seller offers a remedy, ask who will pay return shipping, where to send the item, and when the refund will be issued.

Don't close a platform case merely because the seller says a refund is coming. Wait until the refund appears in the original payment account, unless the platform specifically instructs you to close the case or arranges another refund method.

Platform-specific routes for seller complaints

Amazon

Open Your Orders, select the order, and use the help or customer-service options shown there. Keep communication in Amazon's messaging system where possible, especially if the seller asks you to move to email, text, or another payment channel.

If an A-to-z Guarantee option appears, follow the eligibility requirements, evidence requests, and deadline shown for that marketplace and order. Amazon's terms can differ by country. For example, the official Amazon EU A-to-z Guarantee page contains EU-specific conditions and should not be treated as a U.S. deadline.

For a delivery complaint, save the tracking history and delivery address. For an item-not-as-described complaint, save the listing and photographs showing the difference. If Amazon asks for information, answer in the case or message channel it identifies and keep the response short, factual, and organized.

eBay

Start from Purchase History and use the return or problem-reporting option that matches the order. eBay's Money Back Guarantee policy contains issue-specific eligibility rules and exclusions.

If eBay decides the case and you believe the decision was based on missing or misunderstood evidence, check the appeal option immediately. The policy states that a buyer or seller may appeal within 30 calendar days of eBay's decision. That appeal period is not necessarily the deadline for opening the original case.

Upload tracking, photos, and messages through the case rather than sending a long argument. If you return an item, use the instructions supplied by eBay and keep proof of delivery. A seller's agreement in messages doesn't necessarily extend eBay's case deadline.

Etsy

Use Etsy's Help with order process first. According to Etsy's case-opening instructions, 48 hours generally must pass after you send the seller a Help with order request before you can open a case. Other requirements depend on the order, location, currency, and eligibility criteria.

If a case opens, respond in the case record and provide the documents Etsy requests. Etsy's guidance for resolving a buyer's case refers to shipment proof, valid tracking, and the address shown on the Etsy receipt when a delivery dispute is being reviewed.

Etsy's 48-hour step isn't a universal marketplace rule. Don't apply it to Amazon, eBay, or another site.

Walmart Marketplace

Open the order in your Walmart account and use the current return, order-help, or customer-service route shown there. Marketplace orders can involve different fulfillment arrangements, so check whether the order identifies Walmart or a third-party seller as the shipper.

Keep the product page, tracking record, seller messages, and any support case number. If the seller doesn't respond, ask Walmart support to review the order through its official channel. Follow the deadline displayed in your account or case; don't rely on a deadline copied from a blog or another marketplace.

Shopify stores

Shopify commonly powers individual online stores rather than one universal marketplace buyer-protection program. Start with the store's published refund, cancellation, and return terms, then contact the merchant using the order confirmation or official contact page.

If the store stops responding, review the payment method's dispute process. A Shopify checkout doesn't by itself guarantee that Shopify will reverse the charge. Keep the store's policy, order confirmation, messages, delivery records, and proof that you requested a remedy.

Facebook Marketplace

The available protection depends heavily on how the transaction was completed. A purchase made through an eligible platform checkout may have a different process from a cash, bank-transfer, or in-person exchange.

Keep communications and payment records. For a suspected scam, counterfeit item, or safety concern, report the account or listing through Facebook's official tools and contact the payment provider. Don't send more money to "unlock" a refund or share verification codes with someone claiming to be support.

When a credit-card dispute may be appropriate

People often use "chargeback" as a general term, but a marketplace case, a card-network dispute, and the federal credit-card billing-error process are not identical.

For a U.S. credit-card account, the billing-error process may apply when:

• The charge amount is wrong.
• Goods or services weren't delivered as agreed.
• A promised credit or refund wasn't properly posted.
• The charge was unauthorized.

For an unauthorized charge, contact the issuer promptly through its fraud or dispute channel. Don't wait for a seller response if you believe someone used your card without permission.

For an authorized purchase with a seller problem, contacting the seller and marketplace first is usually useful. It may resolve the issue faster and gives the issuer a clear record of what happened. It doesn't replace the issuer's deadline.

How to submit a credit-card billing dispute

1. Check the statement. Record the merchant name, transaction date, amount, and the date the statement containing the error was sent.
2. Contact the seller or marketplace. State the problem and request a refund or correction through a recorded channel.
3. Write to the card issuer. Send the dispute to the billing-error address listed in the issuer's instructions, not automatically to the address used for payments.
4. Meet the 60-day deadline. The FTC says the written notice must reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.
5. Keep proof. Save a copy of the letter, attachments, delivery confirmation, and the issuer's response.
6. Send relevant records. Include the order confirmation, listing, messages, tracking, photos, and refund promise when they support your claim.
7. Monitor the account. Ask the issuer what you must pay while the dispute is pending, and continue paying amounts you don't dispute.

The issuer generally must acknowledge the complaint within 30 days unless it resolves the issue sooner, and generally must resolve the dispute within 90 days. Those are timing obligations for the billing-error process, not a promise that the buyer will win.

If you paid with a debit card, ACH transfer, prepaid card, wire, or peer-to-peer payment app, don't assume the credit-card process applies. Contact that provider immediately and ask for its specific error, fraud, or transaction-reversal procedure. The timing and available remedies can differ.

A special billing-address limit

The FTC describes a specific condition for using this billing-error process when a statement was sent to an old address: you must have given the issuer your change of address in writing early enough for the issuer to have it at least 20 days before the billing period ended.

If your statement or address history is unusual, explain it to the issuer and ask which dispute procedure applies. Keep copies of the written address notice.

What to do if the seller or platform rejects your complaint

Read the rejection carefully. It may refer to an expired protection period, insufficient evidence, an incorrect return, or an excluded transaction.

Then:

1. Ask for the specific policy reason and the next available appeal route.
2. Submit a concise appeal with new or clearer evidence rather than repeating the same long message.
3. Confirm whether the platform requires a return, tracking number, photographs, or a response in a particular case window.
4. Contact the payment provider if the transaction remains unresolved and its process applies.
5. Tell the issuer or payment provider about any later refund, replacement, partial credit, or platform decision.

Don't submit altered tracking records or claim that a purchase was unauthorized when you approved it. A false dispute can create account, payment, or fraud problems. If the issue involves an immediate safety threat or suspected criminal fraud, use the platform's safety reporting channel and contact the appropriate authorities.

Common questions

Should I leave a negative review before opening a complaint?

No. A review doesn't replace a return, buyer-protection case, or payment dispute. Resolve the transaction through the proper channel first, then leave an accurate review based on the order and service. Don't threaten a review in exchange for money.

Can I open a card dispute after using a marketplace case?

Possibly, if the charge remains unresolved and the payment method's rules allow it. The platform's process doesn't automatically extend the card issuer's deadline. Tell the issuer about the marketplace case, and stop pursuing duplicate recovery after a full refund.

Does a seller's no-refund policy end the matter?

Not necessarily. It may control a change-of-mind return, but it doesn't by itself determine whether the order qualifies for platform protection or another payment dispute. The reason for the complaint matters.

Do Etsy's 48 hours, eBay's 30 days, and the FTC's 60 days apply everywhere?

No. Etsy's 48-hour period relates to opening certain cases after a Help with order request. eBay's 30-day period cited above relates to appealing an eBay decision. The FTC's 60-day period concerns written notices for eligible U.S. credit-card billing errors. These deadlines are not interchangeable.

Open the order record, save the listing and messages, and identify the payment method before you contact the seller. Then note the platform deadline and, if you used a credit card, the date the first statement containing the error was sent.