Visa 10.4, Mastercard 4837, and American Express F24 or F30 aren't choices you generally need to make when disputing a counterfeit purchase. If you ordered the item yourself with a U.S. consumer credit card, describe it as counterfeit or not as represented and ask the issuer for the applicable merchandise or billing-dispute process. If you didn't authorize the charge, report it as an unauthorized transaction instead.

The issuer decides how to classify the claim and which payment-network process to use. Give it the facts rather than trying to force the dispute into a code that may not fit.

Counterfeit goods and unauthorized charges are different

Start with what happened at the time of purchase and what went wrong afterward. These descriptions are not interchangeable.

If you placed the order yourself, don't describe it as unauthorized just because the item turned out to be fake. Explain that the problem is authenticity or misrepresentation. If someone else used your card without permission, use the unauthorized-transaction process.

What the network reason-code labels mean

You may see a label such as Visa 10.4, Mastercard 4837, or American Express F24 or F30 in a merchant response, processor document, or dispute notice. These are network-level classifications, not usually consumer-facing forms that you must choose.

A code by itself doesn't prove that merchandise was counterfeit or guarantee a refund. The applicable category, evidence requirements, and deadlines can depend on the network, transaction type, issuer, and stage of the dispute. A merchant-facing reason-code list might not show the deadline that applies to you.

Describe the problem plainly:

• “I authorized the purchase, but the item advertised as genuine appears counterfeit.”
• “I didn't authorize this transaction.”
• “The merchandise was never delivered.”
• “The merchant confirmed a refund, but the credit is missing.”

Then ask the issuer which dispute process applies. There isn't a reliable universal “counterfeit chargeback win rate”; the result depends on the records, the merchant's response, the network rules, and the issuer's decision.

What to do after receiving a counterfeit item

Preserve the product and transaction record

Keep the product, packaging, labels, and invoice. Photograph the item from several angles, along with tags, serial numbers, logos, and packaging. Save screenshots of the product page, the seller's authenticity claims, return policy, order confirmation, receipt, and payment record.

If a brand, qualified authenticator, or other independent source provides a written finding, save that too. A report explaining why the item appears counterfeit is more useful than a bare statement that it “looks fake.”

Document everything before altering, reselling, or returning the item. If the seller requires a return, ask for written instructions and use a trackable shipping method.

Ask the seller for a refund in writing

Use a channel that leaves a record. Include the order number, purchase date, the seller's representation about authenticity, why the product appears counterfeit, and the refund you're requesting. Ask for return instructions if needed.

Keep the seller's reply, including a refusal, silence, or request for more information. If you bought through a marketplace with a buyer-protection process, open a case there and save its case number.

Contacting the seller may solve the problem faster, but don't let a prolonged exchange cause you to miss the card-dispute deadline.

Notify the credit-card issuer promptly

Use the number on the back of the card or the issuer's official website or app. Tell the issuer whether the issue concerns counterfeit or misrepresented merchandise, an unauthorized charge, nonreceipt, or a missing merchant refund.

Ask for the dispute reference number, the submission deadline, and the documents the issuer wants. If the transaction was unauthorized, ask whether the card should be blocked or replaced and watch for additional charges.

The issuer is usually the consumer's starting point. Visa, Mastercard, or American Express generally isn't where you submit the consumer dispute directly; the issuer communicates with the merchant or acquiring bank through the network process.

The U.S. written-dispute deadline

The Federal Trade Commission's credit-card dispute guidance says that consumers who want the federal billing-error protections should send a written dispute so the issuer receives it within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.

The clock is tied to the statement, not necessarily to the day you discovered that the product was counterfeit. Find that statement as soon as possible.

Send the letter to the issuer's billing-inquiries address. It may be different from the address used for payments. Include:

• Your name and the account information the issuer requests
• The transaction date, merchant, and amount
• A factual description of the problem
• The date you contacted the merchant and what happened
• Copies of supporting records
• A request that the issuer investigate the disputed charge

Keep a copy of the full package and proof that the issuer received it. An online or telephone dispute may also be available, but follow the written-notice instructions if you're relying on the federal billing-error procedure.

If your billing address recently changed, check the FTC's additional address condition: for these protections, the issuer must have received your written change of address at least 20 days before the billing period ended.

Sample dispute letter

I am disputing the $ charge from dated , shown on my statement dated . I authorized a purchase from this merchant, but the item was advertised as authentic and appears counterfeit because . I contacted the merchant on and requested a refund. The merchant responded ___, or did not respond. Please investigate this charge under your applicable billing-dispute process. Copies of the order record, product evidence, merchant correspondence, and refund request are attached.

For an unauthorized charge, use different wording:

I did not make or authorize the $ transaction from dated ___. Please investigate it as an unauthorized transaction and tell me what additional information you need.

While the issuer investigates

According to the FTC, the issuer generally must acknowledge a written complaint within 30 days unless the problem has already been resolved. It must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, and no later than 90 days after receiving the letter.

The FTC also says you don't need to pay the disputed amount or related finance and other charges during the investigation. Continue paying every undisputed amount on time. Keep checking your statements; a temporary adjustment, if one appears, doesn't necessarily mean the dispute is final.

If the issuer asks for documents, send copies before the deadline in its notice and keep proof of submission.

Evidence that can help

Put the records in date order and give files clear names. Your packet may include:

1. The statement showing the charge
2. The order confirmation and receipt
3. Screenshots of the listing and authenticity claims
4. Photos of the item, packaging, labels, and serial numbers
5. A written authentication opinion, if available
6. Messages with the seller or marketplace
7. Your refund request and the merchant's response
8. Return instructions and tracking information
9. A short timeline of the purchase, delivery, complaint, and refund request

Don't send passwords, one-time security codes, full card numbers, or unrelated personal information. Provide only what the issuer requests.

Limits and other payment methods

This process is for U.S. consumer credit-card purchases. Debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, ACH payments, payment apps, and wire transfers can have different procedures and deadlines. The credit-card 60-day written-dispute process doesn't automatically apply to them.

A card-network benefit is separate from a federal billing right. For example, Visa's Zero Liability policy says it doesn't apply to certain commercial cards, anonymous prepaid cards, or transactions not processed by Visa. That policy concerns certain unauthorized transactions; it isn't a guarantee that a counterfeit-goods dispute will be refunded. Check the terms for your specific card with the issuer.

If more than 60 days have passed, contact the issuer anyway. Explain why you believe the product is counterfeit and ask whether another merchandise-dispute, fraud-reporting, or account-support procedure is available. A separate process may exist, but don't assume it carries the same federal protections.

A merchant refund also has to appear on your account. Keep any confirmation and check later statements. Tell the issuer about a merchant refund or marketplace reimbursement so the account isn't credited twice.

Your next step

Find the first statement showing the charge and mark the 60-day deadline. Before contacting the issuer, save the listing, product photos, receipt, seller messages, and refund request. Send the seller a written request, then notify the issuer promptly and keep paying the undisputed part of the account while the claim is reviewed.