If you paid for an item believing it was genuine and the listing promised authenticity, save the listing and photograph the item before doing anything else. Ask the seller for a refund in writing, then contact your card issuer or payment platform before its deadline. Describe the problem as counterfeit merchandise or merchandise not as described. Don't report it as an unauthorized transaction when you made the purchase.

This guidance is for U.S. consumers and isn't legal advice. Credit-card billing-error rules, card-network procedures, issuer workflows, and PayPal policies can differ. The deadline and submission instructions from your issuer or platform matter, so don't rely on a generic "90 to 120 days" rule.

Which process applies?

A counterfeit-item problem can involve several separate processes:

  1. The seller or marketplace's refund process. Contacting the seller may produce a refund and creates a useful record. It shouldn't, however, delay a card or platform dispute until you miss its deadline.
  2. Your card issuer's dispute process. Visa, Mastercard, and American Express have network rules, but your issuer normally receives the consumer claim and decides which dispute category fits the facts.
  3. A PayPal or marketplace case. A platform applies its own policy and deadline. That process isn't the same as a bank chargeback, even when the same purchase is involved.

A chargeback isn't a court decision that legally proves an item is counterfeit. The issuer reviews the transaction, the seller's response, and the evidence you provide. If the issuer gives you provisional credit, it can reverse that credit if the dispute fails. You may also have to return the item.

Visa's general chargeback guidance includes counterfeit products among situations where a chargeback may help and says that returning the item may be required. That page isn't U.S. legal guidance, so follow your issuer's instructions.

Check these points before filing

What did the seller actually promise?

Your evidence is strongest when the listing, receipt, message, or advertisement used clear language such as:

Save the exact wording. If the listing disclosed that the item was a replica, imitation, or unauthorized copy, don't describe it as a purchase that was promised to be genuine. Give the issuer the complete listing, including any disclosure that could affect how the claim is evaluated.

How did you pay?

Deadlines for a U.S. counterfeit-item dispute

Different workflows may count time from the transaction date, expected delivery date, statement date, or another event. The often-repeated 90-to-120-day period is not a universal U.S. deadline.

For the federal credit-card billing-error process, the Federal Trade Commission says that your written notice should 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 and resolve it within 90 days.

That 60-day notice rule belongs to the federal billing-error process. It should not be treated as a promise that every counterfeit claim uses the same deadline. Ask the issuer how it is classifying your claim and request the exact last date for filing and for sending additional evidence.

Route What to do
U.S. credit-card billing error Send the written notice required by the issuer. Use the billing-dispute address on your statement if one is provided.
Card-network merchandise dispute Ask the issuer for the exact filing deadline and submit the claim as soon as possible.
PayPal or marketplace case Check the current deadline in your account or the applicable policy. Open the case without waiting through a long seller negotiation.
Debit-card purchase dispute Notify the bank promptly and ask which merchandise procedure and deadline apply.

If a deadline is close, open the claim now and ask how to add supporting documents afterward. Keep copies of every letter, upload, email, case number, and delivery confirmation.

Evidence that can make the claim clearer

Organize the file around one question: What did the seller promise, and what did you receive?

Save the original offer

Capture the complete listing, not only the product photograph. Include:

Listings can change after a dispute starts. Save screenshots and, where possible, a printable copy of the page.

Photograph the item before altering it

Take clear, well-lit photos of the item and packaging before cleaning, wearing, repairing, or otherwise altering them. Photograph details relevant to authenticity, such as:

For a watch, photograph model and serial details and the box or tags. Don't open or disassemble it just to obtain a picture; photograph anything safely accessible.

Side-by-side images from a brand's website can provide context, but generic brand photographs usually won't establish that your particular item is counterfeit. Point out the exact feature that differs.

Get a detailed authentication opinion when useful

A report from the brand, an authorized service provider, or a qualified independent authenticator may help. The report should identify the item, state its conclusion clearly, and explain specific discrepancies rather than simply saying that it "looks fake."

A paid report isn't automatically required, and no report guarantees a refund. If you obtain one, keep the provider's credentials, the date, methodology, and invoice. A social-media comment or automated image result is generally weaker than a reasoned written assessment.

Preserve the rest of the paper trail

Keep:

Number the files and submit a brief index. A focused set of documents is easier to review than a folder full of unrelated screenshots.

How to file the dispute

1. Keep the item and packaging

Don't throw away the item, box, tags, or shipping materials, and don't resell it. If someone asks you to return it, get instructions from the issuer or platform before shipping, particularly when the seller is overseas. Use tracked shipping if you are told to return the item and keep proof of delivery.

2. Contact the seller in writing

State that the item was advertised as genuine, explain the specific reasons it appears counterfeit, and request a full refund. Ask for written return instructions.

Keep the message factual. Don't describe the problem as a change of mind or ordinary dissatisfaction when the issue is authenticity. Contacting the seller can show that you tried to resolve the matter, but an unresponsive seller shouldn't be allowed to run out the issuer's deadline.

3. Use the correct dispute channel

Use the issuer's app, website, telephone service, or written billing-error address, depending on its instructions. Say plainly that you authorized the transaction but the merchandise was misrepresented or wasn't as described.

Attach the listing, item photographs, authentication evidence, communications, delivery record, and timeline. If the form offers "counterfeit," "not as described," or a similar category, select the one that matches the facts. Don't choose "unauthorized transaction" merely because it appears to offer a different process.

4. Track the case

Save the case number and ask:

Respond by the requested date, even if the seller hasn't replied. Continue paying amounts on the statement that aren't part of the dispute. Ask the issuer how it wants the disputed amount handled while the investigation remains open.

If you receive a refund, partial credit, or replacement from the seller or platform, tell the issuer. Don't continue seeking a duplicate recovery.

5. Respond to a denial promptly

Read the denial carefully. If it says the evidence was insufficient, answer that specific point rather than sending the same general complaint again. Highlight the seller's authenticity statement, the authenticator's specific findings, and your written attempt to obtain a refund.

Ask the issuer for a second review and a written explanation of its final decision. The card networks generally aren't the consumer's direct appeal channel; your issuer is usually the party that can review or escalate the case.

A statement template

Adapt this wording to the facts and remove anything that isn't true.

Subject: Dispute of [amount] transaction for counterfeit merchandise

I authorized the transaction dated [date] with [seller] for [item] using my
[card or account]. I am not claiming that the transaction was unauthorized.

The listing and seller represented the item as genuine [brand and model]. The
item delivered on [date] is counterfeit or materially misrepresented because:

- [specific authentication finding]
- [specific difference in logo, stitching, serial marking, material, or hardware]
- [other objective finding]

I contacted the seller on [date] and requested a refund. The seller [refused,
offered an inadequate resolution, provided no response, or gave these return
instructions: ...].

I have attached the original listing, receipt, delivery record, photographs,
authentication evidence, and communications. Please review this as a
counterfeit or merchandise-not-as-described dispute and tell me whether the
item must be returned and where it should be sent.

Name:
Account ending:
Transaction date:
Amount:
Order number:

Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and PayPal

Network reason codes are mostly back-office labels. Older online articles may tell consumers to demand a particular Visa or Mastercard code, but you generally don't select the network code yourself. Give the issuer an accurate description of what was promised and delivered.

A seller's location, including China, doesn't remove the need to present the claim to your U.S. issuer or platform. It can make communication, authentication, and returns more difficult, so save the listing and shipping records before the seller changes them.

Mistakes that commonly weaken a claim

A chargeback isn't a way to reverse a purchase you simply regret or keep an item for free. Use it for a truthful dispute and follow the issuer's instructions about the merchandise.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an authentication report?

Not always. The issuer may consider detailed photographs, the seller's authenticity promise, and your communications. A qualified written assessment can make a difficult claim clearer, particularly for luxury goods.

Can I get a chargeback if the seller is overseas?

You can still ask your U.S. issuer or payment platform to review the transaction. The seller's location doesn't guarantee approval, and communication, authentication, and return issues may complicate the case.

Can I keep the item after receiving a refund?

Don't assume so. A refund may be conditional on returning the merchandise, and the issuer or platform may give specific instructions. Keep the item until the dispute is finished and you know what to do with it.

Is Visa 13.4 or Mastercard 4853 the correct code?

Possibly in some issuer or processor systems, but consumers generally don't choose the network code. Describe the facts accurately and ask the issuer to classify the dispute under its current rules.

What should I do first?

Screenshot the complete listing and photograph the item and packaging. Then send a short written refund request and contact the issuer or platform for its deadline. That preserves the evidence while the transaction details are still easy to find.