If a product sold as authentic arrives counterfeit, start the dispute before waiting for the seller's investigation to finish. For U.S. Visa, Mastercard, and American Express cards, 120 days is a commonly used network timeframe for some merchandise-not-as-described disputes. It isn't a universal legal deadline. The issuer, dispute category, and date used to start the clock can change the result.

The Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) has a separate rule for eligible credit-card billing errors: your written notice generally must reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement showing the error was sent. PayPal uses its own Buyer Protection process. Its U.S. terms list an earlier limit of 30 days after delivery or fulfillment, when applicable, or 180 days after payment, whichever comes first.

Counterfeit-goods deadlines at a glance

Treat 120 days as a warning to act, not as permission to wait. The issuer may need time to open and submit a case before a network cutoff. The deadlines above also aren't one combined period that you can add together.

The FCBA's 60-day rule is a separate process

The FCBA applies to eligible billing errors on U.S. credit-card accounts. It isn't the same thing as a card-network chargeback, and a counterfeit claim qualifies only if the facts fit an eligible billing error.

If the item was advertised as authentic but appears counterfeit or materially different from the description, send the issuer a written dispute that includes:

• Your name and account number
• The transaction date and amount
• The seller's name
• A clear description of what the seller promised and why the item appears counterfeit
• Copies of the listing, receipt, photographs, authentication evidence, and seller communications

The FTC's guidance on disputing credit-card billing errors says the issuer generally must acknowledge a written complaint within 30 days, unless it has already resolved the issue, and resolve the dispute within 90 days.

Send the notice to the billing-dispute address shown on your statement. That address may be different from the address used for payments. An online dispute or phone call might open a case, but a written notice is the safer way to use the FCBA procedure. Keep a copy and proof that the issuer received it.

The FCBA doesn't guarantee a refund. The issuer still decides whether the transaction is an eligible billing error and whether your evidence supports the claim.

Why 120 days isn't guaranteed for Visa, Mastercard, or Amex

Card networks set operating rules for issuers, merchants, and acquiring banks. Consumers normally do not file directly with Visa, Mastercard, or American Express; they file with the issuer that provided the card.

A counterfeit item will usually be described as merchandise that was misrepresented or not as described. The dispute category matters because the category can determine both the evidence required and the date that starts the clock. Depending on the transaction and network procedure, the issuer may examine the processing date, expected delivery date, actual delivery date, or the date the problem became known. Discovering the problem late may explain the timing, but it doesn't automatically restart the deadline.

Ask the issuer:

1. What is the last day to dispute this transaction?
2. Are you treating it as counterfeit or merchandise not as described?
3. Which date starts the deadline?
4. Do you need a written FCBA notice as well as an online dispute?
5. Where should I send or upload supporting documents?

The merchant's response period is separate from your filing deadline. An issuer may give the seller time to answer after opening the case, but that internal response period doesn't extend the original cutoff.

Don't call an authorized purchase unauthorized

If you placed the order and approved the payment, the transaction was authorized even if the seller deceived you. Say that the item was counterfeit, misrepresented, or not as described.

Use an unauthorized-fraud claim only when someone used your card without permission. Calling an authorized purchase unauthorized can send the investigation down the wrong path and weaken the explanation of what happened.

PayPal has its own clock

PayPal Buyer Protection is a platform policy, not a Visa or Mastercard chargeback. The PayPal U.S. Buyer Protection terms say that a dispute must be opened within:

• 30 days after the order's delivery or fulfillment, when applicable; or
• 180 days after you sent the payment to the seller,

whichever is sooner.

So 180 days may not be the real deadline. If you paid on January 1 and received the item on March 1, the 30-day period after delivery can end before 180 days have passed since payment. Open the dispute in PayPal as soon as you identify the problem, then follow the account's instructions for escalating it to a claim if the seller doesn't resolve the matter.

PayPal may review whether the item was materially different from the listing and whether the transaction meets the other Buyer Protection conditions. A listing that clearly disclosed the item as a replica can be treated differently from one that promised an authentic luxury product.

If PayPal processed a payment funded by your credit card, tell the card issuer that PayPal was involved. Disclose any PayPal case or refund, and don't pursue duplicate recovery for the same loss through two channels.

What to do before the deadline

Check how you paid

Start with the statement, receipt, or payment record. The charge may have been processed directly by the seller, through PayPal, through a marketplace, or through another payment service. That payment route determines where you begin.

A debit card, prepaid card, bank transfer, or payment app doesn't automatically receive the same FCBA or credit-card network treatment as a U.S. credit card. Contact the bank or provider shown on the transaction and ask for its counterfeit or merchandise-dispute procedure.

Save the listing and the item

Before the seller edits or removes the listing, save screenshots or a PDF showing:

• The product title and description
• Any promise that the item was genuine or authentic
• Seller messages and photographs
• The order confirmation, receipt, and payment record
• The delivery date and tracking information
• The seller's refund or return instructions

Photograph the item, packaging, labels, serial numbers, logos, materials, and differences from an authentic example. Keep everything in the condition in which it arrived. Don't discard or alter the item or packaging.

For an expensive watch, handbag, phone, or other branded product, a written opinion from a reputable authenticator can help when one is practical to obtain. The report should identify the item and explain the specific signs supporting the counterfeit finding. An appointment or authentication request doesn't pause a payment-provider deadline.

Give the seller a written chance to refund

Send a factual request identifying the order, the suspected counterfeit issue, and the refund you want. Keep the messages even if the seller refuses, offers only store credit, or stops responding.

Contacting the seller can support the dispute, but it doesn't necessarily stop the card or PayPal clock. If the seller hasn't resolved the matter, file with the payment provider before the cutoff.

Use accurate dispute wording

You can write:

I authorized this payment, but the item was advertised as authentic and appears counterfeit. I am disputing the merchandise as not as described. The attached documents show the listing, delivery, seller contact, and evidence supporting the counterfeit claim.

Stick to facts. Identify what an expert confirmed and separate that from what you only suspect.

Keep the case record

Save the case number, submission date, confirmation email, uploaded files, and every response. For a phone call, note the representative's name and ask for written confirmation of the next step.

The issuer or provider may request more information, proof that you contacted the seller, or a return. If a return is required, follow the instructions exactly and use tracked shipping. Don't send a valuable item to an address that hasn't been verified through the provider's instructions.

While the dispute is pending, follow the issuer's payment directions. In particular, continue paying amounts that aren't part of the dispute.

If the deadline has passed

File or contact the issuer immediately rather than assuming the claim is impossible. Explain:

• When you received the item
• When you first had a reasonable basis to suspect it was counterfeit
• When you sought authentication
• What you did to obtain a refund
• Why any delay was outside your control, if that applies

Ask whether the applicable dispute category allows a later delivery or discovery date, or whether an exception is available. There is no guarantee the issuer will accept that explanation.

If the issuer rejects the claim, request the reason in writing and ask how to seek reconsideration or appeal. A seller's response can be part of that review, but it doesn't replace the issuer's deadline rules.

A marketplace may have a separate buyer-protection deadline. Check it even if the card-dispute period has closed; the marketplace window could still be open, or it could have ended earlier.

For a high-value purchase, keep the complete record and consider advice from a qualified consumer-protection professional in your state. This is general U.S. information, not legal advice.

Mistakes that weaken counterfeit disputes

• Waiting for the seller until the card deadline expires
• Assuming every Visa, Mastercard, or Amex claim has exactly 120 days
• Treating PayPal's 180 days as a universal deadline
• Reporting an authorized purchase as an unauthorized transaction
• Failing to save the listing before it changes or disappears
• Sending photographs without showing what the seller promised
• Returning the item without tracking or without following the provider's instructions
• Failing to disclose a PayPal or marketplace case to the card issuer
• Assuming an authentication appointment or seller complaint stops the clock

Frequently asked questions

Can I dispute a counterfeit item after 120 days?

Possibly, but don't rely on an extension. The issuer may apply a different trigger date or an exception, especially if delivery was delayed or the problem could not reasonably have been identified earlier. Ask for the exact rule and file immediately.

Does the 60-day FCBA deadline replace the 120-day network deadline?

No. The 60-day period concerns written notice of an eligible credit-card billing error. The 120-day figure is a commonly used network timeframe for certain merchandise disputes. If both procedures may apply, send the written FCBA notice within 60 days and follow the issuer's network deadline too.

Is PayPal always available for 180 days?

No. PayPal's U.S. terms state that the dispute must be opened within 30 days after delivery or fulfillment, or 180 days after payment, whichever is sooner. The transaction must also meet PayPal's eligibility requirements.

Should I call a counterfeit purchase fraud?

Call it counterfeit, misrepresented, or not as described when you authorized the purchase. Use an unauthorized-fraud category only when someone else used the card without your permission.

What should I do today?

Find the payment record, save the listing and delivery details, request a refund in writing, and contact the issuer or PayPal before the earliest possible deadline. Ask the provider to confirm the last filing date in writing.