If you're documenting a drop shipping complaint, start with the order rather than the label "scam." The useful evidence connects a specific promise to a specific failure: the advertised shipping time, order confirmation, tracking history, messages, payment record, or photos showing that the product wasn't what the listing described.
Dropshipping is a fulfillment method, not proof of fraud. For U.S. shoppers, a key federal rule is the FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule. The marketplace's buyer-protection policy and the payment provider's dispute process may also affect the remedy, but those are separate from an FTC finding.
What evidence actually helps?
The strongest file is tied to one transaction and shows what the seller promised, what happened, and when you asked for help.
| Evidence | What it can show | What it doesn't show by itself |
|---|---|---|
| Product page, advertisement, or checkout promise | What the seller represented about delivery, price, product, and returns | That the seller intended to deceive you |
| Order confirmation and payment record | That you placed an order and paid a particular merchant | That the merchant received or shipped the item |
| Carrier tracking | Whether a package was accepted, moved, delivered, or stalled | That the package contained the correct product |
| Emails, chats, and refund requests | That you notified the seller and how the seller responded | That every customer had the same experience |
| Photos of the item and packaging | That the product may be damaged, wrong, or materially different from the listing | That it was counterfeit without stronger evidence |
| Official agency or court record | What a regulator or court formally alleged, ordered, or decided | That every similar store engaged in the same conduct |
Save the original product page, shipping language, order number, merchant name, receipt, tracking history, correspondence, and return instructions. Keep them together instead of relying on a search result or a copied complaint summary. Your payment statement can be especially useful when the store's brand name differs from the merchant descriptor.
The FTC shipping rule
The FTC rule covers sellers that solicit orders through the mail, internet, or telephone. A seller must have a reasonable basis to expect shipment within the advertised time. If no shipping time is stated, the rule generally uses 30 days as the standard.
When the seller can't ship within the promised time, the rule requires the seller to obtain the buyer's consent to a delay or refund the payment for the unshipped merchandise. The official FTC rule contains the wording and exceptions.
Read the shipping promise closely. "Ships in 48 hours" may describe processing or dispatch, while "delivered in 48 hours" describes a delivery promise. A supplier's location doesn't erase the wording used by the storefront. Save the exact language before it changes.
The rule sets a federal standard for shipment and delay handling. It doesn't automatically establish that a store is a scam, guarantee a marketplace refund, or require a card issuer to approve every dispute.
FTC case, consumer complaint, or scam report?
These records don't all mean the same thing:
- An FTC rule states a standard that may apply. It isn't an FTC case against a particular store.
- An FTC consumer complaint records a consumer's report. It doesn't necessarily mean the agency investigated the business or found a violation.
- An FTC enforcement record identifies the business, the conduct at issue, and the status of the action. Check whether the document is a complaint, settlement, final order, or court judgment.
- A lawsuit can contain allegations that haven't been proven. Look for the result before describing those allegations as established facts.
- A marketplace restriction or refund decision shows how that platform applied its own policy. It isn't automatically a finding of fraud under federal law.
- A forum post, social-media entry, or review can point to a pattern worth checking, but it may be incomplete or unverified.
Be wary of precise statistics repeated by supplier blogs, software marketers, forums, or search snippets. A claimed return rate, account-ban threshold, or dispute deadline needs a current primary source. An unsupported number doesn't prove what happened in your order.
To check an alleged FTC action, start with the FTC's official website and look for a record naming the business. Confirm the date, the conduct described, and whether the matter was resolved. A blog post that merely mentions an "FTC case" isn't the case itself.
Complaint patterns that deserve a closer look
A delayed package isn't automatically a scam. International shipping can take longer than expected, and tracking may stop updating. The facts become more concerning when a seller:
- advertises a specific delivery time without a reasonable basis;
- accepts payment but provides no meaningful shipment information;
- says an order shipped even though the carrier has no acceptance scan;
- refuses to address a missed delivery promise;
- sends an item that materially differs from the advertisement;
- gives contradictory explanations about the order or return; or
- demands a new, unexplained payment before processing a refund.
No single fact proves criminal conduct. Dated records showing several of these problems can support a marketplace complaint, a payment dispute, or a report to a regulator.
A long delivery time disclosed before purchase is different from a store promising domestic delivery and only later revealing that the product is coming from overseas. Compare what the seller said before you paid with the actual fulfillment and return process.
Put the evidence in a usable order
A short chronological file is easier to review than a folder of unlabeled screenshots. Include:
- The offer: Save the product page, advertisement, shipping estimate, return terms, and seller contact information.
- The transaction: Keep the order confirmation, invoice, order number, payment method, amount, and merchant descriptor on your statement.
- The delivery record: Save the tracking number, carrier scans, estimated delivery dates, delivery photos, and notices showing non-delivery.
- Your communications: Keep requests for an update, cancellation, replacement, or refund, along with the seller's replies.
- The product condition: Photograph the item, labels, packaging, measurements, and visible differences from the listing.
- The remedy requested: State whether you want a refund, replacement, or another resolution, and save the response.
- Any return: If the seller authorizes a return, keep the instructions, shipping receipt, tracking number, and delivery confirmation.
Write the timeline in plain language: "Ordered on [date]; listing promised delivery by [date]; tracking showed label created on [date]; no delivery by [date]; refund requested on [date]." That sequence gives a marketplace or card issuer the relevant facts without making them reconstruct the order.
What to do when the order is late or missing
1. Contact the seller in writing
Use the merchant's support channel and keep a copy. Identify the order and point out the difference between the promised and actual delivery status. Ask for a specific written resolution.
You can write:
Order [number] was placed on [date]. The listing stated [exact shipping promise], but the order has not arrived and tracking shows [status]. Please confirm shipment details or process a refund for the unshipped order.
Don't rely only on a phone call. If you speak with someone, follow up by email with the date, the response, and what was agreed.
2. Use the marketplace process
The platform may have its own request, return, or buyer-protection procedure. Follow the instructions attached to the order, including its deadline, rather than relying on an old third-party guide.
For eBay, the returns, missing items, and refunds guidance says buyers can report an item that hasn't arrived after the estimated delivery date. eBay asks the seller to respond within three business days. If the seller doesn't resolve the request, the buyer can ask eBay to step in. For an item that is wrong or damaged, eBay may request additional details and photographs.
Those procedures don't automatically apply to AliExpress, a Shopify storefront, or another marketplace. Check the current order page and the platform's own terms for the applicable deadline and evidence requirements. Open the dispute promptly.
3. Dispute a qualifying credit-card charge
For a U.S. credit-card purchase involving goods you never received, the FTC treats the problem as a possible billing error. The issuer must receive your written dispute within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent to you.
The FTC's credit-card billing guidance says the issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute in writing within 30 days unless it has already resolved the issue. It must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, but no more than 90 days, after receiving your letter.
Keep a copy of the letter and your supporting records. During the investigation, the FTC says you don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance and other charges. Some issuers may extend the 60-day period when a shipment is delayed, so contact the issuer immediately if the standard period is close to expiring.
The FTC's explanation of using credit cards and disputing charges includes a sample dispute letter and explains the written-notice process.
This 60-day process is for credit-card billing errors. Don't assume it works the same way for a debit card, prepaid card, payment app, ACH transfer, or wire. Contact that provider immediately and ask for its current merchant-dispute or payment-reversal procedure.
4. Report suspected deception
If the seller appears to have used deceptive shipping claims, taken payment without supplying the order, or misrepresented the product, you can report the conduct through the FTC's official site. Include the business identity, dates, amount, advertisement, correspondence, and delivery evidence.
An FTC report is separate from a refund request. Ask the seller, marketplace, or payment provider for the money while reporting suspected deception. A report doesn't guarantee an individual refund, but an accurate record may help regulators identify repeated conduct.
Checks to make before buying
A few minutes of checking can reveal whether the delivery and return terms are clear:
- Read the shipping origin, processing time, estimated delivery range, and return conditions before paying.
- Save the terms and product page because listings can change after purchase.
- Confirm the store's legal or trading name, customer-service email, and return address.
- Check whether the merchant name on your statement may differ from the brand name.
- Use independent complaints as leads, then compare dates, order details, and repeated facts.
- Prefer a payment method with a documented dispute process when the seller or delivery terms are uncertain.
- Be cautious if the seller pressures you to pay outside the platform or requests an unexpected fee after the order.
A low price, overseas fulfillment, or a large number of online reviews isn't conclusive proof of legitimacy or fraud. Before paying, make sure the seller states who handles fulfillment, how long delivery may take, and how a return or refund is supposed to work.
Common questions
Is dropshipping itself illegal?
Dropshipping is a fulfillment arrangement, not a finding of fraud. The legal concern depends on the seller's conduct, including shipping representations, product descriptions, payment handling, and refund practices. The routes described here are for U.S. consumers; other countries may apply different rules.
What is the strongest proof of a late-order complaint?
Use the dated shipping promise, order confirmation, payment record, carrier tracking, and written refund request together. A review or forum post is weaker than records tied to your transaction.
Does an FTC complaint automatically get a refund?
No. Report suspected deception to the FTC, but separately request a remedy from the seller or marketplace. If the purchase qualifies, send the credit-card billing dispute within the applicable period.
Can I dispute a missing order after 60 days?
Send the written dispute as soon as possible. The FTC identifies 60 days as the standard period for challenging a credit-card billing error, and some issuers may extend the period when shipment is delayed. Ask the issuer about your account and keep proof of when the dispute was sent.
What should I do if the item arrives wrong?
Photograph the item and packaging, compare it with the listing, and request return or refund instructions in writing. If you bought through a marketplace, use its current process and keep the return tracking number and delivery confirmation.