If a marketplace seller doesn't deliver, sends a damaged or misrepresented item, refuses an eligible refund, or looks fraudulent, work in this order: save your evidence, contact the seller through the platform, open an official marketplace case, then contact your payment provider if you still need a recovery path.

A U.S. credit-card purchase can also go through a written billing-error dispute. That route is separate from the marketplace case and runs on its own clock. A report to the Federal Trade Commission can document suspected fraud, but it will not get you a refund by itself.

Identify the problem before you complain

Don't call an authorized purchase an "unauthorized transaction" just because the seller failed to perform. A purchase you approved that never arrived is usually a merchant dispute. A charge you never approved should be reported as possible payment fraud.

What rules actually control the outcome?

A marketplace complaint can run through three systems at once. They often use different evidence rules and different deadlines.

1. Marketplace rules. The platform's buyer-protection, return, case, and appeal terms usually control what the platform will do.
2. Shipping promises. The seller's advertised delivery promise matters. The Federal Trade Commission's online-shopping guidance says sellers must ship as promised. If no shipping time was promised, the seller generally has to ship within 30 days after it has your name, address, and payment, or permission to charge your account.
3. Payment-provider rules. A card issuer, bank, or payment app reviews the transaction under its own dispute and fraud procedures. Those rules do not automatically match the marketplace's deadlines.

For credit cards, the FTC says a billing error generally must be disputed in writing within 60 days after the first statement showing the error was sent. The issuer must generally acknowledge the dispute in writing within 30 days unless it has already resolved it, and must resolve it within two billing cycles, but no more than 90 days. During the investigation, you don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance charges. Keep following the issuer's instructions and pay any undisputed charges. See the FTC guidance on billing errors and unordered products.

That 60-day federal process is about credit-card billing errors. Don't assume the same deadline or protections apply to a debit card, prepaid card, ACH payment, wire transfer, or person-to-person payment. Contact those providers quickly and use their current procedures. Some credit-card issuers may extend the 60-day period when a shipment is delayed, but that is not a reason to wait.

Steps for filing a marketplace seller complaint

1. Preserve the evidence

Save the listing before it changes or disappears. Keep:

• The seller's name, profile, and store page
• Product description, condition, photos, price, and promised delivery date
• Order confirmation and invoice
• Tracking information and delivery photographs
• Photos or video of the package and item
• Messages with the seller
• Return instructions, shipping receipts, and return tracking
• Payment statement, dispute number, and marketplace case number

Write a short timeline with one date for each event. A clear chronology is usually more useful than a long emotional explanation.

2. Ask for one specific remedy

Pick the outcome you want:

• A full refund
• A partial refund for a specific defect
• A replacement
• Cancellation before shipment
• Reversal of an incorrect fee

Tie that request to the problem. If the listing promised a new item and the product arrived used, attach the listing and photographs and ask for a refund under the platform's "not as described" process.

3. Contact the seller inside the platform

Use marketplace messaging, not a private email or a public social-media comment. That creates a record the platform can review. Stick to the facts and give the seller a reasonable date to respond.

4. Open the marketplace case before its deadline

If the seller doesn't fix the issue, use the order page, return flow, or buyer-protection process. Don't wait for a reply on social media. Opening a platform case does not necessarily pause a payment-provider deadline, so track both calendars.

5. Escalate the payment dispute when appropriate

If you paid by credit card and the facts may qualify as a billing error, send a written dispute promptly using the issuer's billing-dispute instructions. Include copies of your evidence, not original documents.

Paid by debit, prepaid card, ACH, wire, or a person-to-person app? Use that provider's dispute or fraud process instead of the credit-card letter below.

If you suspect fraud, secure your account, change reused passwords, contact the payment provider's fraud team, and report the seller or account to the marketplace. You can also submit a suspected scam or illegal-business-practice report through the FTC's contact page.

Copy-and-paste complaint templates

Message to the seller

Subject: Order [ORDER ID]: request for [refund/replacement]

Hello,

I am contacting you about order [ORDER ID], placed on [DATE] for [ITEM].

The problem is: [item was not delivered / item arrived damaged / item differs from the listing / refund has not been credited].

Timeline:
- Order placed: [DATE]
- Promised or estimated delivery: [DATE]
- Delivery or return date: [DATE]
- Previous contact: [DATE]

I am requesting [specific remedy]. I have attached [photos, tracking, listing screenshot, or return receipt].

Please respond through this marketplace by [DATE]. I would prefer to resolve the issue here before opening a platform case.

Thank you,
[NAME]

Request for marketplace review

Subject: Request for buyer-protection review: order [ORDER ID]

Hello,

I am requesting a review of order [ORDER ID] under the marketplace's [return, delivery, or buyer-protection policy].

The seller did not resolve this issue after I contacted them on [DATE]. The relevant facts are:
[brief chronological description]

I am requesting [full refund, partial refund, or another specific remedy].

Attached evidence:
- [order confirmation]
- [listing screenshot]
- [tracking or return receipt]
- [photos]
- [seller messages]

Please confirm the case number and any additional evidence required.

Sincerely,
[NAME]

Written credit-card dispute

Use this only when the facts are accurate and may qualify under your issuer's billing-error process.

To: Billing Disputes
Re: Written billing-error notice for [MERCHANT]: [AMOUNT]

I am disputing a charge of [AMOUNT] from [MERCHANT], posted on [DATE] to my account ending in [LAST FOUR DIGITS].

I authorized the purchase, but the merchandise was [never received / not delivered as agreed / returned and the promised credit was not posted]. I first contacted the merchant on [DATE] and contacted the marketplace on [DATE]. The current result is [no response / denial / no refund].

Please investigate this billing dispute. I have enclosed copies of the order record, communications, tracking information, return proof, and relevant statement page.

Please send written confirmation that you received this dispute.

Sincerely,
[NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[PHONE OR EMAIL]

Send the letter to the address or through the method your issuer identifies for billing disputes. A phone call can help you start the file, but the FTC advises following up in writing to preserve the full process.

Platform-specific complaint routes

Amazon

Open the order in your U.S. Amazon account and use that order's help, return, or delivery-support option. Keep the conversation and evidence inside Amazon where you can.

A-to-z Guarantee eligibility and timing can depend on the marketplace, the order, and the issue. Don't copy a deadline from a blog or from another country's Amazon help page into a U.S. complaint. Follow the current instructions shown for your order, and answer every request for information before the stated deadline.

eBay

Use the order's return or item-not-received process and describe the issue with the facts that match that case type. eBay's official Money Back Guarantee policy says a buyer or seller may appeal an eBay decision within 30 calendar days.

That policy also has eligibility conditions and exceptions. For high-value orders, it includes a signature-confirmation condition for items costing $750 or more. Keep tracking, delivery details, photographs, and all messages. The platform reviews the particular transaction, not a seller's feedback score alone.

Etsy

Send a Help with order request through Etsy first. Etsy's case-opening instructions say that, if the issue remains unresolved, a buyer may be able to ask Etsy to step in after 48 hours have passed since the request was sent. Other eligibility conditions apply, including order and transaction details.

Etsy also says refunds processed by Etsy must take place within 180 days of the transaction. That is not a promise that every dispute qualifies. Check the options on your order and the current Etsy Purchase Protection terms, including exceptions for buyer delay or refusal to pay charges due at delivery.

Walmart, Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, Mercari, Depop, and Shopify-hosted stores

Use the support route attached to that order and read the current terms for that service. There is no single deadline or buyer-protection rule across these sites. If you paid outside the platform, which is common on Facebook Marketplace, the payment provider's process may matter more than the marketplace inbox.

For a Shopify-hosted store, look at the merchant named on your receipt. Shopify may provide the store software, but the merchant sold the product. Contact that merchant and the payment provider using the details in the order confirmation.

If the seller or platform denies your complaint

Read the stated reason before you appeal, then answer that reason directly:

• If the platform says the order was delivered, provide the delivery date, any address information available to you, and evidence showing why the package or contents are still in dispute.
• If it says the item matched the listing, compare the exact listing language with photographs of what arrived.
• If it says the return was late, provide the authorization date, carrier acceptance scan, and tracking history.
• If it says the refund was issued, provide the statement showing that the credit has not appeared.

Keep the appeal short. Attach new or clearer evidence instead of repeating the whole story. Record the case number, submission date, decision, and appeal deadline.

If the issue involves suspected fraud or a pattern of deceptive conduct, report it through the FTC's official contact route as well as the marketplace and payment provider. That report documents the conduct. It does not replace the refund or billing-dispute process.

Claims that don't automatically win a complaint

• A tracking scan is evidence, but it doesn't by itself settle a dispute about contents, condition, or delivery location.
• A seller's "no refunds" statement doesn't automatically decide a marketplace case or a credit-card billing-error review. Each process applies its own terms.
• A low feedback score doesn't prove that a particular transaction was fraudulent.
• Calling a seller a scammer without evidence can distract from the facts and make an appeal less persuasive.
• A social-media post isn't an official case and can expose personal information.
• Filing a marketplace case and a payment dispute at the same time can create conflicting instructions. Check both providers' procedures and describe the same facts consistently.

These steps are for U.S. consumers. An overseas seller, foreign marketplace account, or non-U.S. payment provider may use different terms and legal deadlines. Don't assume a U.S. credit-card rule or a platform deadline applies outside the system that issued it.

FAQ

Should I contact the seller before the marketplace?

Usually, yes. It creates a record and may be required before a platform case can start. If you suspect an unauthorized payment or an active scam, contact the payment provider and marketplace immediately rather than waiting for a seller response.

Is a chargeback the same as a marketplace complaint?

No. A marketplace case is decided under platform rules. A credit-card billing dispute is handled by the card issuer under its billing-error process. The facts, deadlines, and evidence requirements can differ.

What if the seller asks me to pay an extra fee before issuing a refund?

Don't send more money until you verify the request through the platform and payment provider. Save the request as evidence and report it if it appears deceptive.

What should I do first if the item is damaged or not as described?

Photograph the item, packaging, labels, and the listing. Keep the item until the platform tells you what to do, then use the platform's return or buyer-protection process. Don't alter or throw out the product before the dispute is reviewed.

Where should I report a suspected online-shopping scam?

Report the account to the marketplace, contact the payment provider promptly, and submit a report through the FTC's contact page. Use the official dispute route if you are also seeking a refund.

Official policy and consumer sources

• FTC guidance on online shopping
• FTC guidance on billing errors and unordered products
• eBay Money Back Guarantee policy
• Etsy instructions for opening a case
• Etsy Purchase Protection terms

Open the order page now, save the listing and tracking, and send the first in-platform message before the shorter of the marketplace and payment-provider deadlines. If the charge looks unauthorized, skip the seller and contact the payment provider's fraud team first.