If an online order is late, missing, defective, wrong, or charged without authorization, contact the seller or platform in writing and ask for one clear remedy. Keep copies of the order, listing, tracking record, photos, and every response.

Don't wait indefinitely if you paid with a U.S. credit card and the charge may be a billing error. The FTC says written disputes generally must reach the card issuer within 60 days after the first statement showing the error was sent.

These steps apply to U.S. purchases. A transaction under UK, EU, or another country's law can carry different return rights and deadlines.

What to do first

A merchant refund, a marketplace case, and a card dispute are separate routes. They do not pause one another.

1. Save the evidence. Download the order confirmation, product page, receipt, return policy, tracking history, and seller messages. Photograph defects, packaging, labels, and the item received.
2. Identify the payment method. Credit-card billing disputes, debit-card disputes, PayPal claims, buy now, pay later complaints, and marketplace cases follow different procedures.
3. Contact the right party. Start with the seller or marketplace using the order page, email, or another channel that creates a written record.
4. State the remedy. Ask for a refund, replacement, repair, missing part, cancellation, or correction. Give a reasonable response date, such as 7 to 10 calendar days. That date is a communication deadline, not a universal legal requirement.
5. Protect separate deadlines. If the seller does not resolve a qualifying credit-card billing error, send the written dispute to the card issuer before the 60-day period expires.

A blog's 14-day return window, a phone promise, or another country's cooling-off rule does not automatically control a U.S. online order. A seller's request that you "wait a bit longer" also does not extend a card issuer's dispute deadline.

Which rule or policy controls the problem?

If a seller does not promise a shipping time, the FTC's online shopping guidance says the seller generally must ship within 30 days after receiving your name, address, payment, or permission to charge your account. If it cannot ship on time, it generally must notify you and offer a chance to cancel for a prompt refund.

Complaint templates for online purchases

Replace the bracketed text, remove options that do not apply, and attach copies rather than original documents.

1. General refund request

Subject: Refund request for [problem] -- order [order number]

Hello [seller or customer service team],

I placed order [order number] for [product] on [date]. The problem is [brief factual description].

I am requesting a [full refund, partial refund, replacement, or repair]. Please explain any return steps and confirm how the resolution will be handled by [date].

I have attached [receipt, photos, tracking information, and previous messages].

Regards,

[Your name]
[Email and phone number]

2. Faulty product complaint

Subject: Defective [product] -- order [order number]

Hello [seller],

The [product] delivered on [date] is defective. The specific problem is [describe what fails, when it happens, and any steps already tried].

The item was used according to [the instructions or ordinary use]. I am requesting a [refund or replacement]. Please confirm whether you require a return and, if so, provide the return instructions and explain how return shipping will be handled.

Please respond by [date]. Photos, the order record, and a video of the fault are attached.

Regards,

[Your name]

3. Wrong item received

Subject: Wrong item received for order [order number]

Hello [seller],

I ordered [item ordered, color, size, or model], but the package contained [item received]. The packing slip and photographs are attached.

Please send the correct item or issue a full refund. If you want the incorrect item returned, please provide written instructions and a return label where applicable.

Please confirm the resolution by [date].

Regards,

[Your name]

4. Product damaged on arrival

Subject: Damaged delivery -- order [order number]

Hello [seller],

The [product] arrived on [date] with [describe damage]. The outer packaging was [intact, crushed, torn, or wet]. I have kept the item, packaging, shipping label, and packing materials.

I am requesting a [replacement or refund]. Please tell me whether you need additional photographs or a carrier inspection before I return anything.

Attached are photographs of the package, label, and damage.

Regards,

[Your name]

5. Missing parts or accessories

Subject: Missing parts from [product] -- order [order number]

Hello [seller],

The [product] arrived on [date], but it is missing [list the parts, accessories, manual, or hardware]. Because of this, I cannot [assemble or use] it.

Please send the missing parts by [date] or provide a refund or replacement. I have attached the packing slip and photographs of everything included in the box.

Regards,

[Your name]

6. Item not as described

Subject: Item not as described -- order [order number]

Hello [seller],

Your listing described the item as [quote or summarize the relevant description]. The item I received is [explain the difference].

This difference affects [size, material, function, compatibility, or another important feature]. I am requesting a [full refund, replacement, or other remedy]. Please provide return instructions if needed.

I have attached screenshots of the listing and photographs of the item received.

Regards,

[Your name]

7. Late delivery

Subject: Late delivery for order [order number]

Hello [seller],

The order confirmation gave an expected delivery date of [date]. The order has not arrived, and today's date is [date]. The tracking information shows [current status].

Please provide a firm delivery update. If the order cannot arrive by [new date], please cancel it and refund the amount charged, including any delivery charge that your terms say is refundable.

Please respond by [date].

Regards,

[Your name]

8. Order never arrived

Subject: Non-delivery complaint -- order [order number]

Hello [seller],

Order [order number] was placed on [date] and was expected by [date]. I have not received it. The tracking number is [tracking number], and the latest tracking update says [status].

Please investigate with the carrier and confirm whether you will send a replacement or issue a refund. I am not confirming that the order was delivered.

Attached are the order confirmation and tracking history.

Regards,

[Your name]

9. Tracking says delivered, but the package is missing

Subject: Package marked delivered but not received -- order [order number]

Hello [seller],

Tracking for order [order number] shows delivery on [date], but I did not receive the package. I checked [mailroom, delivery area, household members, and building management], and it has not been located.

Please open a delivery investigation and provide any available delivery details or proof of delivery. I request a replacement or refund if the package cannot be located.

Please respond by [date].

Regards,

[Your name]

10. Part of a multi-item order is missing

Subject: Missing item from order [order number]

Hello [seller],

Order [order number] included [number] items: [list the items]. I received [items received], but [missing item] was not included.

Please confirm whether it was shipped separately. If it was not shipped, please send it or refund the amount charged for that item. The invoice and package photographs are attached.

Regards,

[Your name]

11. Cancellation before shipment

Subject: Cancel order [order number] before shipment

Hello [seller],

Please cancel order [order number], placed on [date], before it ships. Please confirm that the order is canceled and that no further charge will be made.

If the order has already shipped, please provide the available return or refusal instructions and explain how the refund will be processed.

Regards,

[Your name]

12. Request for return instructions

Subject: Return instructions requested for order [order number]

Hello [seller],

I need to return [product] because [defective, wrong item, damaged, or other reason]. Please provide the return address, authorization number if required, deadline, and shipping instructions.

Please also confirm when the refund or replacement process begins after the return is received. I will keep the shipping receipt and tracking information.

Regards,

[Your name]

13. Refund has not appeared after a return

Subject: Refund not received for returned order [order number]

Hello [seller],

I returned [product] on [date] using tracking number [tracking number]. The carrier shows that it was delivered on [date]. Your message or policy indicated that [refund timing or promise].

The refund has not appeared on my account. Please confirm the refund amount, processing date, and any transaction reference number. If it has not been processed, please complete it or explain the reason for the delay by [date].

Regards,

[Your name]

14. Replacement also arrived defective

Subject: Replacement still defective -- order [order number]

Hello [seller],

The replacement for order [order number] arrived on [date], but it has the same problem: [describe the defect]. I followed [the instructions or troubleshooting steps], without resolving the issue.

I am no longer requesting another replacement. Please issue a refund and provide return instructions if required. Photos of the original and replacement items are attached.

Regards,

[Your name]

15. Recurring subscription cancellation

Subject: Cancel recurring subscription and stop future charges

Hello [merchant],

Please cancel my [subscription or membership] effective [today or date]. Do not make any further recurring charges to [account or payment method description].

Please confirm the cancellation in writing and state whether the charge of [$amount] made on [date] can be refunded under your terms. I have saved a copy of this request.

Regards,

[Your name]

16. Duplicate charge

Subject: Duplicate charge for order [order number]

Hello [seller],

I was charged twice for the same order. The charges are [$amount] on [date] and [$amount] on [date], both associated with order [order number].

Please reverse the duplicate charge and confirm which transaction is being retained. Attached are the order confirmation and account statement with unrelated information redacted.

Regards,

[Your name]

17. Unrecognized merchant charge

Subject: Unrecognized charge from [merchant name]

Hello [merchant],

I do not recognize or authorize the charge of [$amount] dated [date] described as [statement description]. Please check whether this was caused by a duplicate order, a recurring subscription, or a merchant processing error.

I am also contacting my card issuer through its official dispute channel. Please provide a written explanation and reverse the charge if it was made in error.

Regards,

[Your name]

18. Formal credit-card billing-error notice

Send this to the billing-inquiries address shown on your statement. Don't send it only to the address used for payments.

Subject: Written billing-error notice for account ending [last four digits]

[Date]

Billing Disputes Department
[Card issuer name and address]

I am writing to dispute a charge of [$amount] posted on [date] by [merchant]. The charge appears on the statement sent on [statement date]. The reason for this dispute is [goods not received, goods not accepted, incorrect amount, or another accurate billing-error reason].

I contacted the merchant on [dates] and received [no response, an incomplete response, or the following response: summary]. Please investigate this dispute and send me the result in writing.

Enclosed are copies of the statement, order confirmation, tracking record, photographs, and merchant correspondence. My account ends in [last four digits]. Please do not use this letter as authorization to disclose my full account number by email.

I will continue paying any undisputed balance. Please confirm receipt of this notice.

Sincerely,

[Your name]
[Billing address]
[Phone and email]

19. Debit-card or prepaid-card dispute request

Subject: Dispute request for transaction dated [date]

Hello [bank or card provider],

Please open a dispute for the [$amount] transaction to [merchant] dated [date]. The issue is [unauthorized transaction, item not received, wrong item, duplicate charge, or other accurate description].

Please tell me which dispute process applies, the deadline for submitting evidence, and whether you require a signed form or additional documents. I have attached the transaction record and my communication with the merchant.

Please confirm the case number and next steps.

Regards,

[Your name]
[Account or card ending in last four digits]

20. Marketplace escalation

Subject: Escalation request for order [order number]

Hello [marketplace support],

I contacted the seller, [seller name], on [dates] through [message or case channel]. The issue remains unresolved: [brief description].

I am requesting [refund, replacement, correction, or another remedy]. Please review the order under the marketplace's current buyer-protection terms and tell me whether you need a return, additional evidence, or another action from me.

Please keep this case open until the requested remedy is completed.

Regards,

[Your name]

21. Digital download or online service does not work

Subject: Refund request for unusable digital purchase [order number]

Hello [merchant],

I purchased [file, software, course, or service] on [date]. It does not work because [describe the error]. I tried [browser, device, download, or troubleshooting steps], but the problem remains.

Please provide a working replacement or refund the amount charged. Screenshots of the error and the purchase record are attached.

Regards,

[Your name]

22. Potentially unsafe product

Subject: Safety concern and refund request -- order [order number]

Hello [seller],

The [product] presents a potential safety problem: [describe the overheating, breakage, contamination, missing warning, or other concern]. I have stopped using it and kept the item and packaging.

Please tell me how to return or safely dispose of it and request a full refund. Please also confirm whether you are issuing a safety notice or need additional photographs and batch information.

Regards,

[Your name]

23. Final written escalation

Subject: Final request for resolution -- order [order number]

Hello [seller or platform],

I first reported this problem on [date] and followed up on [dates]. The unresolved issue is [brief factual summary]. I am requesting [specific remedy] by [date].

If the matter is not resolved, I intend to use the dispute process for my payment method and submit a factual complaint to the appropriate consumer-protection agency or marketplace. I will provide the order record and this correspondence.

Please confirm your final position in writing.

Regards,

[Your name]

Credit-card disputes: deadlines and required evidence

For a qualifying credit-card billing error, the FTC says to dispute the charge in writing within 60 days after the first statement showing the error was sent to you. The notice should identify your name, account, disputed amount, transaction date, merchant, and reason for the dispute.

Use the billing-inquiries address on the statement. A phone call can alert the issuer, but a written notice is the safer way to preserve the federal billing-error process. Send copies of supporting documents and keep proof of delivery.

The issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute within 30 days unless it has already resolved the matter. It must generally resolve the dispute within two complete billing cycles, and no later than 90 days, according to the FTC's billing-error guidance.

For a qualifying dispute, the FTC says you don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance charges while the issuer investigates. Continue paying the rest of the bill on time. A delayed shipment can create timing complications, so don't assume a seller's promise to "look into it" pauses the card deadline.

A card dispute is not an automatic refund. The issuer reviews the evidence and may ask whether you canceled, returned, received, or accepted the goods.

Debit cards, prepaid cards, PayPal, and buy now, pay later

The federal credit-card billing-error process does not automatically apply to debit or prepaid cards. Contact the bank or provider promptly, ask what type of dispute fits the problem, and request the applicable deadline and documentation requirements.

For PayPal or a buy now, pay later account, use the provider's current resolution process and save the case number. Opening one route does not extend the deadline for another.

If a charge is unauthorized, contact the payment provider through the phone number or app shown on the official account, not a link in an unexpected message. Change compromised passwords and keep the merchant correspondence, but don't rely on the merchant complaint alone.

Unordered products and wrong items are different

If a seller sends merchandise you genuinely never ordered, the FTC says you generally don't have to pay for it or return it. First check whether the package was a gift, part of an automatic subscription, or a mistake involving an order someone in your household placed.

A wrong item sent for an order you did place is different. Use the wrong-item template, ask for return instructions, and keep the packaging until the seller confirms what to do.

Platform-specific complaint strategy

Use the order page linked to the transaction. Don't rely on a generic blog deadline when the platform displays a different claim window.

Amazon Marketplace cases often require you to contact the seller through the order first, then follow the A-to-z steps shown for that purchase. Treat those waits and claim windows as platform requirements, not as a general U.S. legal deadline.

Escalation options when the seller refuses

Use escalation in this order unless a payment deadline requires earlier action:

1. Send a final written request. Summarize the order, previous contacts, requested remedy, and response date.
2. Open the marketplace case. Upload the listing, delivery evidence, photos, and seller messages before the platform's deadline.
3. Contact the payment provider. For a credit card, use the formal written billing-error process. For another payment method, follow that provider's dispute procedure.
4. Report deceptive conduct. A complaint to the FTC or a state consumer-protection office may help document a pattern, but it is separate from a refund request.
5. Consider small claims court. Check your state's filing limit, service rules, location requirements, and evidence standards before deciding whether the amount justifies a case.
6. Use public reviews carefully. A factual review is not a substitute for a payment dispute. Don't post full account numbers, addresses, private messages, or accusations you cannot support.

The Better Business Bureau is a private organization rather than a government agency. It may provide another record of the complaint, but it cannot replace the seller's refund process or a payment dispute.

Mistakes that weaken an online purchase complaint

• Waiting for the seller while a card-dispute deadline approaches.
• Saying "fraud" when the real issue is a late delivery or defective product.
• Relying on a phone call without recording the date, representative, and case number.
• Sending a full card number, Social Security number, or unnecessary identity documents.
• Returning an item without tracking or without saving the receipt.
• Throwing away damaged packaging before the seller or carrier responds.
• Closing a marketplace case before the refund or replacement is complete.
• Assuming a 14-day return period, 48-hour response rule, or PayPal deadline applies to every U.S. purchase.

Frequently asked questions

Does U.S. law give me 14 days to return any online purchase?

Not automatically. Check the seller's posted return policy, the order terms, any warranty, and applicable state law. Cooling-off rules associated with some other transactions or jurisdictions should not be assumed to cover an ordinary U.S. online purchase.

Should I contact the seller before disputing a credit-card charge?

Contacting the seller first is often useful because it creates a record and may resolve the problem quickly. It must not cause you to miss the written credit-card dispute deadline. You can notify the issuer while the merchant is still investigating.

What if the seller tells me to deal with the delivery company?

Ask the seller to confirm the order status and open an investigation if necessary. Keep the tracking record and state clearly whether you received the package. If the seller does not resolve the issue, use the marketplace or payment-provider route that applies.

Can I keep a wrong item that a seller sent?

Don't assume that a wrong item is the same as truly unordered merchandise. Tell the seller what you received, ask for written return instructions, and keep the packaging until the issue is resolved.

What should I attach to a complaint?

Attach the order confirmation, receipt, product listing, relevant policy, tracking history, photographs, return receipt, and previous correspondence. Redact unrelated transactions and sensitive account information.

How long should I give a seller to respond?

Choose a clear, reasonable date, such as 7 to 10 calendar days. That gives the seller a defined opportunity to respond, but it doesn't override a platform, contract, or payment-provider deadline.

Pick the template that matches the problem, send it through a channel that leaves a record, and note the date. If you paid by credit card, get the written billing-error notice to the issuer before that 60-day window closes, even if the seller is still reviewing your complaint.