If an online order is missing, damaged, or materially different from its listing, start by saving the order record and checking the deadline for the payment method you used. Then contact the seller in writing, open the marketplace's case process, and escalate to the card issuer, PayPal, or bank when appropriate.

For U.S. purchases, the right route depends on both the problem and the payment rail. The FTC's mail-order rule addresses a seller's shipping promises. Credit-card billing disputes follow a separate federal procedure. PayPal, Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, Shein, and Temu have their own deadlines and eligibility rules.

This is general consumer information, not legal advice. If the purchase or payment account is outside the United States, check that jurisdiction's rules before relying on any deadline below.

Start with these five steps

1. Save the evidence. Keep the order confirmation, listing, promised delivery date, tracking history, photographs, messages, and payment statement.
2. Write to the seller. Describe the problem and request one specific remedy, such as a full refund, replacement, repair, or return instructions.
3. Open a marketplace case. Use the order page rather than relying only on email.
4. Protect the payment deadline. For many U.S. credit-card billing errors, written notice is generally due within 60 days after the first statement showing the error. PayPal uses a separate deadline.
5. Keep the escalation record. Save case numbers, shipping receipts, refund references, and each company's final decision.

A seller's response time usually doesn't extend a credit-card or PayPal deadline. If a platform tells you to wait, ask whether that waiting period changes the date by which you must open a payment dispute.

Which rule applies?

A chargeback isn't a guaranteed refund. It's a dispute handled under the relevant card-network, bank, or payment-provider process. A credit-card billing-error notice, a PayPal case, and a marketplace guarantee may concern the same purchase, but they're separate procedures.

Save evidence before contacting anyone

Make a short timeline while the details are fresh. Include:

• The order date and amount paid
• The seller's name, order number, and product listing
• The promised shipping or delivery date
• Tracking updates and delivery scans
• Photos of the packaging, labels, damage, defects, and item as received
• Screenshots of the description, price, return terms, and seller promises
• Messages to and from the seller or marketplace
• Your credit-card statement, PayPal transaction, or other payment record
• Any return authorization, shipping receipt, tracking number, and delivery confirmation

Keep copies of screenshots outside the shopping app. If a listing or message disappears later, the saved copy can show what you were promised. Don't repair, alter, or discard a damaged item before photographing it if the seller or marketplace may require evidence.

Ask the seller for a specific remedy

Send the complaint through the marketplace when possible. That gives the platform a record to review. You can also email the seller if the order provides an address.

Be clear about the outcome you want. Ask for a full refund for non-delivery, for example, or a replacement for a damaged item. If you'd accept another remedy, say so without giving up the option you actually want.

Seller complaint template

Subject: Refund request for order [order number]

I placed order [number] on [date] for [item]. The order was expected by
[promised date], but [describe the problem clearly].

I am requesting [a full refund to the original payment method / a replacement /
return instructions]. I have attached [tracking, photographs, listing screenshots,
or other evidence].

Please confirm the next step by [date]. I am keeping this request in writing
because the marketplace and payment-provider deadlines may apply.

Thank you,
[Name]

A factual request is more useful than a threat. You can preserve the option to dispute the payment if the response is inadequate without leading with a chargeback warning.

Late orders and the FTC shipping rule

The FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule generally requires a seller to have a reasonable basis for its shipping promise. If no shipping time is stated, the rule generally uses a 30-day period.

When a seller can't ship on time, it generally must notify you about the delay and give you a meaningful choice about accepting the delay or canceling for a prompt refund. The seller shouldn't silently leave the order open while keeping your money after missing its shipping promise.

That rule governs the seller's conduct. It doesn't automatically require Amazon, eBay, PayPal, or a card issuer to approve your claim. You still have to use the relevant platform or payment-provider process and show what happened.

For goods you never received or products you didn't order, see the FTC consumer guidance. An FTC report can help identify patterns of fraud or deception, but the FTC generally doesn't negotiate an individual refund.

Damaged, defective, or incorrect items

Describe the mismatch precisely. A seller may treat a damaged item, a wrong item, and an item that doesn't match its description as different claims.

State:

• What the listing promised
• What you received instead
• Whether the package or product was damaged
• Whether parts are missing or the product doesn't work
• Whether the seller's return policy covers the problem

Follow the seller's return instructions if a return is required, and use tracking. Keep the return receipt until the refund appears. A manufacturer's warranty may be separate from the seller's return policy, and contacting the manufacturer usually doesn't pause a marketplace or payment deadline.

Platform-specific complaint routes

Amazon

For an Amazon order, begin in Your Orders and use the return, refund, or problem-reporting option shown for that transaction. For a third-party marketplace order, contact the seller through Amazon and look for the A-to-z Guarantee route if the order is eligible.

The A-to-z process has its own timing and eligibility conditions. Published terms include situations in which the buyer must contact the seller first and wait at least 48 hours, along with delivery-related timing requirements. Those terms can vary by country storefront and order, so use the requirements displayed for your transaction rather than an old screenshot or general blog post.

Amazon's standard return process and the A-to-z Guarantee aren't interchangeable. The order page should show which option is available.

eBay

Use your purchase history to report an item that wasn't received or doesn't match the listing. The eBay Money Back Guarantee policy generally refers to reporting an issue within 30 calendar days after the estimated or actual delivery or collection date has passed. Eligibility, category exclusions, and exceptions apply.

If eBay decides the case, its policy says an appeal may be submitted within 30 calendar days of the decision. Save the decision and appeal deadline before closing the case page.

AliExpress, Shein, and Temu

Open the individual order and look for Return, Refund, Dispute, or help options. The deadline and eligible reasons may depend on the marketplace, product category, country, seller, and order status. Screenshot the deadline and policy displayed for your order.

Upload clear photographs, tracking information, and listing screenshots. If the platform provides a prepaid return label, follow its instructions and retain the tracking record. If no dispute button appears, contact platform support in writing and request a case number.

Don't assume that a fixed 15-day, 45-day, or 90-day period found in a search result applies to your purchase. The order-specific terms control the platform claim.

Disputing a U.S. credit-card charge

For many U.S. credit-card billing errors, federal law requires written notice within 60 days after the issuer sent the first statement showing the error. The clock is generally tied to that statement, not simply to the purchase date.

A non-delivery or failure to provide goods as agreed may qualify as a billing error. A dispute about quality, warranty coverage, or a return deduction may instead depend on the merchant's policy, card-network rules, or another protection. The issuer decides how it will categorize and investigate the dispute.

Send the notice to the billing-inquiries address on the statement or card agreement. Don't automatically send it to the address used for payments. Include:

• Your name and account number
• The merchant and transaction date
• The disputed amount
• Why you believe the charge is incorrect
• The dates you contacted the seller
• Copies of supporting evidence

The billing-error regulation, 12 C.F.R. section 1026.13, sets out the federal procedure. The issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute in writing within 30 days unless it has already resolved it. It must resolve the matter within two billing cycles, but no more than 90 days, after receiving the notice.

Under FTC guidance, you generally don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance charges while the issuer investigates. Continue paying amounts that aren't disputed so the rest of the account doesn't become delinquent.

Mail the letter in a way that gives you proof of delivery, and keep a complete copy. A phone call or online form may open a case, but don't assume it replaces written notice when the federal 60-day procedure applies.

Credit-card dispute letter

[Date]

To: [Card issuer]
Billing inquiries address: [Address]

Re: Billing error for account ending in [last four digits]

I dispute a charge of [$ amount] from [merchant] posted on [date]. The problem is
[the merchandise was not delivered / the merchandise was not delivered as agreed /
another accurate description].

I contacted the merchant on [dates] and requested [refund, replacement, or other
remedy]. The merchant [did not respond / refused / issued only a partial refund].
Enclosed are copies of the order confirmation, statement, correspondence, tracking,
photographs, and other supporting documents.

Please investigate this billing error and credit any amount determined to be due.
I will continue paying the undisputed portion of my account.

Sincerely,
[Name]
[Address]
[Phone or email]

PayPal uses a separate dispute process

PayPal's U.S. Buyer Protection terms say a dispute must be opened within the applicable period. The terms include 180 days from the payment date and, in specified circumstances, 30 days from delivery or fulfillment, whichever is sooner. Eligibility and excluded transactions also matter.

Open the case in PayPal's Resolution Center, describe the problem accurately, and upload the evidence you collected. If the seller doesn't resolve the issue, follow PayPal's instructions for moving the dispute to a claim.

When a credit card funded the PayPal payment, watch the card issuer's deadline too. Tell the issuer about the PayPal case and ask how the two processes interact. Don't seek duplicate reimbursement; the applicable program terms may restrict parallel claims or require you to choose one route.

Debit cards, ACH, bank transfers, and unauthorized payments

The federal credit-card billing-error procedure isn't a universal 60-day rule for debit cards, ACH payments, bank transfers, prepaid cards, or peer-to-peer payments. Those transactions may follow different laws, network rules, and account agreements.

Contact the bank or provider promptly. Ask for its written dispute procedure and deadline, and record the case number. If you didn't authorize the transaction, use the provider's fraud or unauthorized-transaction channel rather than describing it only as a late or defective order.

If the seller or platform won't help

Escalate without letting one step consume the next deadline:

1. Marketplace case: Submit the seller messages, listing, timeline, and evidence through the order page.
2. Payment dispute: Use the procedure for the card issuer, PayPal, or bank that handled the payment.
3. Regulatory report: Report suspected fraud or deceptive conduct to the FTC and consider your state's consumer-protection office. A report may support enforcement, but it usually doesn't decide your refund.
4. Court option: For a substantial loss, review your state's small-claims filing deadline, court location, service requirements, and other rules. An overseas seller may create additional jurisdiction and collection problems.

Keep the case number and final decision from each company. If a platform asks you to wait, get its answer about the payment-dispute deadline in writing.

Tracking a promised refund

When a seller says it issued a refund, ask for the amount, date, original payment method, and refund reference number. A refund promise isn't the same as a credit posted to your account.

Keep the following until the money appears:

• The refund email or case decision
• The refund reference number
• Return tracking and delivery confirmation
• The statement showing the original charge
• Later statements showing whether the credit appeared

If the credit doesn't appear, contact the merchant with the reference number and then the payment provider. Don't close a payment case just because the seller says a refund is coming unless you understand what closing it does under that provider's rules.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to dispute an online purchase?

There isn't one deadline for every payment method. For many U.S. credit-card billing errors, written notice is generally due within 60 days after the first statement showing the error. PayPal's terms include a 180-day payment-based period and, in specified situations, a 30-day delivery or fulfillment period, whichever is sooner. Marketplace and bank deadlines differ.

Should I contact the seller before my credit-card issuer?

Contacting the seller first is sensible and may be required by a marketplace policy. It shouldn't delay a payment dispute when the 60-day credit-card period is close. Send written notice to the issuer and continue the seller conversation separately.

Can the FTC get my money back?

Usually not. The FTC collects reports and may investigate patterns of fraud or deception. It generally isn't an individual refund service. The seller, marketplace, payment provider, or court is more likely to decide your particular claim.

What if tracking says the package was delivered?

Tell the seller and marketplace that you didn't receive the merchandise. Provide the tracking details, delivery photographs if available, carrier correspondence, and information about an incorrect address or missing package. A delivery scan is evidence, but it isn't the only evidence considered in every dispute.

Does a debit-card purchase have the same 60-day protection as a credit card?

Don't assume it does. Contact the bank immediately and ask which electronic-transfer or card-dispute procedure applies. Use the bank's deadline unless it confirms that another procedure controls.

Can I file with PayPal and my card issuer?

Don't seek two refunds for one purchase. A PayPal case and a card dispute can affect each other, and the program terms may restrict simultaneous claims. Tell both providers what you've already filed and follow their instructions.

What if I received merchandise I never ordered?

Don't pay for unordered merchandise. Keep the packaging and records, and review the FTC's guidance on unordered products and goods not received. That situation is different from an order you made that arrived late or incorrectly.

Open the order record now, save the listing and timeline, and identify the earliest deadline for your marketplace or payment method before sending the complaint.