An online purchase dispute has two separate tracks: what the seller promised and how you paid. A missed shipping date, an unauthorized debit, and a disappointing product don't use the same process.
Send the seller a written request early. Check the bank or card deadline at the same time. Waiting for an answer can cost you the notice period.
The scope here is the United States. State law, your card agreement, and a platform's contract may add requirements or remedies.
Match the problem to the rule
Name the problem and the payment method first. That choice usually tells you which deadline matters.
| Situation | What usually controls | First move |
|---|---|---|
| The seller missed the promised shipping date | Federal merchandise-shipping rules and seller terms | Ask to cancel in writing and request the required refund |
| A credit card was charged for goods you never received | Federal credit-card billing-error procedures | Send written notice to the issuer within the applicable deadline |
| A debit card or bank account was used without permission | Regulation E and the bank's fraud process | Contact the bank immediately |
| The product is defective, wrong, or not as described | Seller policy, warranty, platform terms, and payment-provider procedures | Photograph the problem and request a specific remedy |
| You simply changed your mind | Seller's return policy and applicable state law | Check the return terms before sending anything back |
"Chargeback" is a loose term. A merchant refund, marketplace case, PayPal case, and bank dispute are separate processes.
Card-network and issuer rules also vary by transaction type and dispute reason. Don't rely on a blanket 120-day deadline.
What to do first
These steps keep the evidence together without losing sight of the clock:
- Preserve the record. Download the receipt, product page, seller terms, tracking page, and messages. Online pages can change after you complain.
- List the dates. Record the order date, promised ship date, delivery estimate, statement date, contact attempts, and any refund promise.
- Message the seller in writing. Include the order number, the problem, the remedy you want, and a reasonable date for a response.
- Use the platform's case process if it applies. Follow the marketplace or payment app's current instructions and save the case number.
- Contact the bank or card issuer before its deadline. Call immediately about an unauthorized transaction. A covered credit-card billing error also requires written notice within a specific period.
- Follow through until the refund posts. A promise is not a completed refund.
Turns out, the date you first became annoyed usually isn't the date that controls a card billing dispute. For a covered error, track the statement that first showed the charge.
Late online orders and missed shipping promises
Late online orders fall under a federal shipping rule in many cases. Under 16 CFR Part 435, a seller generally must ship within the time it advertised. If no shipping time was given, the rule generally uses 30 days.
A seller that cannot ship on time generally must disclose the delay. It must also give you a chance to accept a new date or cancel for a prompt refund. The FTC's business guidance provides more detail about the notice and refund duties.
A cancellation message can stay simple:
Order 123 was promised by May 1 and has not shipped. I am cancelling the order and requesting the refund required for the delay. Please confirm the cancellation and refund in writing.
The rule concerns merchandise orders. Digital downloads, services, subscriptions, and special seller terms may follow different rules.
A carrier scan doesn't automatically settle a missing-package complaint. If tracking says delivered but you don't have the package, save the delivery details, check with the carrier, and tell the seller precisely what happened.
Credit-card billing errors and chargebacks
A credit-card dispute is not automatically a federal billing error. The federal notice procedure covers certain problems, including some charges for goods you never received.
The FTC's consumer guidance says written notice must reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.
| Action | Federal timing described by the FTC |
|---|---|
| Send written notice | Within 60 days after the first statement with the error was sent |
| Issuer acknowledgment | Within 30 days, unless the issuer resolves the issue sooner |
| Investigation and decision | Within two billing cycles, and no more than 90 days |
| Payment during the investigation | You generally do not have to pay the disputed amount and related finance or other charges, but keep paying undisputed amounts |
Use the billing-dispute address or instructions on your statement or the issuer's website. State the transaction date, amount, merchant, reason for the dispute, and what the seller said. Attach copies, not irreplaceable originals, and keep proof of when the issuer received your notice.
A phone call may start a case. It may not replace the required written notice. An online form can help too, but save the confirmation page and date.
Some issuers may extend the 60-day period for a delayed shipment. Ask the issuer directly; don't assume an extension applies.
Defective merchandise, false descriptions, and a seller's failure to honor a promised refund may fall under a different issuer or network process. Describe what actually happened and ask which dispute category and deadline fit. An authorized purchase does not become unauthorized just because the seller handled it badly.
No reliable source can promise a particular result. The issuer reviews the records and the seller's response.
Unauthorized debit-card and bank-account transfers
Debit cards and bank-account transfers use a different set of rules from credit-card billing errors. Regulation E addresses many unauthorized electronic fund transfers from consumer accounts.
If you notify the bank within two business days after learning that an access device was lost or stolen, your potential liability is generally limited to the lesser of $50 or the amount transferred before notice, under the CFPB's Regulation E liability rule.
Waiting longer can increase potential liability. In some circumstances, it may reach $500. The rule also uses a 60-day period tied to the statement showing the unauthorized transfer; missing that period can expose later transfers to additional liability.
Call the bank's fraud number immediately. Then follow its written dispute process. Give the transaction date, amount, account, and facts about the lost card, stolen device, or unauthorized access. Ask whether it will block the device, replace it, or take other security steps.
If a scammer persuaded you to approve the transfer, say so clearly. A payment you approved after being deceived may be classified differently from one made without your permission.
Defective, wrong, or misdescribed products
A product complaint needs its own evidence. Start with the seller's return, repair, replacement, or warranty terms while keeping records in case that route fails.
Photograph the item before using or changing it. Keep the packaging, labels, serial numbers, and return instructions. If you send it back, use tracking and keep the receipt.
To be honest, the seller's policy and the bank dispute process answer different questions. The seller applies its terms. The payment provider decides whether the transaction fits its dispute rules. A platform decision may help, but it doesn't automatically control the bank's decision.
Ask for one clear remedy. Request a replacement, repair, or refund rather than sending several conflicting demands.
Evidence that makes a dispute easier to review
Evidence doesn't need to be fancy. It needs dates.
Put these records in one folder:
- Order confirmation, invoice, receipt, and transaction record
- Product listing, seller promises, return terms, and dated screenshots
- Statement showing the transaction date, amount, and merchant name
- Photos or video of damage, defects, missing parts, packaging, and labels
- Tracking history, delivery scans, and any carrier case number
- Emails, chat messages, call dates, and written refund promises
- Platform case numbers, bank notices, and issuer correspondence
Make a one-page timeline. Records can be messy: you may have a receipt, a tracking page, three emails, and a phone call nobody logged. Put them together anyway.
Don't edit screenshots to make them cleaner. Keep the original files and note what each item proves.
Marketplaces, PayPal, and payment apps
Marketplace and payment-app policies sit beside federal law. They can set their own definitions, evidence requirements, and filing windows.
Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Shopify checkouts, PayPal, and other services don't all play the same role. A Shopify checkout may identify the store as the merchant, while a marketplace may operate its own buyer-case process. Identify both who charged you and who sold the item.
If you paid through PayPal or another app with a credit card, check both records. Opening an app case doesn't necessarily preserve the card issuer's written-notice deadline. Tell each provider about the other case and any refund already issued.
A platform case is no substitute for reporting an unauthorized bank transfer. If the bank deadline is closer, contact the bank first.
Cross-border purchases add enforcement problems. A U.S. payment dispute may still be available, but U.S. return rules, court procedures, and service requirements may not apply to a foreign merchant.
If the seller or issuer rejects the claim
Ask for the reason in writing. Vague denials are hard to correct.
Reply with a short timeline and the strongest records. Point to the promised date, missing item, defect, refund promise, or unauthorized transaction that the decision overlooked.
If a card issuer denies the dispute, use its appeal or reconsideration process and keep the final response. If a seller ignores a clear obligation, consider a complaint to the relevant consumer-protection office or a small-claims case if the amount justifies the time and filing cost.
Small-claims limits, venue rules, service requirements, and filing deadlines vary by state. An online order doesn't automatically let you sue the seller wherever you live. Keep the receipt, timeline, correspondence, and proof that you tried to resolve the matter first.
A regulator report can document suspected fraud or a business pattern. It doesn't replace the seller, bank, or card dispute process.
Common questions
Is there a universal 120-day chargeback deadline?
No. The FTC's federal deadline is 60 days for written notice of a covered credit-card billing error. The period runs from when the first statement with the error was sent. Network and issuer deadlines for other dispute types can differ.
Does the FTC rule guarantee a refund after 30 days?
No. The 30-day period concerns shipping timing when the seller gave no shipping time. If the seller misses the applicable deadline, delay-notice and cancellation rules may apply. A seller may also offer more generous terms.
Should I wait for the seller before contacting my bank?
Contact the seller promptly about an ordinary order problem. Don't wait if the transaction was unauthorized or waiting could make you miss a card or bank deadline.
Can I dispute a purchase I simply regret?
Start with the seller's return policy. Don't describe an authorized purchase as fraud. An issuer may reject a dispute that doesn't match the reason given.
Does a marketplace decision settle the payment dispute?
Not necessarily. A marketplace case follows the platform's contract. A bank or card dispute follows payment-provider rules and any applicable federal requirements.
Official sources
- FTC guidance on billing errors and items not received
- 16 CFR Part 435, Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise
- FTC business guide to the Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule
- CFPB Regulation E liability rule
- eCFR section 1005.6 on unauthorized transfers
Write down the order date, promised ship date, statement date, and payment method. Then send the seller a dated request or call the bank's fraud line, whichever deadline is closer.