If you paid for a PDF, template, course, or other digital item and can't access what was promised, start with two questions: what failed, and how did you pay? The seller's refund terms may offer one remedy. Your card issuer, PayPal, bank, or other payment provider may have a separate process with its own deadline.

This guidance is for U.S. consumers. Don't assume that a seven-day refund period applies to every digital purchase. The terms you accepted, the problem with the order, and the payment method all affect what you can do next.

Start by naming the problem

A broken file isn't the same as an unauthorized charge. Describe the problem accurately before you contact the seller or payment provider.

Problem First step
No download email or access link Check your spam folder, account library, and purchase confirmation. Then contact the seller.
The link opens but the file is missing Save a screenshot of the error and ask the seller to restore access or send a new copy.
The file will not open Try an updated browser, another device, or a compatible PDF, ZIP, or media app before asking for a replacement.
The product materially differs from the listing Save the original listing, receipt, and product files. Ask the seller for a correction, replacement, or refund.
The charge was not authorized Use the payment provider's unauthorized-transaction process. Don't describe an authorized but defective purchase as fraud.

If the purchase was made on Etsy

Etsy separates instant downloads from made-to-order digital purchases. An instant download is ready after payment is confirmed. A made-to-order file is created after you buy it.

Etsy says digital purchases can't be downloaded through its app. Sign in through a mobile browser or computer, open the purchase, and select the file-download option. Its digital download instructions also tell buyers to check their spam or junk folder if the download email is missing.

If those steps don't work, contact the seller through the order record and keep the message thread.

Check the refund terms attached to the purchase

Look at the product page, checkout screen, receipt, and any linked refund policy. Find the terms covering:

A seller may treat buyer's remorse differently from a file that was never delivered or can't be used. A "no refunds" statement may limit the seller's voluntary refund offer, but it doesn't by itself decide whether a separate payment-provider dispute process is available. The provider will apply its own policy and any applicable billing rules.

Save evidence before the trail disappears

Payment providers may ask what you bought, what the listing promised, and what you did to fix the problem. Keep:

A download email can show that a system sent a link. It doesn't necessarily show that you received a working product.

Ask the seller for a specific fix

Contact the seller before escalating, unless the charge is unauthorized or a provider's deadline is about to expire. Ask for one clear result: working access, a replacement file, or a refund.

You can write:

I purchased [product] on [date], order [number], for [amount]. The promised item is unavailable because [brief explanation]. I tried [steps], but the problem remains. Please restore access, provide a working replacement, or issue a refund. I have attached the receipt and screenshots.

Keep the message factual. Don't call an authorized purchase fraud, and don't say you received nothing if the real issue is a defective, incomplete, or misleading file. If the seller doesn't respond, or refuses a remedy that appears to be promised in the terms, use the payment provider's process.

U.S. credit-card disputes

The federal credit-card billing-error process may apply when you were charged for goods or services you never received. The Federal Trade Commission's billing-error guidance says to dispute the error in writing within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.

If a digital item was never delivered, the basic steps are:

  1. Contact the seller and keep proof of the request.
  2. Send a written dispute to the card issuer using its billing-dispute instructions.
  3. Include the transaction date, amount, merchant, order number, and a short description of the problem.
  4. Attach the receipt, listing, messages, screenshots, and other relevant records.
  5. Say exactly what happened: the item was never delivered, could not be used, or did not match the description.
  6. Continue paying amounts you don't dispute and follow the issuer's instructions during the investigation.

According to the FTC, the issuer generally must acknowledge the written dispute within 30 days unless it has already resolved the issue. It must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, and no later than 90 days, under the process described by the agency. You generally don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance and other charges while the investigation is pending.

The 60-day period is measured from the date the statement was sent, not simply from the day you emailed the seller. If that date is approaching, don't wait for an open-ended promise from the seller.

This FTC guidance concerns credit-card billing errors. It doesn't automatically apply to debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, or peer-to-peer payments.

PayPal

PayPal's Purchase Protection is a platform program, not an automatic refund guarantee. It has eligibility requirements and exclusions, and you shouldn't assume that every digital purchase qualifies.

PayPal's U.S. Buyer Protection terms say a dispute must be opened within the applicable time limit. Depending on the transaction, that can include 30 days from delivery or fulfillment, or 180 days from the payment date, whichever is sooner. The reason for the dispute and the type of transaction affect which rules apply.

Ask the seller to fix the problem first, then use PayPal's Resolution Center if the issue remains unresolved. Submit the receipt, listing, seller messages, and evidence showing that access or the promised file was missing or defective. Check the current terms in your PayPal account rather than relying on an old email or a third-party website.

If the seller later refunds you, tell PayPal or any other provider handling the dispute. Don't seek payment twice for the same loss.

Debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, and peer-to-peer payments

The credit-card 60-day billing-error rule doesn't automatically carry over to these payment methods. Contact the provider immediately and ask which process applies to your situation:

Ask about the deadline and required documents, and keep the case number. A provider's voluntary protection program, a bank's internal workflow, and any legal rights you may have are separate issues.

Labels and policies don't settle the dispute

Several common assumptions can send a digital-product complaint in the wrong direction:

Use the description that fits the facts. An unauthorized-transaction claim for an authorized but defective purchase can undermine the dispute.

FTC refund programs are case-specific

The FTC's refund programs page lists distributions connected to specific enforcement cases, including matters involving NutraClick and Razer. It isn't a general refund form for an ordinary missing PDF, course, or template.

For a routine digital-product problem, use this order:

  1. Check the relevant account, email folder, browser, device, and file format.
  2. Review the product and refund terms.
  3. Save the receipt, listing, error messages, and correspondence.
  4. Ask the seller for restored access, a replacement, or a refund.
  5. Escalate through the payment method before its deadline.
  6. Update the provider if the seller later issues a refund.

This is general U.S. consumer information, not legal advice. If the amount is substantial or you suspect a repeated pattern of deception, keep your records and contact your state consumer-protection office or a qualified attorney. Start by checking the payment method and the statement or transaction date so you don't miss the applicable deadline.