An item that appears counterfeit should be documented before it is returned. Open the marketplace order page, save the listing and the displayed deadline, and use the platform's counterfeit, inauthentic, or not as described process. If the marketplace doesn't resolve the claim, contact the payment provider before its separate dispute deadline.
This article is for U.S. consumers. There isn't one federal counterfeit-refund deadline covering Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, Temu, and every other marketplace. The applicable deadline can depend on the platform, order, product category, country version of the site, and payment method.
Do these things before you return the item
1. Stop using anything that may be unsafe
Don't use a suspected counterfeit charger, battery, cosmetic, supplement, medicine, or piece of protective equipment. Put the item, packaging, and shipping materials somewhere safe.
If the product caused an injury or illness, get medical help. Keep the item and records such as medical notes, receipts, photographs, and messages about the incident.
Don't resell or give away the product. A refund dispute doesn't make it safe or lawful to pass along a potentially counterfeit item.
2. Save the evidence
Photograph the item before cleaning, testing, opening, or altering it. Include:
- Every side of the product
- Logos, labels, stitching, fonts, seals, serial or IMEI numbers, batch codes, and model numbers
- Packaging, inserts, instructions, and safety marks
- The shipping label and any damage to the parcel
- Differences between the listing and the item you received
Save the order confirmation, invoice, delivery date, seller name and profile, tracking details, and payment record. Capture the listing's title, description, photographs, brand, condition, and promised specifications. If the seller changes the listing, save the original and current versions and note when you saw each one.
Keep the original photos and videos, not just cropped screenshots. Remove unrelated personal information before uploading documents.
3. Check the specific concern
Compare the item with information on the brand's official website. A brand's written response or a qualified authentication report may help with an expensive bag, watch, sneaker, electronic device, or collectible. Before paying for a report, ask whether the marketplace accepts that type of assessment.
A low price, poor workmanship, or overseas shipping can be a warning sign, but none of those facts proves counterfeiting by itself. Focus your complaint on discrepancies you can show.
4. Message the seller on the platform
Use the marketplace messaging system. That keeps the conversation connected to the order.
A short, factual message is usually better than an accusation:
Order [number] arrived on [date]. The item appears inauthentic because [specific discrepancies]. The listing stated [claim], but the received item has [fact]. I am requesting a full refund under the platform's counterfeit or item-not-as-described process. Please provide return instructions through the platform. I have attached photos and order records.
If the seller asks you to move to personal email, text, or an outside payment service, keep the formal claim on the marketplace anyway.
5. Open the formal case before its deadline
A seller message is not necessarily a marketplace dispute. From the order page, look for Return, Get help, Report a problem, Open dispute, or Money Back Guarantee.
Choose the closest accurate reason, such as counterfeit, inauthentic, or item not as described. Upload a small, organized group of files and request a full refund. If the countdown is close, open the case first rather than waiting for more seller messages.
Don't close the case because the seller promises to refund you later. Be cautious about accepting a partial refund: depending on the platform, acceptance may end the claim.
Put the evidence in a clear order
Keep the explanation focused on four facts:
- What you ordered
- What the listing promised
- What arrived
- Why the difference matters
| Evidence | What it establishes |
|---|---|
| Order confirmation and receipt | The transaction, price, date, seller, and payment method |
| Listing screenshots | The advertised brand, model, condition, and specifications |
| Product and packaging photos | The physical differences between the listing and the item |
| Brand or expert assessment | Why the item is likely inauthentic, when available |
| Seller messages | What you reported and how the seller responded |
| Delivery and return records | When the item arrived and whether you followed instructions |
| A short timeline | The sequence from purchase to refund request |
Name files in the order you refer to them. Point to the relevant detail instead of uploading dozens of unlabeled images. For example:
The listing shows a genuine model with a metal clasp. The received item has a different clasp, a misspelled brand name, and no serial marking.
Don't clean, test, modify, or disassemble the product if that could destroy evidence or create a safety risk. For suspected counterfeit electronics, use a qualified technician rather than experimenting with live electricity.
Which deadline applies?
The order page and the platform's current policy control the marketplace claim. A deadline copied from an old blog post may apply to a different country, product category, or buyer-protection program.
| Route | Timing to check | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | The U.S. order page, return terms, and any A-to-z Guarantee option shown for the order | Contact the seller, then use the formal Amazon claim route if the seller doesn't resolve the issue |
| eBay | The Money Back Guarantee policy and the order's eligibility | Report the issue through eBay and preserve the case record |
| AliExpress | The dispute countdown and return terms displayed in the order | Open the dispute from the order page before the countdown expires |
| Temu, Shein, and Wish | The app's return or refund window, product category, country, and order terms | Use in-app support and attach the evidence |
| Credit or debit card | The card issuer's dispute procedure and deadline | Contact the issuer promptly and ask for the required written-dispute process |
| PayPal or Amazon Pay | The provider's buyer-protection terms and, sometimes, the underlying card issuer's rules | Open the provider case promptly; a marketplace case may not pause this deadline |
Amazon
From Your Orders, use the return or customer-service option and contact the marketplace seller through Amazon. Explain that the item appears inauthentic and is materially different from the listing. If the seller doesn't resolve the issue, use the A-to-z Guarantee option if Amazon presents it for that order.
A-to-z conditions can differ between Amazon marketplaces and orders. Don't assume a 30-day or 90-day deadline copied from another Amazon country site applies to a U.S. purchase. Follow the deadline and instructions shown in your account.
If Amazon requires a return, use its instructions and keep the tracking receipt. For a product that may be dangerous, ask Amazon how it wants the item handled before shipping it.
eBay
Open a return or item-problem report from the eBay order page. Describe the issue as an authenticity or item-not-as-described problem and attach the listing, receipt, photographs, and any credible authentication evidence.
eBay's published Money Back Guarantee policy generally refers to reporting an issue within 30 calendar days after the estimated or actual delivery or collection date for eligible transactions. It also describes a 30-calendar-day appeal period after eBay makes a decision. Exclusions and transaction-specific conditions apply, so use the order page as your working deadline.
Don't send the item to an address supplied in a private message unless eBay has issued return instructions. Keep the case open until the refund is confirmed.
AliExpress
Open the dispute from My Orders while the order's dispute countdown is active. Select the option closest to counterfeit or not as described, explain the physical differences, and upload the listing and product evidence.
Return eligibility, shipping responsibility, and any free-return benefit can vary by order. A free-return label isn't guaranteed simply because the seller uses AliExpress. Follow the order's instructions and keep proof of shipment.
Temu, Shein, Wish, and similar marketplaces
Use the app's order-support or return flow instead of relying only on a seller chat. The refund window may vary by country, product type, condition, and order terms. Don't assume that a 90-day period applies to every purchase.
If the app has only a general quality or description category, explain in the text that the product appears counterfeit and list the evidence. Save the case number, screenshots of the submitted claim, and each response.
Other online stores and social-commerce sellers
Contact the store through its official support channel and check its return policy. For a purchase made through a social-media marketplace, report the seller to the platform and the payment provider. Keep any promise of a refund tied to the order and payment record; don't treat a private message as a completed refund.
Return the product only as instructed
The platform may require a return, ask for more photos, or decide that the evidence is enough without one. Follow the instructions issued for your case, not a seller's informal request.
If a return is required:
- Photograph the item and its condition before packing it.
- Use the platform's label or shipping method when one is supplied.
- Photograph the sealed parcel and keep the drop-off receipt.
- Save the tracking information until the refund posts.
- Enter the correct tracking number and don't mark the item returned before shipping it.
Don't mail a suspected counterfeit directly to the seller outside the platform's process. If the item is dangerous or regulated, ask the marketplace and carrier for handling instructions.
Approval and posting are separate steps. A marketplace may approve a refund before the credit appears on the original payment method. Keep the approval notice and check the card, bank account, or wallet that was actually charged.
When a chargeback may be appropriate
A chargeback is a payment dispute handled by a bank, card issuer, or payment provider. It isn't an automatic counterfeit refund, and it isn't the same as reporting an unauthorized transaction.
Credit card
You authorized the purchase, so don't describe it as unauthorized. Tell the issuer that the merchandise was not as described or appears counterfeit, using the issuer's dispute category and wording.
Ask:
- What is the deadline for this type of dispute?
- Must I contact the seller first?
- Where must I send a written dispute?
- Which documents and transaction details are required?
Provide the receipt, listing, seller messages, platform decision, photographs, authentication evidence, and return tracking. Use the issuer's stated submission channel and keep confirmation that it received the dispute.
Debit or prepaid card
Contact the bank or card company immediately. Debit and prepaid-card procedures differ from credit-card billing disputes, and available protection can depend on how the transaction was processed. Ask for the procedure for merchandise that was not as described.
PayPal or Amazon Pay
Use the provider's resolution process promptly and follow the deadline shown for the transaction. If a card funded the wallet payment, ask the card issuer how it wants the matter handled. Don't open overlapping disputes without telling each provider about the others.
Amazon Pay's chargeback overview describes a chargeback as a reversal issued by a bank or card company after a customer disputes the charge through that institution, rather than through Amazon Pay. That is separate from requesting a voluntary refund from Amazon Pay or the seller.
Bank transfer, wire, cryptocurrency, or peer-to-peer payment
Contact the financial institution or service immediately. Ask whether a recall, fraud review, or payment dispute is available. Recovery is less predictable through these routes, so don't wait for a seller who has stopped responding.
If one payment provider refunds the charge, notify any other provider handling the dispute. You shouldn't recover the same charge twice.
What the INFORM Consumers Act does and does not do
The FTC's guidance on the INFORM Consumers Act describes disclosure requirements for certain high-volume third-party sellers. The threshold described by the FTC is at least $20,000 in annual gross revenue on a particular online marketplace.
For a covered seller, the marketplace must disclose information such as the seller's full name, physical address, and contact information for direct communication. The information may appear on the seller's product listing pages or in order-confirmation messages. If the seller doesn't provide the required information within 10 days after notice, the marketplace must suspend future sales activity until the seller complies.
Use those details when reporting a seller or describing the transaction to the platform. The law does not automatically order a refund, determine that a particular item is counterfeit, or replace the marketplace's return process. It also doesn't cover every seller.
A report to the marketplace, brand, or FTC may help identify a broader pattern, but a report by itself normally isn't a personal refund claim.
If the marketplace rejects the claim
Read the reason for the denial. It may identify a missed deadline, an incorrect return, insufficient evidence, or an exclusion from buyer protection.
Then:
- Check for an appeal option and record its deadline.
- Rewrite the explanation around the exact policy reason given.
- Add material evidence, such as a brand response or a clearer comparison photo.
- Ask for the platform's required return or disposal instructions.
- Contact the payment provider before its own deadline.
- If the item caused injury or illness, keep the medical and incident records and report the product through an appropriate safety or health channel.
- Consider contacting your state consumer-protection office about additional complaint options.
A marketplace denial doesn't automatically decide what a card issuer will do. The issuer makes its own decision under its procedures. Keep the facts, dates, and description of the product consistent in every submission.
Mistakes that can weaken the claim
- Waiting for seller promises until the platform deadline expires
- Returning the item without platform instructions or tracking
- Discarding the packaging before photographing it
- Treating a low price alone as proof of counterfeiting
- Uploading unrelated personal information
- Accepting a partial refund before deciding whether it resolves the dispute
- Calling a purchase unauthorized when you made the purchase
- Using or reselling a product that may be unsafe
- Opening multiple payment disputes without disclosing the other cases
- Assuming an older article's deadline applies to the current order
No checklist guarantees a particular result. Platforms and card issuers don't publish one universal success rate for counterfeit disputes; the outcome can depend on evidence, timing, eligibility, and the payment route.
Final checklist
- [ ] The product and packaging are preserved.
- [ ] The listing, receipt, seller information, and tracking are saved.
- [ ] Photos show the specific authenticity or description problem.
- [ ] A brand or expert assessment is included when useful and available.
- [ ] The seller was contacted through the platform.
- [ ] A formal marketplace case was opened before the displayed deadline.
- [ ] Return instructions and tracking records are saved.
- [ ] The payment issuer's deadline has been confirmed.
- [ ] Any platform refund has been reported to the payment provider.
- [ ] The item won't be used, resold, or transferred if it may be unsafe.
Open the order page, save the displayed deadline, and submit the evidence as one clear package.