If a dropshipping order is late, missing, damaged, or different from its listing, start with the retailer named on the order confirmation, receipt, or card statement. That is usually the business that advertised the item and took your payment. The warehouse, supplier, or fulfillment app may have no direct customer-facing relationship with you.

Shopify may power a store's checkout without being the seller. AliExpress may be a separate marketplace rather than the source you bought from. Identify the business first, then send a short written request that:

1. identifies the order and the problem;
2. states the remedy you want;
3. gives the seller a reasonable response date; and
4. preserves a record of what happened.

If the retailer doesn't resolve a credit-card purchase, ask your card issuer about its billing-dispute process as soon as possible. That process can have a deadline even while the seller is still answering emails.

Who should receive the dispute?

Use the business shown on your order records. If the transaction is unauthorized, skip the normal seller-first approach and contact your bank or card issuer immediately.

If a Shopify store used AliExpress or another supplier behind the scenes, that arrangement usually doesn't change who you bought from. Ask the retailer that advertised the product and charged you to resolve the problem.

What to collect before you write

A useful complaint can be short. Gather the facts first so you don't have to reconstruct the timeline later:

• Your name and order number
• The order date, item name, and amount paid
• The promised shipping or delivery date
• The current tracking status
• A plain description of what went wrong
• The remedy you want: refund, replacement, cancellation, or return instructions
• A date by which you want a response

Save screenshots of the product listing, delivery promise, order confirmation, tracking page, return policy, and earlier messages. For a damaged or misrepresented item, photograph the product, packaging, labels, and the condition of the shipment when it arrived.

Don't send your full card number, banking password, or unnecessary identity documents. The last four digits of the card will generally help identify a transaction without exposing the whole number.

Copy-ready dropshipping dispute email templates

Replace the bracketed text with accurate information. Keep the tone factual. Don't say that the seller broke a law, issued a refund, or committed fraud unless your records support that statement.

1. The order is late or has not arrived

This version fits an order with a missed shipping or delivery promise and no dependable update.

Subject: Refund request for Order [ORDER NUMBER]

Hello [SELLER NAME],

I placed Order [ORDER NUMBER] on [DATE] for [ITEM]. The order confirmation stated [SHIPPING OR DELIVERY PROMISE]. As of [DATE], [the order has not shipped / the tracking has not updated / the order has not arrived].

Please confirm whether you can provide a reliable resolution by [DATE]. If the order cannot be fulfilled promptly, I am requesting cancellation and a refund of [AMOUNT] to my original payment method.

If you believe the order has shipped, please provide the carrier name, the date the carrier accepted the package, and the latest tracking details.

Please reply in writing with the next step.

Regards,
[YOUR NAME]
[EMAIL ADDRESS]

A tracking number can be created before a carrier receives the parcel. The carrier acceptance date is more useful than a label-creation date when you're trying to establish whether the order actually shipped.

2. The item is defective or unlike the listing

Subject: Defective or misrepresented item in Order [ORDER NUMBER]

Hello [SELLER NAME],

I received [ITEM] from Order [ORDER NUMBER] on [DATE]. The item has the following problem: [DESCRIBE THE DEFECT OR DIFFERENCE FROM THE LISTING].

The listing or order confirmation described the item as [DESCRIPTION]. The item I received is different because [FACTUAL EXPLANATION].

I have attached photographs of the item, packaging, and relevant labels. I am requesting [a full refund of AMOUNT / a replacement that matches the listing]. If you require a return, please provide written instructions and confirm whether you will supply a prepaid return label before I send the item back.

Please respond by [DATE].

Thank you,
[YOUR NAME]

Keep the item and packaging until the seller gives return instructions. If you send it back, use a trackable service and save the shipping receipt.

3. Tracking says delivered, but you don't have the package

Subject: Order [ORDER NUMBER] marked delivered but not received

Hello [SELLER NAME],

The tracking for Order [ORDER NUMBER] says it was delivered on [DATE] in [CITY OR ZIP CODE], but I did not receive the package.

I checked [the delivery area / household members / building management / the carrier's stated location]. I also contacted [CARRIER], if applicable, on [DATE]. The carrier provided this information: [DETAILS].

Please open a delivery investigation and tell me whether you will provide a replacement or refund. Please respond by [DATE] with the proposed resolution.

Regards,
[YOUR NAME]

Describe what you checked and what the carrier confirmed. Don't call the package stolen unless you actually know that.

4. You want to cancel after a shipping delay

Use this when the delay itself has made you cancel, particularly if the order has not yet shipped.

Subject: Cancel Order [ORDER NUMBER] because of shipping delay

Hello [SELLER NAME],

I ordered [ITEM] on [DATE]. The order was expected to ship by [DATE], but it has not shipped or the revised date is [DATE].

Because of this delay, please cancel the order and refund [AMOUNT] to the original payment method. If you believe cancellation is no longer possible because the order shipped, please send the carrier acceptance date and explain the return or refund process.

Please confirm the cancellation and refund status by [DATE].

Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]

If the package has already shipped, the retailer may direct you to a return process instead of stopping the shipment. Ask for those instructions in writing.

5. A promised refund has not appeared

Subject: Follow-up on refund for Order [ORDER NUMBER]

Hello [SELLER NAME],

On [DATE], you confirmed a refund of [AMOUNT] for Order [ORDER NUMBER]. I have not seen the credit on my [card or payment method].

Please confirm:

- The amount submitted for refund
- The date it was submitted
- The payment method or transaction reference used
- Whether any part of the order remains unresolved

Please send the refund confirmation or explain the delay by [DATE].

Regards,
[YOUR NAME]

A refund confirmation may help the card issuer locate a credit, but it isn't proof that the credit has posted. Check the account statement and ask the issuer how a pending or returned credit will appear.

6. You need marketplace review

Use this for a purchase made directly through a marketplace that offers an order-resolution or dispute channel.

Subject: Request for marketplace review of Order [ORDER NUMBER]

Hello [MARKETPLACE SUPPORT],

I am requesting review of Order [ORDER NUMBER], purchased from [SELLER NAME] on [DATE] for [AMOUNT].

The problem is: [NON-DELIVERY / DEFECT / ITEM NOT AS DESCRIBED / OTHER FACTS].

Timeline:

- [DATE]: Order placed
- [DATE]: Seller promised [SHIPPING OR DELIVERY TERM]
- [DATE]: I contacted the seller
- [DATE]: Seller responded or failed to respond
- [DATE]: I requested [REFUND, REPLACEMENT, OR CANCELLATION]

I have attached the order confirmation, listing, tracking information, photographs, and messages. I am requesting [SPECIFIC REMEDY].

Please confirm whether a dispute has been opened and identify any additional evidence or deadline.

Thank you,
[YOUR NAME]

A separate Shopify store isn't automatically an AliExpress or Shopify marketplace dispute. If the purchase began on the store's own website, contact the merchant named on the receipt and statement.

7. Written credit-card billing dispute

A merchant refund request and a card billing dispute are different steps. The card issuer, not the retailer's email team, decides whether the facts qualify under the payment rules that apply.

For many U.S. credit-card billing errors, the FTC's guidance on disputing credit-card charges says the written dispute must reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent. Use the issuer's billing-dispute address or required online channel. An ordinary customer-service email may not satisfy the written-notice requirements.

Subject: Billing error dispute for [MERCHANT NAME], [AMOUNT], [DATE]

To the Billing Disputes Department:

I dispute the charge of [AMOUNT] from [MERCHANT NAME] dated [DATE] on the account ending in [LAST FOUR DIGITS].

The reason for this dispute is: [MERCHANDISE NOT RECEIVED / MERCHANDISE NOT AS DESCRIBED / REFUND NOT CREDITED].

I contacted the merchant on [DATES]. The merchant's response was [SUMMARY], or the merchant did not respond. I am enclosing copies of the order confirmation, product listing, tracking information, photographs, refund promise, and correspondence.

Please investigate this billing error and send me written confirmation of the result. My contact details are:

[YOUR NAME]
[MAILING ADDRESS]
[PHONE OR EMAIL]

Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]

Keep a copy of the letter and proof that the issuer received it. For the federal credit-card billing-error process described by the FTC, the issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute within 30 days unless it has already been resolved, then resolve it within two billing cycles and no more than 90 days. Continue paying undisputed amounts and follow the issuer's instructions.

Those federal credit-card steps don't automatically apply in the same way to debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, payment apps, or wire transfers. Ask the provider for its procedure as soon as you identify the problem.

8. You don't recognize the order or charge

Contact the bank or card issuer immediately using the number on the card or the official banking app. You can notify the retailer as well, but that message doesn't replace reporting the transaction to the payment provider.

Subject: Unauthorized order or charge dated [DATE]

Hello [SELLER NAME],

I do not recognize or authorize the order or charge identified below:

Order number: [ORDER NUMBER, IF KNOWN]
Amount: [AMOUNT]
Date: [DATE]
Card or payment method ending in: [LAST FOUR DIGITS]

If the order has not shipped, please cancel it. Please also preserve the order and delivery records and confirm the account details associated with the transaction.

I am contacting my bank or card issuer separately to report the unauthorized transaction. Please do not ask me to send my full card number or login credentials by email.

Regards,
[YOUR NAME]

Change any reused shopping-account password and monitor the account for additional activity.

9. A final follow-up before escalation

Subject: Final follow-up on Order [ORDER NUMBER]

Hello [SELLER NAME],

I contacted you on [DATES] about [PROBLEM]. I am still requesting [REFUND, REPLACEMENT, CANCELLATION, OR OTHER REMEDY], and I have attached the relevant records again.

Please provide a written response by [DATE]. If I don't receive a response, I will submit the documentation through the applicable marketplace process and, if available for my payment method, ask my bank or card issuer about a billing dispute.

This message is intended to give you one clear opportunity to resolve the matter.

Regards,
[YOUR NAME]

Choose a real response date, and check the marketplace or payment-provider deadline before sending. A follow-up email doesn't extend a card issuer's deadline.

Rules and policies that may control the outcome

The shipping promise

For many U.S. Internet, mail, and telephone orders, the FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule addresses the seller's ability to ship within the time it represented. If the seller made no shipping-time representation, the rule generally uses a 30-day period.

The rule deals with when the seller must ship, which isn't always the same as an estimated arrival date. If the seller can't meet its shipping promise, it generally must send a delay notice and provide the required cancellation or consent options. The FTC's business guide describes those notice and refund requirements.

That rule doesn't make every late delivery or unwanted item an automatic refund in every circumstance. The order facts, seller's terms, applicable state law, and payment method may change the available remedy.

The retailer's return policy

The retailer's policy may explain what to do with damaged goods, exchanges, returns, and change-of-mind purchases. Save the version that was displayed when you ordered. The policy may require photographs, a return authorization, or tracking information before the seller completes the return.

Don't send an item to an address supplied in an unverified message. Confirm the return address through the seller's official account or website, and keep proof of shipment.

The card issuer's process

A seller's promise to refund you isn't the same as a completed credit to your account. If the credit doesn't appear, keep the promise and transaction records and ask the issuer what information it needs.

For many U.S. credit-card billing errors, the FTC says the written dispute should reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement with the error was sent. The issuer generally must acknowledge it within 30 days and resolve it within two billing cycles, but no more than 90 days. See the FTC's guidance on using credit cards and disputing charges for the required steps.

Don't assume a debit-card, prepaid-card, payment-app, bank-transfer, or wire transaction has the same protection or deadline. Ask that provider about its dispute procedure immediately.

Make the record easy to review

A seller, marketplace, or issuer can act more quickly when the timeline is clear. These details help:

• Use facts: "The package has not arrived" is better than "You stole my money."
• Ask for one main remedy. If you would accept something else, say so separately.
• Distinguish a created label from carrier acceptance and delivery.
• Use calendar dates instead of "soon."
• Keep the order confirmation, listing, tracking history, photos, messages, and refund confirmation together.
• Redact all but the last four card digits.
• Avoid legal threats based on another country's law.
• Check the live order page for an AliExpress or other marketplace deadline and save a screenshot.
• Escalate before a marketplace or payment-provider timer expires.

When to move beyond the seller

Escalate if the seller ignores documented requests, refuses to address an item that is materially different from the listing, gives contradictory shipping information, or promises a refund that never appears.

For a direct marketplace purchase, use the platform's order-resolution process and attach the timeline. For a Shopify-powered store, identify the actual merchant from the receipt and card statement. For a credit-card purchase, send the billing dispute to the issuer's designated address within the applicable time limit.

If the seller or marketplace appears deceptive or disappears, the USAGov guide to complaints about online purchases can help you identify a complaint route. A government complaint doesn't guarantee a refund, so it shouldn't replace a timely payment dispute when one is available.

Common questions

Should I email the dropshipping supplier?

Usually not first. The retailer advertised the item and accepted your payment, while the supplier's agreement with that retailer may not give you a direct refund route. Contact the supplier only if the retailer or marketplace directs you to do so.

Can I dispute a dropshipping purchase with my card issuer?

You can ask about a billing dispute when the facts fit the issuer's rules, such as merchandise not received, merchandise not as described, or a refund that wasn't credited. A chargeback isn't automatic. Give the issuer an accurate timeline and the evidence it requests.

Does tracking prove delivery to me?

No. Tracking shows what the carrier recorded, but it may not establish that the package reached the correct address or recipient. Ask the seller and carrier for delivery details and keep their responses.

Is there always a 15-day AliExpress refund deadline?

Don't rely on a generic deadline. AliExpress dispute eligibility and timing may depend on the order, delivery status, product, country, and current platform terms. If you bought directly through AliExpress, check the dispute option and deadline shown on that order. If you bought from another store, contact that store instead.

Does the UK Consumer Rights Act apply to a U.S. purchase?

Not automatically. The UK Consumer Rights Act 2015 isn't a U.S. rule. For a U.S. purchase, start with the seller's terms, the FTC shipment rules, applicable state law, and the payment method's rules. This is general consumer information, not legal advice.

What should I do first?

Identify the business that charged you, send the closest template with relevant evidence, and request a specific remedy by a specific date. Then check the marketplace and payment-provider deadlines immediately so a slow seller response doesn't close off another option.