Open a refund or item-not-as-described case with the marketplace or store that took the order. Keep the product, listing, packaging, and payment records before you return, discard, or alter anything. If the seller or platform will not help, move to PayPal or your U.S. credit card issuer while those deadlines are still open.
You authorized this purchase. The goods simply were not what the listing promised. That is a counterfeit or authenticity problem, not an unauthorized transaction. Say counterfeit, inauthentic, or not as described. If a package arrived, do not file it as "item not received." Do not call the charge unauthorized unless someone used your account or card without permission.
These steps are for U.S. consumers. Marketplace rules still change by country, product, seller, and the individual order.
Preserve the item and the paper trail
Do this before a return label, a discard pile, or a "quick fix" from the seller:
- Stop using it if it could be unsafe. Cosmetics, medicines, chargers, batteries, helmets, and children's products are the usual high-risk categories.
- Photograph the item from every side. Get logos, stitching, materials, labels, serial or lot numbers, seals, accessories, and defects.
- Save the listing. Screenshot the seller name, description, authenticity claims, photos, price, order number, and delivery date.
- Keep the box and shipping label. Odd printing, missing holograms, and strange labels often matter more than a serial number by itself.
- Save every message. Seller replies, platform decisions, return instructions, tracking, and refund promises all belong in the file.
- Write a short timeline. Order date, delivery date, first contact, responses, case numbers, and any return events.
A serial-number lookup rarely settles the question, because counterfeiters copy valid numbers. A note from the brand, an authorized retailer, or a reputable independent authenticator is stronger. Ask the marketplace or payment provider whether it accepts that kind of report before you pay for one. A certificate can help. It does not, by itself, force a refund.
Which process actually controls the refund?
There is no single counterfeit-refund rule. The path that matters is mostly where you bought the item and how you paid.
| Route | What it does | Main limit |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplace return or buyer protection | Handles the original order and may provide a prepaid return or refund | The site's eligibility rules and deadline apply |
| Seller resolution | Gives the seller a chance to correct the problem | A seller's promise is not a completed refund |
| PayPal dispute | Reviews an eligible PayPal purchase under PayPal's own rules | Opening and escalation deadlines appear in PayPal's transaction or Resolution Center |
| U.S. credit-card billing dispute | Lets you challenge certain merchandise or billing problems through the issuer | Written notice generally must reach the issuer within 60 days of the first statement showing the error |
| Debit, prepaid, bank transfer, or payment app dispute | Uses the financial provider's separate process | Deadlines and protections differ, so act promptly |
A credit-card chargeback is a review by the issuer and, in some cases, the card network. It is not a guaranteed refund. A temporary credit can be pulled back if the dispute is denied. Visa or Mastercard does not decide your individual claim; contact the bank or card issuer that processed the charge.
How to ask for the money back
Pick the reason that matches the facts: counterfeit, inauthentic, not as described, or the closest option on the form. Point to objective differences. "This is fake" by itself is weaker than a short, specific comparison.
I received order 12345 on June 4. The listing described the item as authentic, but the product has a different logo shape, incorrect packaging, and a serial number that the brand could not verify. I have attached photographs, the listing, and the authentication report. I am requesting a full refund and official return instructions.
Do not exaggerate, edit photos, or roll unrelated problems into one claim. Reviewers work faster with a tight factual record.
If the platform wants the item back, use the label and address generated inside the order or dispute system. Skip any address that arrives only in a private message, and do not move the transaction off-platform. Photograph the packed item, keep the receipt, and save tracking. If the product may be dangerous or illegal to ship, get written instructions from the platform first.
A seller's refund promise is not money in your account. Leave the case open until the refund posts, unless the platform's process specifically requires another step.
If the seller ghosts you or denies the claim, use the marketplace escalation button and save the decision plus case number. When the platform clock is almost up, start the PayPal or card-issuer process too. Tell the payment provider you already opened a marketplace case and what happened. Do not give two companies two different stories.
Amazon, eBay, and other marketplaces
Amazon
Open Your Orders and use the return, refund, or product-support option. Say the item appears counterfeit, or that it was advertised as authentic and did not match that description.
On a third-party Marketplace order, contact the seller from the order page first. If that goes nowhere, use the A-to-z Guarantee option shown for that order, if it is eligible. Amazon's A-to-z conditions and deadlines vary by marketplace and order type, so do not copy a deadline from another country.
Return the product only with the instructions in the order or claim, and keep proof of delivery. A suspected fake is not automatically entitled to an instant refund or a keep-the-item outcome. Follow what Amazon shows for that order.
Report the listing separately to Amazon and, where it makes sense, to the brand. A listing report can help get a seller removed. It does not replace a refund case.
eBay
eBay's Money Back Guarantee covers eligible orders where an item does not arrive or does not match the listing. A product sold as genuine but believed to be counterfeit usually belongs in the item-not-as-described path.
Open the request from the order page. Attach the listing, photographs, and any authentication evidence. eBay's policy generally requires a buyer to report the problem within 30 calendar days after the estimated or actual delivery or collection date has passed. Check the current order and policy page; extra eligibility conditions can apply.
If eBay rules against you, its policy allows an appeal within 30 calendar days of the decision. Use eBay's return instructions and keep tracking. The official terms are in the eBay Money Back Guarantee policy.
Items that went through an eBay authentication program should be reported through eBay. Do not ship them back to the seller on your own.
AliExpress
Open the dispute from the order page before the protection deadline shown on that transaction. Choose counterfeit, inauthentic, or not as described when those options exist. If the form has no counterfeit box, describe the authenticity problem in the text field and upload evidence.
Do not pick "item not received" for a delivered fake. Do not close the dispute because a seller offers an off-platform refund. If a partial refund does not fix the problem, say so in the dispute and wait for AliExpress to decide.
Deadlines and required evidence vary by order, seller, category, and country. The date on your order is more reliable than a generic timeline from a blog.
Temu, Shein, and Wish
Use the return or help feature inside the app or website. Upload the listing, item photos, packaging, and messages. Choose the closest accurate reason, such as counterfeit or not as described.
See whether the platform requires a return and whether it provides a label. Screenshot the submission and the response. If the seller or site denies the request, escalate inside the app before you go to PayPal or your card issuer.
An ordinary clothing return window is not automatically the same as the policy for suspected counterfeits. The terms on that order control.
Walmart Marketplace and Etsy
For Walmart Marketplace, start with the order's return or customer-support flow. Confirm whether Walmart sold the item or a third-party Marketplace seller did, then use the escalation option for that order.
On Etsy, describe the problem as an item that is not as represented and use Etsy's case process when the order qualifies. You can also report a listing that appears to sell counterfeit goods. Keep the order details and photographs even if the listing disappears.
Shopify stores
Shopify is a commerce platform, not a single marketplace-wide buyer guarantee. The store that sold the product sets its return policy and handles customer service. Use the order confirmation or the store's official contact page.
If the store vanishes, ignores you, or will not provide the promised remedy, use PayPal or your card issuer. A Shopify checkout by itself does not create one refund procedure for every merchant.
If you paid with PayPal
PayPal runs its own dispute and claim process, separate from the marketplace:
- Open the transaction in PayPal and report a problem.
- Choose the reason that most accurately describes an inauthentic or materially different item.
- Upload the listing, photographs, authentication evidence, seller messages, and marketplace decision.
- Escalate the dispute to a claim within the deadline PayPal shows.
- If PayPal requires a return, use only the specified address and shipping instructions.
Opening and escalation have separate clocks. The deadline on your transaction controls. Do not rely on a number copied from an old guide.
If you paid through PayPal with a credit card, you may still have a card-issuer route. Do not collect two refunds for the same purchase. If you leave PayPal for the issuer, disclose the PayPal case and any refund or temporary credit.
Credit-card chargebacks and billing disputes
For a U.S. credit-card purchase, the FTC says a billing-error dispute should be sent in writing so that it reaches the issuer within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent. That is not a 60-day marketplace return window.
Use the billing-dispute address on your statement. It may differ from the payment address. Include:
- Your name and account information
- The transaction date, merchant, and amount
- A clear explanation that the product was advertised as authentic but appears counterfeit or was not delivered as agreed
- Copies of the listing, photographs, authentication report, seller messages, and marketplace decision
- The refund you are requesting
Keep a copy of the letter and proof the issuer received it. The FTC's guidance on disputing credit-card charges walks through the written-notice process.
The issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute in writing within 30 days unless it has already resolved the matter. It must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, and no later than 90 days after receiving your letter. During the investigation, you generally do not have to pay the disputed amount or related finance and other charges. Pay the rest of the bill on time.
Call first if you need the right address or submission method. A phone call does not replace the written notice. If day 60 is close, send the dispute and keep gathering evidence afterward.
Debit cards and other payment methods
The federal credit-card process above does not automatically cover debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, payment apps, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or gift cards. Contact the provider as soon as you spot the problem and ask for its merchandise-dispute procedure and deadline.
If the transaction itself was unauthorized, use that provider's unauthorized-transaction process. Do not relabel an authorized purchase as fraud just because the product was counterfeit.
U.S. rights and complaint options
A marketplace policy, a PayPal decision, and a credit-card billing dispute are separate systems. The FTC's 60-day written-dispute rule applies to the credit-card process. It does not force Amazon, eBay, or another marketplace to use a 60-day return window.
FTC guidance on unordered merchandise covers a different situation. An item you ordered but believe is counterfeit is not automatically an unsolicited gift. Read the FTC guidance on billing errors and unordered products before relying on that rule.
Report the seller and listing to the marketplace and the affected brand. You can also report suspected deceptive conduct to the FTC or your state consumer-protection office. A complaint can help flag a pattern. It does not, by itself, produce your refund.
State consumer laws may add remedies when a seller made a false authenticity claim. Those rights depend on the state and the facts. None of the steps above is legal advice.
Mistakes that weaken a counterfeit claim
Waiting on an authentication report until after the marketplace deadline is a common way to lose. So is returning the item without platform instructions or tracking, or shipping it to an address that never appeared inside the official case.
Other problems that sink claims: closing a case because of a verbal or private-message promise; calling the transaction unauthorized when you placed the order; choosing "item not received" after a fake item arrived; uploading a long explanation with no listing or photographs; reselling the product; and filing duplicate claims without telling the payment provider about the others.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an authentication certificate?
Not always. Clear photographs, an authenticity claim in the listing, packaging differences, and brand verification may be enough for a platform to investigate. A credible expert report can help on a high-value item. No certificate guarantees approval.
Can a seller's no-return policy block my claim?
A change-of-mind return policy is not the same as a claim that the product was counterfeit or materially different from the listing. Use the platform's not-as-described or counterfeit process and attach evidence. The outcome still depends on the platform's terms and the facts.
Should I contact my credit-card issuer before the marketplace?
Use the marketplace first when there is enough time, but do not miss the issuer's deadline while you wait. For the U.S. credit-card billing-error process, written notice must reach the issuer within the applicable 60-day period.
What if the seller disappears?
Save the listing and messages, escalate the marketplace case, and contact PayPal or your card issuer immediately. Report the seller to the marketplace and the FTC. Do not wait for the account to come back.
Can I keep the counterfeit item after getting a refund?
Do not assume you can. Follow the marketplace, PayPal, or issuer return instructions, and do not resell the item. Keep the product and packaging until the dispute is finished and you know whether an official return is required.
Photograph the item and the listing now, then open the case from the order page. Put the PayPal or card-issuer deadline on a calendar so a slow seller reply does not close that option.