A broken or missing download doesn't automatically create a federal refund right. Start with the seller or platform, put the problem in writing, and ask for a specific remedy. If that fails and you paid by credit card, the card's billing-error process may still be available.

For a U.S. purchase, there isn't a universal 14-day cooling-off period for ordinary software, games, music, apps, or other downloads. What controls your case is usually a mix of the seller's checkout policy, the platform's refund rules, whether the product was delivered as promised, state law, and the payment method.

Name the problem first

The right route depends on what went wrong. A file that crashes is handled differently from a charge you never authorized.

Don't call an authorized purchase fraud because it disappointed you. An inaccurate dispute can slow the review and make your claim weaker.

What U.S. rules actually do

A store's refund policy is a promise. It isn't always the same thing as a legal right. Read the policy shown at checkout, in your receipt, and in your account. A seller may set a window, such as 30 or 90 days, and treat late requests as final. Digital products often carry extra conditions tied to download, redemption, activation, license keys, or account use.

The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule is narrow. It doesn't give consumers a general 14-day refund right for a normal online download. The FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule is about shipment timing and representations for covered merchandise. It also isn't a standard refund deadline for digital downloads.

That doesn't leave you without arguments. A download that never arrives, fails to work as described, or materially differs from its listing may support a claim under the seller's promise, contract terms, or state consumer law. A "no refunds" statement may not settle a non-delivery or material-mismatch claim. Describe the specific failure instead of arguing with the slogan.

The FTC's guidance on resolving problems with a business recommends explaining the problem clearly, stating the remedy you want, and keeping notes about each contact. If small-claims court becomes necessary, limits and procedures vary by state; the FTC notes that some states allow claims as high as $25,000.

Collect proof before support moves on

A strong complaint is short, factual, and easy to check. Save these before a listing changes or a ticket closes:

• Order number, date, price, tax, and payment method
• Receipt or invoice, including the merchant name shown on your card or bank statement
• Product listing, system requirements, license terms, and refund policy
• Screenshots of download errors, missing files, crashes, or blocked account access
• Device, operating system, app version, and the steps that led to the failure
• Emails, chat transcripts, ticket numbers, and contact dates
• Any promised delivery date, replacement, fix, or refund

If it can help identify a temporary issue, try reasonable troubleshooting once or twice. Confirm you're signed into the purchasing account, check the file format, or retry from the seller's official site. Write down what you tried. Don't download from an unknown mirror, and don't give support your password or full card number.

Send a complaint that support can act on

Use the support address, form, or account portal tied to the transaction. Ask for the exact result you want: full refund, working replacement, or technical fix. If you want money back, say it should go to the original payment method.

Set a reasonable response date, but don't invent a statutory deadline. If the seller has a published process, follow it and keep proof of submission. The FTC recommends saving online forms or chats and noting the date you used them.

A workable message can follow this shape:

Subject: Refund request for [product], order [number]

Hello,

I purchased [product] from [seller] on [date] for [amount]. The download [never arrived / won't install / crashes / is missing the advertised feature].

The listing or checkout page said [relevant promise]. I tried [brief troubleshooting] on [device and operating system], but the problem remains.

Please refund [amount] to the original payment method. If you believe a refund isn't available, identify the policy that applies and explain the fix you can provide.

I've attached the receipt, screenshots, and relevant listing or policy. Please reply by [date].

Thank you,
[Name]
[Email and order number]

If the reply is a generic help article, respond once with the order number and the exact failure. Ask for a case number and the department handling the request.

Use the platform's refund path when it billed you

Check the receipt. The platform may have billed you directly, or the developer, publisher, or another merchant may have processed the payment. Start with the business named on the transaction.

Steam

Steam's published standard refund offer covers games and software applications requested within two weeks of purchase and with less than two hours of playtime. Sign in to Steam Support, open Purchases, select the title, and submit the request through Steam's refund policy page.

Steam also describes narrower situations. A pre-purchase that isn't playable before release can be refunded before release, with the standard 14-day and two-hour period starting on release. An unused renewable subscription may be refunded within 48 hours of the initial purchase or an automatic renewal. Unredeemed gifts follow the standard refund window.

Those are platform limits, not a general U.S. law. If your request falls outside them, read the current policy and explain the circumstances, but don't assume approval.

Apple apps and digital content

If Apple billed you, use Apple's refund instructions:

1. Sign in at reportaproblem.apple.com.
2. Select I'd like to, then choose Request a refund.
3. Choose a reason and select Next.
4. Select the item and submit.
5. Check back later for the status.

Apple says you can't submit a refund request while a charge is still pending, and eligibility can vary by country or region. If the receipt shows a different merchant or external checkout, contact that merchant instead.

Other marketplaces

For Google Play and other stores, open order history and use the refund or support option attached to the transaction. Don't borrow Steam's or Apple's deadline for another platform. Save the confirmation page, ticket number, and decision.

Credit-card billing errors have their own clock

Contacting the seller first creates useful documentation, but it doesn't replace the card-dispute deadline. If the seller refuses or never responds, consider whether the charge fits the billing-error process.

The FTC's credit-card dispute guidance says the federal billing-error procedure can cover a charge for goods or services you didn't accept or that weren't delivered as agreed. A missing download or one that materially failed to match the purchase may fit, but not every complaint will qualify.

To preserve the procedure:

1. Write to the card issuer at the billing-inquiries address on your statement. Don't rely only on a phone call or a message sent to the payment address.
2. Send it so it reaches the issuer within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.
3. Identify your name, account, transaction date, amount, and reason.
4. Explain what you bought, what failed, when you contacted the seller, and what remedy you requested.
5. Attach copies of the receipt, seller messages, screenshots, and refund denial. Keep originals and proof of mailing.
6. Pay the undisputed part of the bill and follow the issuer's instructions while the investigation is open.

The issuer generally must acknowledge a written billing-error notice within 30 days unless it has already resolved the issue, and it must resolve the dispute within 90 days under the FTC-described process. A chargeback isn't an automatic refund; the issuer and payment network review the evidence.

This route is for credit cards. Debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, peer-to-peer payments, and digital wallets can have different protections and deadlines. Contact those providers promptly and check the transaction terms. If you paid through a wallet using a credit card, the wallet dispute and card billing-error process are separate. Keep your explanation consistent.

Build an escalation packet reviewers can scan

If a bank, platform, or marketplace reviewer sees your case, give them a timeline, not a long story.

• Purchase: date, seller, product, amount, and transaction reference
• Promise: what the listing or checkout page said you'd receive
• Failure: missing access, defect, or material difference
• Attempts: dates, channels, ticket numbers, and seller responses
• Remedy: refund, replacement, or repair
• Files: receipt, policy, screenshots, and relevant messages

Redact passwords, security codes, and unnecessary account details. Don't alter screenshots, and don't claim a purchase was unauthorized if you made it.

Fraud, scams, and wrong categories

For an unauthorized charge, contact the card issuer or payment provider immediately. Secure the account, change reused passwords, and review other transactions. Don't wait for the seller.

If a seller looks fraudulent, preserve the advertisement, website address, receipt, messages, and payment records. Report the conduct to the marketplace and the FTC, and ask your payment provider which dispute category fits. An FTC report can help document a pattern, but it doesn't replace a merchant refund request or a payment dispute.

A DMCA notice isn't a refund request. DMCA procedures address alleged copyright infringement. A missing, defective, or misrepresented download belongs with the seller, platform, or payment provider.

Small claims court may be available if the amount justifies it. Filing limits, fees, service rules, and deadlines depend on your state. Keep the same evidence packet and a record of the attempts you made.

Do this next

Pull the receipt and your card statement. Write down the purchase date, seller, and the date the charge first appeared. Save the refund policy and the error evidence. Send the complaint in writing. If you used a credit card, mark the 60-day billing-error deadline now, because that is the clearest time limit in the process.