If an online order is missing, damaged, counterfeit, or billed incorrectly, start with a written complaint and preserve your evidence. Then use the marketplace's dispute process. If you paid by credit card, protect any separate billing-dispute rights before the deadline.

The right route depends on the problem, payment method, seller's location, and the terms that applied to the order. A marketplace guarantee is a company policy. A credit card billing dispute follows a different process. An FTC report can help regulators identify scams, but it isn't a substitute for requesting your refund.

The fastest way to file an online purchase complaint

1. Save your evidence. Download the order confirmation, listing, receipt, delivery promise, tracking history, messages, and return policy. Photograph or record the product and packaging before changing anything.
2. Contact the seller in writing. State what went wrong, attach concise evidence, and request a specific remedy: a refund, replacement, repair, or prepaid return label.
3. Open the marketplace's case. Use the order page rather than a public review or an off-platform message. Follow the platform's reason codes and filing window.
4. Protect your payment-dispute deadline. If a qualifying credit card billing error is involved, send a written dispute to the issuer promptly. Don't wait indefinitely for the seller or marketplace.
5. Escalate only when needed. Report suspected fraud to the FTC, appeal a platform decision, contact a consumer-protection agency, or consider small claims court if the amount and evidence justify it.

There isn't one universal deadline for every online purchase complaint. Platform windows, return policies, card-network procedures, and state court rules differ. Treat every date shown in your order account or card statement as significant.

Identify the type of problem first

Use an accurate description. Calling a merchandise dispute "fraud" or calling an unauthorized charge a "return" can send the case to the wrong team.

For an ordinary U.S. online purchase, don't automatically apply an EU-style 14-day return rule. Start with the seller's stated return terms, any applicable product or state law, the marketplace policy, and your payment protections.

Save evidence before contacting anyone

Sellers and platforms may change or remove listings, messages, and delivery estimates. Save copies before opening a case.

Keep:

• The order number, seller name, product title, and transaction date
• The original listing, specifications, price, delivery promise, and return policy
• The order confirmation, invoice, receipt, and card or bank statement
• Photos of damage, missing parts, labels, serial numbers, or differences from the listing
• An unboxing video or photographs of the unopened package, if you have them
• Tracking results, delivery scans, photographs, and carrier correspondence
• Every message with the seller, marketplace, payment provider, and carrier
• Return authorization, postage receipt, tracking number, and delivery confirmation
• A short timeline with the date of each event and the response you received

Redact passwords, full payment-card numbers, Social Security numbers, and other unrelated personal information. Send copies, not irreplaceable originals.

Ask the seller for a specific remedy

Use the seller's platform messaging system when possible. A factual message is easier to review than a long account of your frustration.

Give the seller a reasonable response date, such as five to seven calendar days. That is your requested deadline, not a universal legal deadline.

Subject: Order #[number] - request for [refund, replacement, or repair]

Hello [seller name],

I ordered [product] on [date]. The order arrived on [date], and the problem is [brief factual description]. The listing or order confirmation stated [relevant promise].

I have attached [photos, video, tracking record, or other evidence]. Please provide [a full refund to the original payment method, a replacement, or another specific remedy]. If you require a return, please send return instructions and a prepaid label.

Please respond by [date]. I will keep the item and packaging available while this matter is reviewed.

Thank you,

[name] [order number and preferred contact method]

Don't threaten criminal action, make claims you can't prove, or agree to move the dispute off the platform simply because the seller requests it. If the seller offers a partial refund, decide whether it actually resolves the problem before accepting it. A partial payment may affect later platform or payment-provider options.

Use the marketplace dispute process

Marketplace protection is controlled by the platform's current terms. It may cover delivery, condition, or listing accuracy, but eligibility and deadlines can vary by country, seller type, product category, and order.

Open the case from the order history and choose the most accurate reason. Upload the strongest evidence in date order. Keep the case number and screenshot the submission confirmation.

Amazon

Open the order in Your Orders and use the available problem, return, or refund option. Keep communications in Amazon's buyer-seller messaging system. If the seller doesn't resolve an eligible marketplace order, look for the A-to-z Guarantee route and read the terms and deadline displayed for that order.

Amazon's A-to-z conditions aren't a universal substitute for the U.S. card-dispute process. Don't copy a deadline from a help page for another Amazon marketplace. The order account and applicable marketplace terms control the platform case.

eBay

Start from the order in your purchase history and select the reason that matches the problem, such as an item not received or not as described. Keep the listing and all seller communication. If eBay provides return instructions, use the specified carrier or label and retain tracking until the refund is posted.

PayPal

Use the transaction in PayPal's Resolution Center and select the correct dispute category. Follow the exact deadline shown in the case and respond to requests for photographs, tracking, return proof, or other documents.

PayPal's process is separate from your card issuer's process. If the PayPal payment was funded by a credit card, contact the issuer before allowing a deadline to pass and explain that a PayPal case exists. Don't seek two refunds for the same transaction, and tell each provider about any credit or refund already received.

AliExpress, Wish, Shein, and other marketplaces

Open the dispute through the order page while the platform's displayed window is still open. Save the listing, seller promises, product photographs, and tracking information. For a counterfeit or materially different product, photograph identifying marks and explain the difference in specific terms.

Don't close a platform case until you understand whether it can be reopened and whether the promised refund has actually reached your account. Buyer-protection policies are contractual platform rules; they don't automatically describe your rights under U.S. law.

Dispute a qualifying credit card billing error

A credit card dispute can be useful when the merchant didn't deliver, delivered goods that were not as agreed, or failed to credit an eligible return. It isn't a guaranteed refund, and the bank will review the facts and supporting records.

The FTC's guidance on disputing credit card charges says that, to use the federal billing-error protections, your written dispute must reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent to you.

Send the letter to the billing-dispute address shown on the statement, unless the issuer gives different instructions. Include:

• Your name and account information
• The transaction date and amount
• The merchant's name
• A clear explanation of what was wrong
• The remedy you requested from the merchant
• Copies of the order, messages, tracking, photographs, and return records
• A request to remove or correct the disputed charge

Keep a copy and proof of delivery. An online form or phone call may start the issuer's internal process, but a timely written notice is the safer way to preserve the federal procedure.

Under the FTC-described process, 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 after receiving the letter. You generally don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance charges while the investigation is pending, but continue paying the undisputed portion of the statement and follow the issuer's instructions.

Some issuers may extend a dispute period in limited delayed-shipment situations. Don't rely on an extension without confirmation. Ask the issuer for its deadline in writing.

If the issuer denies the dispute, request the explanation and documents used in the decision. Check whether the merchant supplied delivery or return evidence, then use the issuer's reconsideration or appeal process. A temporary credit can be reversed, so continue monitoring later statements.

Credit card, debit card, and other payment methods are different

The 60-day written process above concerns qualifying credit card billing errors. Don't assume it applies in exactly the same way to:

• Debit cards
• Prepaid cards
• ACH or electronic bank transfers
• Wire transfers
• Peer-to-peer payment apps
• Cryptocurrency payments
• Store credit or gift cards

Contact the provider immediately, describe the transaction accurately, and ask for the required dispute method and deadline. For an unauthorized transaction, say that you didn't authorize it and ask about securing the account. For a product problem, describe the delivery or merchandise issue instead.

Report suspected scams and non-delivery

If a seller took payment and disappeared, used a fake website, sent counterfeit goods, or charged you for products you never received, you can report the conduct through ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Include the business name, website, dates, amount, payment method, order details, and a concise description of what happened.

The FTC also provides consumer guidance for goods you were billed for but never received and information about the Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule, which addresses shipment representations and refunds when a seller can't meet its promised schedule.

A regulatory report is separate from a refund request. File it while pursuing the seller, platform, or payment-provider remedy, and don't wait for an agency investigation to protect a card-dispute deadline.

What to do if the seller or platform denies your complaint

Ask for the decision and the specific policy reason in writing. Then check whether you can appeal or submit new evidence. Focus on facts the first reviewer may have missed:

• The exact listing promise and how the product differed
• The delivery estimate and carrier record
• Your timely return request
• The seller's refund promise
• A return delivered to the seller but not credited
• A platform message confirming eligibility

If the dispute remains unresolved, possible next steps include:

1. Credit card issuer: Use the billing-error process before its deadline if the facts qualify.
2. State consumer-protection office: Report a pattern of deceptive conduct or an unresponsive business to the relevant state agency.
3. Small claims court: Check the court's amount limit, filing requirements, venue rules, service procedure, and any arbitration clause in the order terms.
4. A private legal consultation: Consider this when the loss is substantial, several consumers are affected, or the seller is outside the U.S.

For small claims, identify the correct legal business name and address before filing. Prepare the order contract, payment record, complaint messages, photographs, tracking, return proof, and a copy of your final demand. A court may not be able to exercise jurisdiction over a foreign seller, and the platform may not be the legally responsible seller.

Which complaint route should you use?

Start with the lowest-cost route, but protect the deadline for the route that may matter most. A seller's promise to "look into it" doesn't automatically pause a platform or card-issuer deadline.

Mistakes that weaken an online purchase complaint

• Waiting months for a seller while a payment-dispute window expires
• Deleting the original listing or relying on a screenshot without the order number
• Sending a return without authorization, tracking, or proof of delivery
• Choosing "unauthorized" when you did authorize the purchase but received a bad item
• Accepting a partial refund without checking whether it closes the case
• Moving communication off-platform and losing the platform's message record
• Sending full payment-card details or identity documents to an unverified address
• Filing duplicate disputes without telling the marketplace or issuer
• Exaggerating the product problem instead of identifying the exact mismatch
• Assuming a platform policy is the same as a legal right

Frequently asked questions

Does an FTC complaint get my money back?

Not necessarily. The FTC uses reports to identify patterns and support enforcement. Make the direct refund request to the seller and separately use the platform or payment-provider process.

Can I file a credit card dispute after the marketplace rejects my claim?

You may be able to if the transaction is a qualifying billing error and the issuer's deadline has not passed. Tell the issuer about the marketplace decision and provide the full record. Don't describe a non-fraud merchandise dispute as an unauthorized charge.

What if the seller says "all sales are final"?

That statement may affect a voluntary return, but it doesn't automatically answer questions about non-delivery, counterfeit goods, misrepresentation, or a qualifying credit card billing error. Keep the listing and payment evidence and check the applicable process.

What if I paid with a debit card?

Contact the bank or card provider immediately. Debit-card protections and notification deadlines differ from the credit-card procedure described above. Ask for written instructions and keep the case number.

How long should I wait for the seller?

Use a short, clear response date in your message, but don't let that waiting period end a platform or payment-provider deadline. If the seller doesn't respond, move to the next route with your evidence and original message attached.

What if the seller is outside the United States?

The platform's terms, the seller's local law, the payment method, and the contract's dispute or arbitration terms may all matter. Don't assume U.S. remedies or an overseas cooling-off period applies. Confirm the seller's legal identity and preserve every transaction record before escalating.

If you haven't contacted the seller yet, send the written request now and save the order records first. If your credit card statement shows a qualifying error, send the written billing dispute before the 60-day window or the issuer's stated deadline passes.