If a listing promised an authentic brand item but the product looks fake, treat it as an item not as described dispute. Save evidence, open the marketplace case before the deadline on your order page, and contact your payment provider if the platform doesn't resolve it.

For U.S. buyers, marketplace rules, deadlines, return instructions, and PayPal eligibility can vary by order, account, country, and payment method. The platform's current order page and your bank's instructions control. No marketplace or card network guarantees a refund or a particular success rate.

Make sure the evidence actually supports a counterfeit claim

A low price, missing packaging, poor quality, or the absence of a brand warranty can be warning signs. None of those, by itself, proves the item is counterfeit. A stronger claim connects what the listing or seller promised, what you received, specific observable differences, and a reliable source for that conclusion.

The product may instead be used, gray-market, refurbished, defective, or the wrong model. Those problems can still support an item not as described claim, so describe the issue accurately rather than making an unsupported accusation.

If the item is a fake charger, battery, cosmetic, medicine, child-safety product, or other potentially dangerous good, stop using it. Keep the product, packaging, and accessories unless the platform or an appropriate authority gives different instructions.

Work through these steps before the dispute deadline

1. Preserve the listing and order details

Take screenshots of:

• The complete product title and description
• Any statement that the product is genuine, new, authorized, or covered by a brand warranty
• Seller information, photos, reviews, and the listing number
• The order confirmation, price, payment method, and delivery date
• Messages exchanged with the seller

Save the original files and note when you captured them. Listings can be edited or removed after you complain.

2. Photograph the item carefully

Use clear photos from several angles, including:

• Logos, stitching, fonts, labels, tags, seals, holograms, and serial numbers
• Packaging, barcodes, model numbers, manuals, and safety markings
• Manufacturing or country-of-origin information
• The shipping label and the condition of the package
• The feature that differs from the manufacturer's official images or specifications

A serial number is useful, but it isn't conclusive on its own. Counterfeiters can copy real numbers, and some brands don't make every serial number publicly searchable.

3. Obtain authentication evidence if it's available

Ask the brand whether it offers an authentication service or can confirm a specific discrepancy. If the brand can't authenticate the item, that response alone doesn't prove it's fake. You can also obtain a written opinion from a reputable authentication service and keep the receipt.

Compare the item with the brand's official product information, not another seller's listing. Identify several concrete differences, such as an incorrect logo shape, an invalid model number, unusual materials, or packaging the brand doesn't use.

4. Contact the seller through the platform

Send a short, factual message in the marketplace's messaging system. State that the item was represented as authentic but appears counterfeit, list the main discrepancies, and request a refund under the platform's buyer-protection process.

Keep the conversation on the platform. A private email, messaging app, or off-platform payment link is harder to document and can expose you to another scam.

5. Open the formal marketplace case

Use the order page, not only a message to the seller. Select counterfeit, not as described, or the closest truthful category available. Upload the most useful evidence first:

1. The listing's authenticity claim
2. Photos showing the relevant differences
3. Authentication or brand correspondence
4. Your seller communication
5. Order and delivery records

Explain the facts in a few sentences. Ask for a full refund and platform-approved return instructions if a return is required.

6. Handle any return exactly as instructed

Don't mail the item to a different address supplied only in a seller message. If the platform provides a return label or address, follow that instruction and keep:

• The tracking number
• The shipping receipt
• Photos of the item inside the package
• Photos of the sealed package and label
• Delivery confirmation

For an international order, ask the platform how it wants a suspected counterfeit handled before you send it across a border. Don't destroy or discard the product unless you receive clear written instructions.

7. Appeal promptly if the claim is denied

Read the denial carefully. A useful appeal identifies evidence the first decision missed and corrects any inaccurate description of the transaction. Save the case number and the appeal deadline.

The platform is deciding whether you qualify for its refund policy. It isn't necessarily making a legal finding about trademark infringement.

Platform-specific counterfeit refund steps

Amazon

Open Your Orders and use the problem, return, or refund option for that transaction. Choose the closest accurate reason, such as an item that is not as described, and attach the listing, photos, and authentication evidence.

For eligible marketplace orders, Amazon may direct you to its A-to-z Guarantee process. Amazon's official A-to-z Guarantee explanation says that, for the orders covered by that page, the buyer generally must contact the marketplace seller first and wait more than 48 hours if the issue remains unresolved. It also lists delivery-date conditions.

That linked help page is regional, so don't treat its delivery language as a universal U.S. deadline. Use the instructions and deadline shown for the specific order in your U.S. account. If Amazon asks you to return the product, keep the tracking information and proof of delivery.

eBay

Open the purchase and use the return or issue-reporting flow. For a product advertised as genuine but suspected to be fake, item not as described is generally more accurate than an unauthorized-transaction claim.

The eBay Money Back Guarantee policy says that, for most purchases, buyers must act within 30 calendar days after the estimated or actual delivery or collection date. Exclusions apply. The policy also says a buyer or seller may appeal an eBay decision within 30 calendar days of that decision.

Follow eBay's return instructions and upload tracking through the case. If the seller says a refund is coming, leave the case open until the refund is actually posted or eBay tells you how to proceed.

AliExpress

Open the order and use Open Dispute or the current refund route shown in the transaction. Select the closest option for a counterfeit or materially misdescribed item. Include listing screenshots, clear product photos, packaging details, and any authentication evidence.

The official AliExpress Buyer Protection information describes program conditions and says a refund may be sent to the original payment method or, under certain conditions, a fast-refund bonus. Read the offer before accepting it and check whether it provides the type of refund you want.

Don't rely on old guides that quote a universal 15-day deadline. Check the protection deadline displayed in the order and submit the case before it expires. The AliExpress terms also state that the program does not limit mandatory consumer rights that apply in the buyer's country of residence.

Etsy and Wish

Start from the order's help or dispute screen and use the current counterfeit or not as described category if it's available. Report the listing separately if the platform provides a reporting option, and save the case number.

Don't copy a deadline from an Etsy or Wish guide written for another country or an older version of the site. Screenshot the deadline and instructions displayed in your account, and keep seller communications on the platform.

PayPal

If you paid through PayPal, open the transaction in PayPal's Resolution Center and choose the current purchase-protection category that accurately describes the problem, such as an item that is significantly not as described. Attach the listing, photos, seller communications, and marketplace decision.

PayPal's eligibility rules and filing window can change, so use the terms and deadline shown in your account rather than assuming a universal 180-day period. A PayPal dispute and a card chargeback are separate processes. If your PayPal payment was funded by a credit card, tell both providers about any case you opened and any refund you received. Don't seek duplicate recovery for the same transaction.

Deadlines at a glance

A platform deadline and a card-dispute deadline are not interchangeable. Filing on one service doesn't automatically preserve your rights with another.

How to request a Visa or Mastercard chargeback

A chargeback may be appropriate when the seller or marketplace refuses to resolve an authorized purchase that was materially not as described. It isn't the same as reporting an unauthorized transaction.

Tell the issuer:

• You authorized the purchase
• The seller represented the item as genuine or otherwise described it inaccurately
• The delivered item appears counterfeit, with the specific reasons
• When you contacted the seller and marketplace
• Whether the platform denied the claim, required a return, or issued a partial refund
• Whether you have returned the item and can provide tracking

Ask which dispute category applies and what filing deadline and documents the issuer requires. Visa and Mastercard operate network processes, but your card issuer handles your case and decides what information to submit. Don't guess a network reason code from an online article.

Prepare a single evidence package containing:

• The card statement or transaction record
• The order confirmation and delivery record
• Screenshots of the listing
• Product and packaging photos
• Authentication or brand correspondence
• Seller and platform messages
• The dispute decision and return tracking
• The amount of any refund already received

If the purchase was made with a debit card, prepaid card, payment app, bank transfer, wire, or other method, contact that provider immediately. A credit-card chargeback process may not apply, and those payment methods can have different protections and deadlines.

If you approved the transaction, don't describe the purchase as unauthorized. An inaccurate fraud claim can undermine an otherwise valid merchandise dispute.

Escalation options when the platform fails

Use escalation in this order:

1. Marketplace appeal: Submit the appeal through the order case before its displayed deadline.
2. Payment provider: Contact the card issuer, PayPal, or other payment service with the platform record.
3. Brand report: Send the listing and product details to the brand's official reporting or customer-support channel. Ask whether it can confirm a specific discrepancy.
4. Government complaint: The FTC's contact guidance directs people targeted by an illegal business practice or scam to its Report Fraud service. A complaint can document a seller or marketplace pattern, but you should continue pursuing the refund through the seller, platform, or payment provider.
5. Local help for serious losses: For a high-value purchase, injury, fire, or dangerous product, consider contacting your state consumer-protection office or a licensed attorney in your state.

Be cautious of recovery services that demand an upfront fee, request remote access to your bank account, or send a check for you to deposit. Use the official marketplace, payment-app, and bank websites instead of links supplied by an unknown "refund agent."

Message template for the seller or marketplace

Subject: Order #[number] - suspected counterfeit item sold as authentic

I purchased [item] on [date]. The listing stated or implied that it was an authentic [brand] product. The item I received appears counterfeit because:

• [Specific discrepancy]
• [Specific discrepancy]
• [Brand or authentication finding, if available]

I have attached the listing, order information, photographs, and supporting documentation. Please issue a full refund under the applicable buyer-protection policy and provide any return instructions through the platform. I will keep the item and packaging available.

Message template for your card issuer

I authorized the transaction with [merchant] on [date] for [amount]. I am disputing the merchandise because it was represented as an authentic [brand] item but appears counterfeit and is materially not as described. I contacted the seller and [marketplace] on [dates]. Attached are the listing, photographs, authentication evidence, communications, and the platform's decision. Please tell me the correct dispute category, required documents, and filing deadline.

Common mistakes that weaken a counterfeit claim

• Waiting for an authentication report until after the platform deadline
• Relying only on price, poor quality, or a missing serial number
• Sending edited photographs instead of keeping original files
• Using "unauthorized transaction" when you approved the purchase
• Accepting an off-platform refund promise and closing the formal case
• Returning the product without platform authorization or tracking
• Giving the platform and bank different accounts of what happened
• Claiming a guaranteed refund, legal violation, or counterfeit finding without evidence
• Assuming a fixed 30-, 90-, 120-, or 180-day period applies to every service

Frequently asked questions

Can I dispute an item if I can't prove it is counterfeit?

Yes. You can still report an item that is materially different from its listing. Use objective facts, such as an incorrect model number, packaging mismatch, or written brand response. Don't claim certainty that the item is fake if your evidence only shows poor quality or a wrong product.

Do I have to return a suspected counterfeit?

Possibly. Follow the platform's written instructions. Keep the item and proof of shipment unless the platform specifically tells you not to return it. Don't send it to a new address supplied only by the seller.

Can I use both a marketplace dispute and a chargeback?

You can ask about both routes, but tell each provider about the other case and any refund. Duplicate recovery can lead to a refund reversal or a closed dispute. Start with the marketplace when its protection is still available, then contact the issuer before its deadline.

Will an FTC complaint get my money back?

An FTC complaint is a reporting route, not a guaranteed individual refund process. Pursue the refund directly through the marketplace, PayPal, card issuer, or other payment provider while reporting the suspected scam.

Screenshot the listing and order page today, then open the platform case using the exact issue and deadline shown in your account.