If a marketplace order never arrives, looks counterfeit, arrives damaged, or fails to match its listing, preserve the record before you press the seller for a fix. Save the listing, order and payment records, tracking, photos, and messages; then use the platform's case process and, if needed, a separate card dispute.

Start with the dates. Write down the estimated delivery date, the date of the first statement showing the charge, and the platform's case deadline. They control different routes.

This guidance is for U.S. shoppers. Platform policies can vary by country, order, and payment method.

Know which rule controls your complaint

A marketplace complaint and a card dispute are separate processes. Marketplace cases follow platform policy, while card disputes follow billing-error rules.

For a U.S. credit card billing error, send a written dispute within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent to you. The issuer generally must acknowledge it within 30 days, unless it resolves the issue sooner, and generally must finish within two billing cycles, no later than 90 days.

After you send timely written notice, you generally don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance and other charges while the investigation continues.

Read the FTC guidance on billing problems and undelivered goods and the CFPB billing-error regulation before relying on that process. The FTC also notes that some issuers may extend the 60-day period when a shipment is delayed.

Those deadlines don't promise a marketplace refund. The 60-day rule concerns credit card billing errors; don't assume it applies the same way to a debit card, prepaid card, bank transfer, or payment app.

An unordered product is different. FTC guidance addresses goods you never ordered separately.

Build evidence around the actual problem

A reviewer needs a clear comparison: what you bought, what the listing promised, what happened, and what you want done. Keep records that connect those points.

A tracking scan is evidence. It isn't the whole answer.

Use this evidence workflow

Build the file in this order:

1. Save the original listing. Capture the title, seller name, price, condition, specifications, shipping promise, return terms, and URL. Add the date. Save a PDF or print view if the platform allows it.

2. Secure the order and payment records. Keep the order number, invoice, receipt, and payment confirmation. A redacted statement can show the amount and merchant without exposing your full account number.

3. Photograph the item before changing anything. Take pictures of the box, shipping label, packing materials, item, defects, serial numbers, and labels. Keep the packaging until the platform or seller tells you what to do.

4. Check the carrier's records. Review the full tracking history and any delivery details. If you contact the carrier, keep the inquiry number and response.

5. Message the seller through the platform. State the issue, include the order number, and ask for one specific remedy. Keep the exchange attached to the order when possible.

6. Put the file in date order. Name files clearly, such as listing-before-order.pdf or return-tracking.pdf. The folder may get messy. That's fine for now.

7. Open the platform case before its deadline. Use the platform's case or guarantee process first when it fits. If you appeal, answer the stated reason for the decision instead of restarting the entire story.

Write the complaint so a reviewer can act

Put the requested remedy in the first line. "Refund for item not received" gives a reviewer something to process.

Use dates and quote only the listing language that matters. To be honest, a reviewer shouldn't have to reconstruct a case from 30 screenshots.

Order number:
Issue:
What the listing promised:
Timeline:
What the seller said or did:
Resolution requested:
Attachments:

Describe evidence without assigning intent. Write, "The tracking record shows a delivery scan at a different location," rather than, "The seller stole my package." The first statement identifies a fact; the second may go beyond what your records prove.

Amazon: use the A-to-Z policy language

Amazon's A-to-Z Guarantee page covers certain purchases from third-party sellers. The policy addresses problems such as non-delivery and items that are materially different from their descriptions.

For a materially different item, the page describes a seller failing to issue a refund or exchange within 30 days of shipment. It then gives the buyer 75 days to submit the claim from the relevant point described in the policy. Eligible protection can cover up to $2,500 of the purchase price, including shipping.

Those limits aren't a blanket promise that every counterfeit, delivery, or quality complaint qualifies. Check the live instructions on the order before relying on a deadline.

Attach the original listing, item photos, tracking, seller messages, and return tracking when relevant. For a suspected counterfeit, describe the specific mismatch. A brand or qualified authenticator's written assessment can help, but don't call an item fake when your file shows only suspicion.

If tracking says delivered, explain why that record doesn't settle the issue. Include the delivery details, address information, and any carrier inquiry.

eBay: watch both the report and appeal windows

eBay's Money Back Guarantee policy sets its own reporting clock. For an item that hasn't arrived, report the problem after the estimated or actual delivery date, and no later than 30 calendar days after that date.

After the report, the seller generally has three business days to provide tracking, delivery information, or a refund. Save the report confirmation and every response.

If eBay decides the case, the buyer or seller may appeal within 30 calendar days of the decision. Orders costing $750 or more can involve a signature-confirmation requirement, which may affect how eBay evaluates delivery.

Choose the reason that matches the facts. A not-received report, a not-as-described report, and a return dispute require different records.

Etsy: send the Help with order request first

Etsy's How to Open a Case guidance says to send the seller a Help with order request and wait 48 hours before opening a case. That wait is only one condition. Order eligibility, location, and currency settings can also affect the options available to you.

Etsy says refunds processed by Etsy must take place within 180 days of the transaction. Third-party payment processors can have different policies. If you paid through PayPal, Etsy directs you to contact PayPal about that processor's rules.

Use Etsy messages, retain the listing, and attach clear photos of the item and packaging. If authenticity is the concern, describe the physical evidence instead of relying on a label such as "fake."

Shopify-powered stores need a separate payment route

A Shopify-powered store isn't the same as an eBay or Etsy case system. Start with the store's support channel, preserve the order confirmation and return policy, and identify whether you paid by credit card, PayPal, or another method.

Your payment method may control the next escalation. If the merchant stops responding, don't let repeated promises carry you past the dispute deadline for that method.

Thing is, a familiar checkout page doesn't create the same buyer protection as a marketplace guarantee. Keep the store's name, contact details, policies, messages, and tracking together.

Treat a credit card dispute as its own process

A card dispute starts a separate investigation. Tell the issuer whether the merchant or marketplace has already refunded, denied, or reviewed the claim.

For a U.S. credit card billing error, send the dispute in writing within 60 days of the first statement containing the charge. Include the transaction date, merchant, amount, problem, attempts to contact the seller, and supporting records. Follow the issuer's written-dispute instructions.

The issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute within 30 days unless it resolves the matter sooner. It generally must resolve the matter within two billing cycles, and never more than 90 days under the cited rule. During the investigation, the disputed amount and related finance or other charges generally don't have to be paid.

Don't describe a disappointing purchase as an unauthorized transaction unless you truly didn't authorize the charge. A missing item, wrong item, or refund that never posted is a different type of billing problem.

Know what each piece of evidence can prove

Turns out, a large evidence file can still hide the main point. Tracking proves a carrier event, not what was inside the box. A photo proves appearance, not authenticity. A seller message may show a promise, not that the refund actually posted.

Label statements as confirmed, reported, or suspected. Write, "The serial number does not match the manufacturer's lookup," rather than, "The seller knowingly committed fraud," unless your evidence supports that conclusion.

Keep original files and export messages before they disappear. Redact full card numbers, passwords, and unrelated personal information, but leave the order number and other details needed to identify the transaction.

Never send a password or one-time verification code as complaint evidence.

If the first decision goes against you

Read the denial like a checklist. The missing piece may be a deadline, return tracking, a seller response, a delivery detail, or an eligibility requirement.

• Save the decision and its exact reason.
• Match your response to that reason with one new fact or document.
• Use the platform's appeal process before its stated deadline.
• Tell the card issuer what the platform decided if you open a separate billing dispute.

An appeal should add clarity. Repeating the same accusation usually won't.

Questions shoppers often ask

Can a screenshot by itself prove a seller complaint?

Usually not. A screenshot can show what a listing or message said, but tracking, payment records, photos, or return evidence provide more support.

What if tracking says the package was delivered?

Save the detailed tracking record and explain the specific problem. Check the delivery location and contact the carrier if appropriate. Don't accuse the seller of theft when the evidence shows only a disputed delivery.

Should I contact my card issuer immediately?

Check two dates first: the platform's case deadline and the date of the statement containing the charge. If the credit card's 60-day written-dispute period is approaching, don't let seller conversations push you past it.

Can I report an item as counterfeit without an authenticator?

You can report the concern without one, but stick to observable details. Serial mismatches, incorrect markings, construction differences, and an independent assessment make the report easier to evaluate.

Open the order page now. Note the estimated delivery date, the first statement date showing the charge, and the platform deadline. Save the listing before it changes.