To seek a refund for a U.S. online purchase, preserve the order record, contact the seller or marketplace in writing, and check the payment provider's deadline at the same time. Don't let a platform or payment-dispute deadline expire while you wait for a seller's promise.

There is no single U.S. deadline for every online purchase complaint. The seller's return policy, marketplace terms, payment method, and type of problem determine which route may be available. This is general U.S. consumer information, not legal advice.

Start with the type of problem

Use a description that matches the facts. An unauthorized transaction is not the same as a defective product, and a delivery delay is not the same as a seller refusing a valid return.

Put the relevant deadlines on your calendar

Several clocks may run at once:

• Seller or marketplace: The return or claim window shown in the order terms controls that platform process. It can vary by seller, product category, condition, location, and transaction type.
• Credit card: For federal credit-card billing-error protections, send a written dispute within 60 days after the statement showing the error was sent to you. The period is not measured from the purchase date.
• PayPal: PayPal's U.S. Purchase Protection terms say a dispute must be opened within 180 days of payment or within 30 days of delivery or fulfillment, whichever is sooner. Eligibility and exclusions apply.
• Debit card, prepaid card, bank transfer, wire, or payment app: The provider's procedure and deadline depend on the payment rail and the reason for the dispute. Contact the provider immediately.

A date you give the seller for a response is a request, not automatically a legal deadline. Write down the statement date, order date, estimated delivery date, return deadline, and any payment-provider deadline before deciding to wait.

Save evidence before contacting anyone

Create a folder for the order and save:

• Order confirmation, invoice, receipt, and order number
• Product listing, description, price, promised shipping date, and return terms
• Tracking information and delivery scans
• Photos of the item, shipping label, packaging, damage, or wrong product
• A short video if it demonstrates a defect that a photograph cannot show
• Messages, emails, chat transcripts, and the dates of every contact
• Your card or payment statement showing the charge
• Return authorization, shipping label, carrier receipt, and delivery confirmation
• Screenshots of policies or listings that may later change

Keep the original files and write a short timeline. Record what happened, when it happened, who responded, and what you requested. Redact unrelated account numbers and other sensitive information before sharing documents.

Don't alter the product, discard the packaging, or send it to an address supplied through an unofficial channel. Follow the written return instructions, and keep proof of shipment and delivery.

Confirm who is responsible for the order

A marketplace may host a third-party seller while the marketplace handles payment, delivery, or customer service. Check the invoice, order page, and payment statement to identify:

• The merchant of record or name charged
• The seller's name and contact details
• Whether the marketplace guarantee applies
• Whether the item was sold and shipped by the retailer or an outside seller
• Which return window, exclusions, and evidence requirements apply

Don't rely on a general statement such as "Amazon allows 30 days" or "every eBay purchase has the same deadline." The terms shown for your order may be different.

Send a clear written refund request

Contact the seller through the marketplace message system and, when appropriate, through the merchant's customer-service channel. Keep the request factual:

1. Identify the order and purchase date.
2. Describe the problem in one or two sentences.
3. State the remedy you want: a full refund, replacement, or another specific solution.
4. Attach only relevant evidence.
5. Ask for return instructions if the item must be sent back.
6. Give a reasonable date for a response.
7. Keep the conversation on the platform whenever possible.

Don't wait for a seller's promised response if a marketplace or payment-provider deadline is approaching. You can continue communicating with the seller while opening the separate platform or payment dispute.

Use the marketplace process before its deadline

If the seller ignores you or offers an inadequate solution, open the dispute from the order page. Choose the reason that matches the facts, such as "item not received" or "not as described."

• Amazon: Start in Your Orders and check whether the transaction offers a return, refund request, or A-to-z Guarantee route. The A-to-z process generally concerns eligible third-party marketplace transactions. Read the conditions shown for your order and contact the seller when required.
• eBay: Open a return or "item not received" request from Purchase History. If the seller doesn't resolve it, use the option shown to ask eBay to step in. Review the current U.S. Money Back Guarantee terms for that transaction because timing, exclusions, and appeal rights can vary.
• AliExpress, Shein, and Temu: Use the in-app or account dispute process and note the deadline displayed for the order. Save the listing and shipping evidence first. Don't close a dispute merely because the seller promises to refund you later.
• Walmart and Best Buy: Determine whether the order was sold by the retailer or by a marketplace seller. The applicable return policy and the order page should control the next step.

Upload documents through the requested channel. A platform may not consider evidence sent to an unrelated email address, and moving the conversation off-platform can make the record harder to verify.

Protect payment-dispute rights

A payment dispute is separate from a retailer complaint. It may help when the seller fails to deliver, refuses a legitimate remedy, or charges you incorrectly, but it isn't an automatic refund.

Credit-card purchases

For a federal credit-card billing dispute, the FTC's consumer guidance says to dispute the error in writing within 60 days after the statement showing the error was sent. Examples include merchandise that wasn't delivered, a charge for an item you didn't buy, and certain returned or overcharged transactions.

Use this process:

1. Call the issuer promptly so it can note the problem and tell you where to send documents.
2. Send a written dispute to the billing-inquiries address on the statement, which may differ from the payment address.
3. Identify the charge, amount, date, and reason for the dispute.
4. Include copies of the order, seller communication, tracking information, and relevant photographs.
5. Keep a copy and proof that the issuer received the letter.
6. Continue paying amounts that aren't disputed.

The FTC says the issuer generally must acknowledge a written dispute within 30 days unless it has already resolved it. It generally must resolve the matter within two billing cycles, and no more than 90 days. When you follow the required procedure, you generally don't have to pay the disputed amount and related finance charges while the investigation is pending. Ask the issuer how it handles any temporary credit, since a credit can be reversed if the dispute is denied.

The 60-day period is not a general chargeback deadline for every payment method. It also isn't the same as the FTC shipping rule.

Debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, and payment apps

Debit-card protections and deadlines differ from federal credit-card billing-error procedures. Contact the bank immediately, explain whether the transaction was unauthorized or involved a merchant problem, and ask which dispute form and deadline apply. Get a case number and follow up in writing.

For a prepaid card, bank transfer, wire, or person-to-person payment, contact the provider as soon as possible. Recovery can be difficult after an authorized transfer is completed, especially when the recipient is a scammer. Don't send additional money to someone who claims an extra fee will "unlock" your refund.

PayPal

Open the dispute in PayPal's Resolution Center and follow the transaction-specific instructions. PayPal's U.S. Purchase Protection terms state that a dispute must be opened within 180 days of payment or within 30 days of delivery or fulfillment, whichever is sooner. Eligibility and exclusions still apply.

If you paid through PayPal with a credit card, don't pursue duplicate recovery through PayPal and the card issuer without understanding both providers' rules. Tell each provider about any refund, credit, or other claim already filed.

What the FTC 30-day shipping rule does and doesn't do

The FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule concerns a seller's shipping representations.

When a seller advertises a shipping time, it generally must have a reasonable basis to ship within that time. If no shipping time is stated, the rule generally uses 30 days as the default. That is a deadline for shipping the merchandise, not necessarily for its arrival at your address.

When a seller can't ship on time, the rule generally requires a clear delay notice and an opportunity to cancel for a refund. The rule does not create a universal 30-day return period for defective products. Reporting a seller to the FTC also does not itself order a refund. Pursue the money through the seller, marketplace, card issuer, bank, or payment service while reporting suspected deceptive conduct separately.

Refund request template

Keep the message short and attach the evidence that supports it.

Subject: Refund request for order [order number]

Hello [Seller or Customer Service],

I'm contacting you about order [order number], placed on [date] and delivered
or expected on [date]. The problem is: [brief factual description].

The item [did not arrive / arrived damaged / is different from the listing /
does not work as described]. I've attached [photos, tracking information,
listing screenshot, and receipt].

Please issue a refund of [$amount] to the original payment method and send
any required return instructions. Please respond by [date].

Thank you,
[Name]
[Email or phone]

Don't make unsupported legal threats or describe a product as "fraudulent" unless you have a specific basis. A precise description is easier for a seller, marketplace, or issuer to evaluate.

Credit-card dispute letter template

The FTC sample dispute letter can help organize the required information. For a federal credit-card billing dispute, include:

Date: [date]

To: Billing Inquiries
[Card issuer]
[Address shown on the statement]

Re: Dispute of $[amount] charged on [date]

I dispute the charge from [merchant] because [the merchandise was not
delivered / the charge was unauthorized / the transaction was not as agreed].
I contacted the merchant on [dates], and the result was [brief outcome].

Please investigate and correct the billing error. Enclosed are copies of
the statement, order confirmation, tracking information, photographs, and
messages with the merchant.

Sincerely,
[Name]
[Address]
[Last four digits of account]

Send copies, not irreplaceable originals. The 60-day period is measured from the date the statement was sent, so don't wait for a final seller response if that deadline is close.

Escalation path when the seller refuses or disappears

Use this order, moving faster when a deadline requires it:

1. Seller: Send the written request and follow the return instructions.
2. Marketplace: Open the platform claim and upload the complete timeline.
3. Payment provider: Contact the card issuer, bank, or PayPal under the applicable procedure.
4. Regulators: Report suspected scams or repeated deceptive conduct to the FTC and consider your state attorney general's consumer-protection office. A report may support enforcement but may not produce an individual refund.
5. Court: If the amount justifies it, check your state's small-claims limit, filing rules, defendant information, and venue requirements.

The Better Business Bureau is a private organization, not a government agency. A BBB complaint may create another customer-service channel, but it can't compel a refund.

If personal information was exposed, change the shopping-account password, change any reused passwords, contact the financial institution, and monitor the account for unauthorized activity.

Mistakes that can weaken a refund claim

• Waiting until the return, PayPal, marketplace, or card-dispute window has expired
• Relying only on phone calls instead of creating a written record
• Sending back an item without return authorization or tracking
• Closing a marketplace dispute before the refund actually posts
• Calling a quality problem an unauthorized transaction
• Filing both a PayPal and card dispute without disclosing the other claim
• Sending excessive or unrelated documents
• Editing photos, deleting messages, or exaggerating what happened
• Paying a scammer who promises a larger refund after an extra fee

What to do today

Save the listing, receipt, tracking record, statement, and photographs. Send the seller a concise written request, then check the marketplace claim deadline. If you paid by credit card and the 60-day statement period is nearing, send the written billing dispute to the issuer's billing-inquiries address now, even if the seller hasn't finished responding.