If an online order never arrived, was materially misdescribed, or a promised refund never appeared, contact the seller in writing first. If the seller does not fix the problem, ask your bank or card provider to open the correct dispute, chargeback, billing-error, or unauthorized-payment case. Send complete evidence quickly; for a U.S. credit-card billing error, a written notice generally must reach the card issuer within 60 calendar days after the statement showing the charge.
What to do first when an online purchase fails
Your recovery route depends on the payment method, country, and failure. A card payment for goods that were never delivered is handled differently from a debit-card electronic-fund-transfer claim, a bank transfer, or a complaint that an item is merely poor quality.
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- Write to the seller. Identify the order, explain exactly what failed, request the remedy you want, and set a reasonable deadline.
- Preserve your evidence. Save the order confirmation, receipt, statement entry, delivery promise, tracking history, product description, seller terms, messages, refund request, and response.
- Contact the issuer promptly. Ask whether the facts fit a credit-card billing error, debit-card dispute, card-network chargeback, or unauthorized electronic-fund-transfer claim.
- Meet the applicable deadline. Deadlines vary by country, payment type, card network, and dispute reason.
- Keep paying undisputed amounts. Follow the issuer’s instructions while it investigates and obtain the case number and decision in writing.
A bank or card provider is not automatically required to refund every disappointing purchase. It evaluates whether the transaction fits the rules for the particular dispute type and whether your evidence supports the claim.
Choose the right route for your payment and problem
| Payment and jurisdiction | Problems commonly considered | Deadline or timing stated by the authorities | Protection type and next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. credit card | Goods or services not delivered as agreed; other statutory billing errors | Written billing-error notice generally within 60 calendar days after the statement containing the charge | Federal billing-error process; notify the card issuer through its required channel and continue paying undisputed amounts |
| U.S. debit card | Disputed purchase or unauthorized electronic fund transfer; exact coverage depends on the facts | Contact the bank quickly; the specific operational deadline depends on the claim and institution | Debit-card and electronic-transfer procedures differ from credit-card billing-error rules |
| U.S. bank transfer | Usually difficult to reverse once authorized; an unauthorized transfer may trigger a different electronic-fund-transfer process | Contact the bank immediately; no general purchase-refund deadline is established here | Ask the bank whether it can recall the transfer or investigate an unauthorized transfer |
| U.K. debit card | Goods or services not received, not as described, defective, or promised refund not received | Card-network and issuer time limits vary; check immediately | Chargeback is a voluntary card-scheme route requested through the bank |
| U.K. credit card | Eligible purchases not supplied or otherwise breaching the linked credit agreement | Chargeback timing varies; Section 75 eligibility has statutory price limits | Section 75 may apply to a single item costing more than £100 and less than £30,000; chargeback is a separate route |
The table does not turn every failed order into an automatic refund. The issuer may ask for more information, apply scheme rules, or conclude that the complaint belongs with the seller or another remedy.
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Step 1: Give the seller a clear written chance to fix it
Start with the merchant because the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advises first contacting the company that sold the product or service and asking it to refund the money or undo the charge. The Federal Trade Commission similarly advises disputing the charge if the company will not reverse it.
Include the facts the seller needs
- Order number, purchase date, item or service, and amount paid.
- What failed: non-delivery, cancellation not honored, material misdescription, defect, or a refund that was promised but never received.
- The remedy you want, such as a full refund or cancellation.
- A response deadline and the method by which you want confirmation.
Use email, the seller’s support portal, or another method that creates a dated record. Keep the sent message, attachments, delivery confirmation, and every reply. Do not rely on a phone call alone; if you call, record the date, representative’s name, reference number, and a written follow-up summarizing what was said.
Sample seller notice
Subject: Refund request for order [order number]
I paid [amount] on [date] for [item/service]. The problem is: [non-delivery, cancellation, misdescription, defect, or missing promised refund].
Please [refund the full amount/cancel the charge] by [date]. Attached are my order confirmation, payment record, and relevant correspondence. Please confirm your resolution in writing.Step 2: Build an evidence file and chronology
Issuers need to determine what was promised, what happened, and what you did to resolve it. A concise chronology is often easier to assess than a long, unorganized message.
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Documents to save
- Order confirmation, invoice, receipt, and the card or bank statement entry.
- The product page, description, advertised delivery date, return terms, and cancellation policy as they appeared when you bought.
- Tracking information, delivery scans, photographs, or proof that the address was correct.
- Emails, chats, call notes, and the seller’s response or silence.
- Your written refund or cancellation request and proof that it was sent.
- For a defective or misdescribed item, photographs, inspection notes, and any return authorization or shipping receipt.
Make the timeline easy to verify
- State the purchase date, amount, and payment method.
- State the promised delivery, service date, or refund date.
- Record the missed date and each attempt to contact the seller.
- Record what the seller promised, refused, or failed to answer.
- State the exact amount still owed and the remedy requested from the issuer.
Keep originals and submit readable copies. Redact unrelated account numbers and passwords, but leave enough transaction detail for the issuer to match the charge.
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Step 3: Contact your bank or card provider
Call the number on the back of the card or use the provider’s secure dispute channel. Explain the transaction in plain terms and ask which formal process applies. Use the provider’s required form or address; a call-center note may not satisfy a written-notice rule.
Questions to ask the issuer
- Is this a billing error, a card-network chargeback, a debit-card dispute, or an unauthorized electronic-fund-transfer claim?
- What is the filing deadline for this transaction and reason?
- Where must the written notice or supporting documents be sent?
- Will a temporary credit be issued, and can it be withdrawn after investigation?
- What amount must I continue paying while the case is open?
- What is the case number, expected communication method, and appeal or complaint route?
Describe only what you can support. A non-delivery claim should not be recast as an unauthorized transaction if you made the purchase yourself. Misstating the facts can delay or undermine the investigation.
U.S. credit-card billing errors
For a U.S. credit card, the federal billing-error process can cover goods or services that were not delivered as agreed. The Federal Trade Commission describes billing errors as including items you did not accept or that were not delivered as agreed. Product-quality complaints alone may follow a different route, so explain whether the issue is non-delivery, a material mismatch with the order, or a defect.
The 60-day written-notice rule
To protect the federal billing-error rights described by the CFPB, send a written billing-error notice within 60 calendar days after the charge appeared on the statement. The clock is tied to the statement date, not necessarily the order date or the date you first contacted the seller. Send the notice to the billing-error address specified by the issuer, which may differ from the payment address.
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Include your name, account details sufficient to identify the account, the disputed amount, the date and description of the charge, and why you believe it is an error. Attach the seller correspondence and key evidence. Use a trackable delivery method or the issuer’s documented electronic channel, and retain proof of receipt.
While the issuer investigates
- Pay undisputed portions of the statement on time.
- Follow requests for additional documents and keep copies of everything submitted.
- Ask for written confirmation of the temporary credit, investigation result, and any reversal.
- If the issuer rejects the claim, request the reason and the evidence relied upon.
The 60-day rule is specific to this U.S. credit-card billing-error protection. It should not be treated as a worldwide chargeback deadline or automatically applied to debit cards.
U.S. debit cards and electronic-fund transfers
Debit-card protections and procedures differ from credit-card billing-error rules. Contact the bank quickly and ask whether it will handle the matter as a merchant dispute, chargeback, or unauthorized electronic-fund-transfer claim. The correct classification matters: you authorized a purchase that failed is not the same allegation as someone using your account without permission.
Unauthorized-transfer timing
For an unauthorized U.S. electronic-fund-transfer claim, the CFPB says the institution generally has 10 business days to investigate, with longer final-resolution limits in specified cases. Report the unauthorized activity as soon as you notice it and follow the bank’s instructions for written confirmation. Those investigation periods do not create a general 10-business-day refund rule for an ordinary seller dispute.
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If the debit purchase was authorized but failed
Send the order record, seller notice, delivery evidence, and requested remedy. Ask the bank for its applicable merchant-dispute or chargeback deadline. Because debit-card rules and bank procedures vary, do not wait for the seller’s internal process to drag on before notifying the bank.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.U.K. chargeback and Section 75
Chargeback for debit and credit cards
The Financial Conduct Authority says that if you paid by card for something you did not receive, you may be able to recover the money by contacting the card provider. The Financial Ombudsman Service lists common chargeback reasons including goods or services not received, not as described, defective, or a promised refund not received. Visa describes chargeback as asking the bank to refund a payment when a purchase has gone wrong.
Chargeback is a card-scheme process rather than the same statutory right as Section 75. Card-network windows vary by scheme and reason, and the issuer may impose operational deadlines. Contact the bank immediately, provide proof that you tried the seller, and ask for the exact deadline and documents required.
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For U.K. credit-card purchases, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 may apply when the single item or service costs more than £100 and less than £30,000. Ask the card provider whether the transaction meets all Section 75 conditions; the price band alone does not decide eligibility. You can also ask about chargeback, but do not treat the two routes as interchangeable.
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Deadlines, investigations, and temporary credits
There is no universal refund timetable. A U.S. credit-card written billing-error notice generally has the 60-day statement-based deadline. Card-network chargeback windows vary by scheme and reason, while issuers may set shorter operational cutoffs. A bank-transfer recall may become harder once funds have been sent onward. These differences make prompt notification the safest approach.
An issuer may provide provisional credit while it investigates. Treat that money as conditional until the final decision; it can be reversed if the claim is denied. Keep paying amounts that are not part of the dispute and avoid closing the account before the case is resolved unless the provider tells you to do so.
What to do if the issuer rejects the claim
- Request the decision, reason, and material evidence in writing.
- Check whether the issuer classified the problem correctly and whether any document or deadline was missed.
- Submit a focused reconsideration with the missing evidence and a dated chronology.
- Use the issuer’s formal complaint or executive-review route.
- If the response remains unsatisfactory, escalate to the regulator or ombudsman that covers your jurisdiction and product.
For a U.K. complaint, the Financial Ombudsman Service is an external escalation route for eligible disputes after the provider’s complaint process. In the U.S., ask the relevant financial regulator about its consumer-complaint process. An escalation body can review handling and evidence, but it cannot guarantee that a merchant dispute qualifies for a refund.
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- Waiting for months after a seller promise. Scheme and issuer deadlines can expire while you wait.
- Using the wrong dispute reason. An authorized but undelivered order is not an unauthorized transaction.
- Sending only a screenshot. Include the statement entry, order details, seller notice, and response.
- Ignoring the seller’s return instructions. If the item arrived defective or misdescribed, document compliance or explain why return was impossible.
- Stopping all card payments. Pay undisputed amounts and follow the issuer’s written instructions.
- Assuming credit and debit rules match. They have different statutory and operational protections.
- Accepting a partial credit without checking its effect. Confirm in writing whether it resolves the entire dispute or only part of it.
A practical submission checklist
- Correct issuer contact channel and deadline confirmed.
- Order number, merchant, transaction date, amount, and statement reference.
- One-sentence failure description tied to the evidence.
- Seller notice, deadline, response, and proof of sending.
- Delivery tracking, photographs, product description, or cancellation record as applicable.
- Exact refund amount requested and any partial amount already received.
- Case number, submission receipt, and calendar reminder for follow-up.
Bottom line for a failed online order
Start with a written demand to the seller, preserve a dated evidence file, and notify your bank or card provider without delay. U.S. credit-card users should protect the federal billing-error route by sending written notice within 60 calendar days after the statement showing the charge. Debit cards, bank transfers, U.K. chargeback, and U.K. Section 75 each follow different rules. The strongest claim is accurate, prompt, documented, and filed through the issuer’s required process.
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