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Guide

How to get a refund for an online order when a retailer goes bust

By TheFinanceBase Team 12 min read

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If a UK retailer stops trading before sending your order, start with the payment method rather than waiting for the insolvency to finish. A qualifying credit-card purchase may be covered by Section 75; debit, credit and prepaid-card payments may be eligible for chargeback. If those routes do not recover the money, register as a creditor in the retailer’s insolvency. Act promptly, preserve your evidence and treat a chargeback or insolvency claim as a possible recovery route—not a guaranteed refund.

First establish what has happened

“Gone bust” can mean several different things. A retailer may have stopped taking orders but still be trading, entered administration, or gone into liquidation. The right next step depends on which situation applies.

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Check the retailer and insolvency notices

  1. Open the retailer’s website and customer-service channels. Save any message saying that orders are delayed, cancelled or no longer being fulfilled.
  2. Look for an official notice naming an administrator or liquidator. The notice should explain how customers and other creditors can submit claims.
  3. Record the date you discovered the problem. Keep screenshots or downloaded copies because websites can disappear during an insolvency.

Citizens Advice recommends checking the insolvency details and identifying the appointed practitioner. Do not assume that a company’s social-media silence proves liquidation; confirm the status through an official notice where possible.

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Administration does not necessarily mean the retailer has ceased trading. An administrator may keep the business open, sell it, or arrange another outcome. Liquidation generally means the company’s assets are being collected and distributed under the insolvency process. The notice and the practitioner’s instructions, rather than labels used by the retailer’s social-media accounts, should guide your next step.

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Collect the order file before making a claim

Put all evidence in one folder. Include the order confirmation, invoice, item description, price, delivery promise, payment record, card statement entry, tracking information, and every email or message exchanged with the retailer. If you spoke by telephone, write down the date, number called, name or department if known, and what was said. Keep a copy of every claim you send to your bank or card issuer.

Make a simple chronology: order date, payment date, promised delivery date, any cancellation or insolvency announcement, your contact attempts and the date you submitted each claim. This helps the provider understand that the goods were not supplied and prevents an avoidable dispute about dates.

Contact the retailer when that is still practical

If a functioning customer-service route remains and the business is still trading, write to the retailer first. The Financial Conduct Authority says this is usually the quickest route when it is practical. Give the order number, product, amount paid, payment date and promised delivery date. Ask for either delivery by a specific date or a refund, and request a written response.

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Use an email or online form that creates a record. A short message is enough:

“Order [order number], placed on [date], for [item] at [amount], has not been delivered. Please confirm delivery or issue a refund. If you cannot fulfil the order, please explain the next step in writing.”

If the retailer has disappeared, its site says it is in liquidation, or there is no realistic customer-service route, do not delay a card claim while repeatedly trying to make contact. MoneyHelper says you can proceed directly to your card provider in those circumstances.

Choose the recovery route that matches how you paid

These routes are different. Section 75 is a statutory claim against a credit-card provider. Chargeback is a card-scheme process. A creditor claim is part of the insolvency and depends on the assets available after higher-priority claims.

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Route Who you contact first When it is relevant What can happen
Section 75 Credit-card issuer A qualifying UK credit-card purchase The issuer assesses whether it must refund under the Consumer Credit Act 1974
Chargeback Bank or card provider Goods paid for by debit, credit or prepaid card were not supplied The provider asks through the card scheme for a reversal; the merchant or its bank may challenge it
Creditor claim Administrator or liquidator The retailer is formally insolvent and payment recovery is unavailable or unsuccessful You join the insolvency process and may receive a distribution if funds remain
Complaint and Ombudsman Card provider first, then the Financial Ombudsman Service where eligible You believe a financial firm mishandled your Section 75 or chargeback claim The complaint is reviewed under the applicable complaint and referral rules

You can normally pursue a card remedy while also registering in the insolvency, but follow the practitioner’s instructions and disclose any refund. Do not seek payment twice for the same order. Keep the order amount, any shipping charge included in the contract, and the amount already refunded clearly separated in your records.

UK credit-card purchases: make a Section 75 claim

Check the purchase-price band

MoneyHelper’s current guidance says Section 75 covers a purchase costing more than £100 and up to £30,000. The relevant figure is the cash price of the item or service, not necessarily the amount charged to the card. This is a UK rule under the Consumer Credit Act 1974, not a universal card benefit.

MoneyHelper describes it this way: “If you use your credit card to buy something costing more than £100 and up to £30,000, you’re covered by ‘section 75’ of the Consumer Credit Act.” The wording describes the statutory price band; other requirements can still affect an individual claim.

An order below or above that band is not automatically covered by Section 75, although another route such as chargeback may still be available. If several items were bought in one transaction, show the price of the relevant item or contract and explain how the retailer’s invoice is structured rather than assuming the whole basket qualifies.

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Partial payment can still matter

You do not necessarily have to put the entire price on the credit card. MoneyHelper says paying only part of a qualifying purchase by credit card can still bring the transaction within Section 75. Keep proof of the total contract price and show exactly which part was paid on the card.

For example, if a deposit was charged to the credit card and the balance was paid another way, list both payments and attach both records. The card issuer will need to identify the single contract, the total price and the card-funded portion.

Submit the claim to the issuer

  1. Call the number on the back of the card and ask for the issuer’s Section 75 claims process. Follow up through the issuer’s secure message system, form or postal address so there is a dated written record.
  2. State clearly that you are making a claim under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 for goods not received because the retailer has stopped trading or entered insolvency.
  3. Provide what you bought, the retailer’s name and address, order and payment dates, the total price, the amount paid by card, and the refund sought.
  4. Attach the order confirmation, receipt or invoice, card statement, promised delivery date, insolvency notice if available, and your attempts to resolve the matter with the retailer.
  5. Keep the submission, attachments and any reference number. Ask when the issuer expects to make a decision and what further evidence it needs.

Section 75 does not mean every credit-card transaction qualifies. The transaction structure, the nature of the purchase and the parties involved can affect liability. A third-party payment arrangement can also change the analysis, so describe exactly how the money moved rather than assuming the card’s presence settles eligibility.

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If the issuer says the claim is outside Section 75, ask it to confirm whether a chargeback request is still possible and what deadline applies. The two routes are distinct; an unsuccessful Section 75 assessment does not by itself answer whether a scheme claim can be raised.

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Debit, prepaid and other card payments: ask for chargeback

Understand what chargeback is

MoneyHelper says chargeback can apply to debit, credit and prepaid cards when goods are not supplied. It is a card-scheme procedure rather than the statutory protection in Section 75. The bank or card provider submits a request under the scheme’s rules; the merchant or its acquiring bank can dispute it. Citizens Advice warns that the provider may refuse the request, so a chargeback is not guaranteed.

Watch the 120-day time limit

MoneyHelper gives a 120-day period for a chargeback claim. The starting point depends on the circumstances. For a future-dated purchase or event, the period starts when the delivery or event should have happened, rather than automatically on the payment date. Ask the provider to confirm the applicable start date for your case and submit promptly.

Do not wait for a final liquidation report before contacting the bank. The 120-day period can run while the insolvency is being investigated, and the provider may need time to gather information or submit the request through the scheme.

Make the request

  1. Tell your bank or card provider that the retailer has not supplied the goods and that you want to raise a chargeback.
  2. Give the order number, payment date, amount, expected delivery date and the retailer’s insolvency or non-trading information.
  3. Send the order record, statement entry, delivery estimate, correspondence and proof that you attempted contact where contact was possible.
  4. Ask for the chargeback reference, the submission date and the deadline for any additional evidence.
  5. Monitor the account and correspondence. If the provider says the merchant has challenged the claim, answer each point with documents and a clear chronology.

Do not describe chargeback as a legal entitlement equivalent to Section 75. The provider must apply the relevant scheme rules, and the outcome can depend on evidence, timing and whether the merchant’s bank contests the reversal.

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What if you used a wallet, buy-now-pay-later service or bank transfer?

The available protection depends on the provider and the way the transaction was processed. The material considered here does not establish one eligibility rule or deadline for every digital wallet, buy-now-pay-later provider, bank transfer or payment platform.

Check the payment provider’s own dispute process and terms immediately. Ask whether it has a “goods not received”, insolvency or card-funded purchase procedure, what evidence it requires and when the deadline expires. If a buy-now-pay-later provider or another intermediary was involved, tell both the intermediary and the underlying card issuer how the payment was arranged. MoneyHelper notes that a third-party BNPL arrangement can affect Section 75; do not promise yourself that it qualifies.

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For a bank transfer, contact the sending bank promptly and explain that the payment was for goods that were not supplied. The bank can tell you what recovery or fraud procedure, if any, applies, but do not assume that a transfer has the same protection as a card payment.

If the card route is unavailable or unsuccessful

Register as a creditor

Find the administrator or liquidator named in the official insolvency notice. Follow that case’s instructions for registering a consumer claim. Usually you will need your name and address, order details, the amount owed, payment evidence and a description of what was not delivered.

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Register even if you have also asked a card provider for help, unless the practitioner’s instructions say otherwise. Tell the practitioner about any payment claim when requested, and update the claim if the card provider later refunds you. You must not recover the same loss twice.

Use the exact form, portal or email address specified for that insolvency. Save proof that you submitted it and note any deadline or later request for a proof of debt. If the practitioner changes, update your records and use the current contact details in the official notice.

Set realistic expectations

Creditor registration records your debt in the insolvency; it does not create money in the estate. The amount available depends on what the company owns, the costs of the insolvency and the ranking of creditors. Consumers may receive only part of the amount, or nothing. Keep the practitioner’s acknowledgement and notify them if your address or bank details change.

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Challenge poor handling by a card provider

If you believe the card issuer or bank mishandled a Section 75 or chargeback request, complain to that firm first. Explain the decision you dispute, the evidence you supplied, the dates of your contacts and the remedy you want. Keep the complaint reference and the provider’s final response.

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The Financial Ombudsman Service can consider some complaints about how financial firms handle Section 75 and chargeback matters. Eligibility, time limits and the referral process apply, so check the Ombudsman’s current guidance before sending the case. The Ombudsman reviews the financial firm’s handling; it does not turn an unsuccessful chargeback into a guaranteed refund.

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A practical timetable for protecting your claim

  1. Today: save the order, payment and delivery records; confirm whether the retailer is trading, in administration or in liquidation.
  2. As soon as possible: contact the retailer in writing if a functioning route exists. If it has disappeared, move directly to the card provider.
  3. Before any deadline: submit the Section 75 claim or chargeback request and obtain a reference.
  4. During review: answer evidence requests quickly, keep a dated log and preserve every message.
  5. If recovery fails: register with the administrator or liquidator using the case-specific instructions.
  6. If the provider mishandles the case: make a formal complaint, then consider the Financial Ombudsman Service if its rules permit referral.

Common mistakes that weaken a refund request

  • Waiting for the insolvency to finish: card-scheme deadlines continue to run even while the retailer’s case develops.
  • Assuming a debit card has Section 75 protection: debit-card customers normally need to ask for chargeback instead.
  • Treating chargeback as guaranteed: it is a scheme process that can be challenged or refused.
  • Providing only a card statement: the provider also needs to see what was ordered, the promised delivery date and why the retailer failed to supply it.
  • Using the wrong purchase price: for Section 75, show the total contract price and the portion charged to the card.
  • Ignoring an intermediary: wallets and BNPL arrangements can change which firm must handle the dispute and whether statutory protection applies.
  • Failing to update the insolvency practitioner: report any card refund so the same loss is not claimed twice.
  • Assuming a creditor form is a refund application: it only records your place in the insolvency process.
  • Missing a provider’s evidence request: a claim can become harder to assess if you do not answer questions or supply documents by the stated date.
  • Relying on a disappearing website: download confirmations and notices instead of assuming the pages will remain available.

Rules outside the UK

This guidance is centred on UK Section 75, UK chargeback practice and UK insolvency procedures. Thresholds, deadlines and legal remedies differ elsewhere. A US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau guide confirms that a US credit-card dispute may be available for a product or service problem, but the material here does not establish a country-by-country comparison of eligibility or time limits.

If you paid outside the UK, contact your card issuer or payment provider promptly, ask for the dispute category and deadline that apply in your country, and follow the local insolvency authority’s creditor instructions. Do not carry the UK £100-to-£30,000 band or the 120-day chargeback period into another jurisdiction without confirmation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I claim under Section 75 if I paid only a deposit on my credit card?

Possibly. MoneyHelper says paying part of a qualifying purchase by credit card can still qualify. Keep evidence of the full contract price, the card deposit and any balance paid another way. The issuer must still assess the transaction structure and other requirements.

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Is chargeback guaranteed when a retailer goes bust?

No. Chargeback is a card-scheme process, not the statutory Section 75 protection. The provider applies scheme rules, may request evidence and can face a challenge from the merchant’s bank.

How long do I have to make a chargeback claim?

MoneyHelper gives a 120-day period. For a future delivery or event, the period generally starts when it should have happened. Ask your provider to confirm the date that applies and submit promptly.

What happens if the card provider rejects my claim?

Ask for the decision and reasons in writing, complain to the provider with your evidence, and check whether the Financial Ombudsman Service can consider the complaint. You can also follow the insolvency practitioner’s instructions to register as a creditor.

Will registering as a creditor guarantee my money back?

No. Registration records your debt in the insolvency. Any distribution depends on the company’s assets, insolvency costs and creditor ranking, so you may receive only part of the amount or nothing.

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Do UK rules apply if I paid from another country?

Not automatically. Section 75 thresholds, chargeback deadlines and insolvency procedures vary by jurisdiction. Contact your local card or payment provider and insolvency authority promptly.

The Bottom Line

Save your order evidence, confirm the retailer’s status and act before a deadline. For a UK credit-card purchase costing more than £100 and up to £30,000, ask the issuer about Section 75; for debit, credit or prepaid cards, ask promptly about chargeback and its 120-day limit. If payment recovery fails, register with the administrator or liquidator, understanding that an insolvency claim is not a guaranteed refund.

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