Charged by a fake store, or an order that never came? How to get your money back
You paid an online store and the package never arrived — or the store turned out to be fake. If you used a credit card, federal law is on your side. Here is how to contact the seller, dispute the charge, and reclaim your money, step by step and within the deadlines that matter.
The package never came. Or it came, and it was a counterfeit, or an empty box, or a single sock where a phone should be. Meanwhile the “store” you found through an ad has gone silent. The good news most people don’t realize in that sinking moment: if you paid by credit card, federal law gives you a real path to get your money back — and the steps are free.
First, the move that decides everything: how you paid
Your recovery options are set by your payment method. The FTC’s advice is blunt: “Pay by credit card. You’ll get protections under federal law, so you don’t have to pay for things you ordered but didn’t get.” Credit cards carry chargeback rights that debit cards, bank transfers, gift cards, and crypto largely don’t. So before anything else, identify how you paid — it tells you which of the steps below will actually work. (For a full breakdown, see can you get your money back after a scam, by payment method.)
Step 1: Contact the seller
Start here, even with a sketchy store. The FTC notes that “most businesses will work with you to resolve the problem.” And you have leverage: under the federal Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule, sellers “have to ship your order within the time they (or their ads) say,” or within 30 days if no time is given. If there’s a delay, the seller “has to tell you and give you the choice of either agreeing to the delay or canceling your order for a full refund.” Put your request in writing and keep a copy.
Step 2: Dispute the charge with your card issuer
If the seller won’t make it right, escalate to your credit card company. The FTC explains that under the Fair Credit Billing Act, charges “for items that you didn’t accept or that weren’t delivered as agreed” count as billing errors you can dispute. Two things matter:
- Do it in writing, within 60 days of the date on the first statement showing the charge. Miss that window and “you may get stuck with the bill.”
- Send it to the right address — the one your statement lists for billing inquiries or disputes, not the address you mail payments to.
Once the issuer has your dispute, it must acknowledge it in writing within 30 days and resolve it within two billing cycles (no more than 90 days). You generally don’t have to pay the disputed amount while it’s investigated.
Step 3: If you paid another way
Recovery is harder, but still worth pursuing fast:
- Debit card: the FTC warns the protections “are different from the protections for credit cards,” and “you may not be able to get a refund.” Call your bank immediately anyway and report it.
- Bank transfer, wire, gift card, or crypto: these are designed to be hard to reverse, which is exactly why fake stores push them. Your odds drop sharply, but the payment-method recovery guide walks through what each one still allows.
Step 4: Report it
Report the fake store to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. It won’t refund you directly, but it feeds the cases that shut these operations down — and reporting is part of how the next person avoids the same loss.
The deeper protection is catching the fake before you pay: a store that only takes irreversible payment, has no real contact details, or appears in an ad with prices that are too good to be true is showing its hand. Learn the signs in spot a fake online store, browse the defense library, or test your eye on the 60-second quiz.
- You ordered from a store you found through an ad or search result, paid, and the item never shipped — or never existed.
- The "store" stops answering, the tracking never updates, or the package that arrives is a cheap substitute.
- The site pushed you to pay by debit, bank transfer, gift card, or another method with fewer protections than a credit card.
- Pay by credit card. The FTC says it gives you protections under federal law, "so you don't have to pay for things you ordered but didn't get."
- Contact the seller first — most legitimate businesses will fix it. Under the Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Rule, sellers must ship within their stated time, or within 30 days, or offer you a refund.
- If the seller won't make it right, dispute the charge with your card issuer in writing within 60 days of the statement showing it.
- Debit cards, gift cards, wires, and crypto carry far weaker protections — know which recovery path your payment method allows before you act.
The thing I want people to take from this is that a lost payment to a fake store is often recoverable — but the clock is real. The single most important decision was made before anything went wrong: paying by credit card, which turns ‘my money is gone’ into ‘I dispute this charge.’ If you did, the rest is a short, unglamorous process of one letter and two deadlines. And if you didn’t, that’s the lesson for next time, not a verdict on this time — still contact the seller, still report it, and check what your payment method allows.
Sources
Frequently asked
My online order never showed up and the seller won't respond. What can I do?
Start with the seller, then escalate. The FTC notes that "most businesses will work with you," and that under the Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule, sellers "have to ship your order within the time they (or their ads) say," or within 30 days if no time is stated — and if there's a delay, they must offer you the choice to cancel for a full refund. If the seller won't make it right, dispute the charge with your credit card company.
How exactly do I dispute the charge?
In writing, and on time. The FTC explains that under the Fair Credit Billing Act, charges "for items that you didn't accept or that weren't delivered as agreed" are treated as billing errors. You must dispute them "in writing within 60 days of the date that the first statement with the billing error is sent to you." Send the letter to the address your statement lists for billing inquiries — not the payment address. The issuer must acknowledge your dispute within 30 days and resolve it within two billing cycles (no more than 90 days).
I paid with a debit card, not credit. Am I out of luck?
Not necessarily, but your protections are weaker. The FTC is clear that "the consumer protections for debit cards are different from the protections for credit cards," and that "you may not be able to get a refund for non-delivery or delivery of the wrong item." Contact your debit card issuer — usually your bank — as soon as you spot the problem, and report the fraud. This is exactly why paying by credit card matters for anything from a seller you don't know.
The store was completely fake. Does that change anything?
The steps are the same, but act faster and report it. Dispute the charge with your card issuer as a charge for goods not delivered, and report the fake store to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you handed over personal information during checkout — not just a card number — treat it as exposed and watch your accounts. To recognize the next one before you pay, see how to [spot a fake online store](/spot-a-fake-online-store).