Get a Refund for an Undelivered Online Order in the US
When you buy online and the item never shows up, you're not stuck. The FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule requires sellers to ship within the time they promised (or within 30 days if no time was stated) or to give you the choice to wait or get a prompt refund. If the seller stalls and you paid by credit card, you also have a chargeback as a backstop. This guide walks through both.
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The FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule (16 C.F.R. Part 435) requires a seller to ship merchandise within the time it advertised, or within 30 days if it made no shipping representation. If it can't ship on time, the seller must notify you and offer the option to consent to the delay or cancel for a prompt refund; if you don't consent to a definite revised shipping date, the order must be cancelled and refunded. A 'prompt refund' generally means within seven working days for a non-credit payment, and within one billing cycle for a credit-card charge. Separately, if you paid by credit card you can dispute the charge for 'goods not received' under the Fair Credit Billing Act and through your card network's chargeback rules; debit-card payments are instead covered by the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (Regulation E). You can also report a non-compliant seller to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general or consumer protection office.
Step by step
- 1Gather your order confirmation, the promised delivery/ship date, payment receipt, and any tracking that shows the item was never delivered.
- 2Contact the seller in writing, state that the merchandise wasn't shipped or delivered within the promised time (or within 30 days), and demand a prompt refund under the FTC Mail/Internet Order Rule rather than a store credit.
- 3If the seller refuses or goes silent, dispute the charge with your card issuer as 'goods/services not received', by phone for a fast chargeback and in writing to preserve FCBA rights (credit cards), or report it under Regulation E (debit cards).
- 4Escalate by reporting the seller to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general or consumer protection office, and keep copies of every message.
What they'll say, and your comeback
“It shipped, it's the carrier's problem now, not ours.”
Comeback, Until the item is actually delivered to me the seller is responsible for the order. If tracking doesn't show delivery to my address, please refund or reship; otherwise I'll dispute the charge for goods not received.
“We can only offer store credit, not a refund.”
Comeback, Under the FTC Mail/Internet Order Rule, when you can't ship on time and I haven't agreed to a definite revised date, I'm entitled to a prompt refund to my original payment method, not store credit.
“All sales are final, so no refund.”
Comeback, A 'final sale' policy doesn't override the federal rule requiring a refund for merchandise that was never shipped or delivered on time. I'm requesting the refund the Rule requires.
FAQ
What counts as the deadline if the seller never gave a ship date?
If the seller made no shipping representation, the FTC Rule's default applies: it must ship within 30 days of receiving your properly completed order. Miss that without your consent to a delay, and you're entitled to cancel and get a prompt refund.
The tracking says 'delivered' but I never got it. What now?
Tell the seller and the carrier in writing right away and ask the carrier to open an investigation (GPS/scan data can show a wrong address). If the seller won't make it right and you paid by credit card, dispute the charge as 'item not received', these disputes can still succeed when delivery to your address can't be proven.
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- UKHow to get a refund for a faulty product (even 'out of policy')
- UK / EUHow to get a refund when your order never arrived
- EUResolve a cross-border online purchase dispute (ECC-Net)
- SpainCómo reclamar la devolución por un producto defectuoso en España
- PortugalDevolução de produto com defeito em Portugal
- FranceProduit défectueux : garantie légale de conformité en France
A self-serve tool, not a law firm. General information, not legal advice.