If you have made a purchase from an online company and they don’t deliver, you have rights under federal law. The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Mail, Internet or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule and the Fair Credit Billing Act provide protections so consumers do not have to pay for merchandise they ordered but never received. If you’ve tried contacting the seller directly and are unable to resolve the matter or reach them, contact BCA to file a complaint. We will promptly reach out to the company and attempt to mediate the complaint. If the business is unresponsive or unwilling to resolve complaints, this is reflected in their company report and rating we provide businesses. This also puts other consumers on alert to watch out for the business.
Other remedies include filing a dispute with your credit card company or bank. If your account has been charged before your order has been shipped, contact your credit card company right away. Initiate a dispute by calling or writing to the credit card issuer with details of the transaction, receipts or invoices, and your information. The credit card issuer must act upon the complaint within 30 days and resolve the dispute within two billing cycles. If you paid by debit card, contact your bank to file a dispute. Payments through PayPal can be challenged as well if you have not received your items. If you suspect that the online retailer is a fraud, contact the domain register to report your suspicions. This may cause the register to act and shut down a possibly fraudulent site and save some customers from falling victim to a shopping scheme.
For more assistance check out BCA’s, “Online Shopping Tips”.