Your Right to a Refund or Timely Shipment
Under the FTC’s Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule (16 CFR Part 435), a seller who takes your order online must have a reasonable basis for believing it can ship within the time it advertised — or, if it advertised no specific time, within 30 days of your order. If the seller can’t meet that deadline, it must notify you of the delay and give you the choice of consenting to a new shipping date or cancelling for a full refund. For delays of more than 30 days (or a second delay), the seller needs your affirmative consent, not just your silence, to keep your order open.
Once a refund is due, sellers generally have 7 working days to process it if you paid by cash, check, or money order, or must credit your account promptly if you paid by credit card. If a seller ignores these obligations, you can report it to the FTC, but the FTC does not resolve individual disputes directly — your practical leverage in most cases comes from your payment method (see below) or your state attorney general/consumer protection office.
A common misconception is that all online or "distance" purchases in the US come with a federal "3-day right to cancel." That specific rule — the FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule (16 CFR Part 429) — applies to door-to-door and other home-solicitation sales over $25 (or $130 at temporary locations like a hotel conference room), not to ordinary e-commerce orders placed on a website. If you’re shopping online in the US, don’t assume you have a general right to change your mind — check the seller’s own return policy, since federal law does not require one for ordinary online purchases (unlike the EU/UK, covered below).
What You Can Recover, By Payment Method
Your payment method often determines your fastest practical path to a refund
Credit card — Fair Credit Billing Act dispute
You can dispute a billing error in writing within 60 days of the statement showing the charge, withhold payment on the disputed amount while it’s investigated, and the issuer must acknowledge your dispute within 30 days and resolve it within 90 days.
Debit card — Electronic Fund Transfer Act protections
Debit card disputes are governed by a different federal law (Regulation E) with different timing rules and less favorable liability limits than credit cards — report unauthorized charges as quickly as possible, since delay can increase your liability. [verify current EFTA/Regulation E liability tiers and deadlines before relying on a specific figure]
EU/UK — 14-day withdrawal refund
Once you exercise your right of withdrawal, the trader must generally reimburse you (including standard delivery cost) within 14 days of being notified, or of receiving the returned goods, whichever the applicable rule specifies.
EU and UK: A Broader "Change of Mind" Right
The EU’s Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU) gives consumers a 14-day right of withdrawal from most distance (online) and off-premises contracts, without needing any reason — the period runs from delivery for goods, or from the contract date for services. If the trader doesn’t properly inform you of this right, the withdrawal period extends by up to 12 months. Exceptions apply to items like perishable goods, sealed goods that can’t be returned for hygiene reasons once opened, and bookings tied to a specific date (e.g., hotel reservations).
The UK’s equivalent, the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, mirrors this 14-day cooling-off right for online and distance purchases, with the trader generally required to refund you within 14 days of receiving the returned goods (or evidence of return). Separately, the UK’s Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives a distinct 30-day right to reject faulty (not just unwanted) goods for a full refund — a different right, based on the goods being defective rather than a simple change of mind.
How to Resolve an E-commerce Refund Issue, Step by Step
Start with the seller, then use payment-method and regulatory leverage if that fails
Contact the seller first, in writing
Describe the order, the problem (late, wrong, damaged, or undelivered), and what you want (refund, replacement, or completion), and keep a copy of the message and any response.
If shipping is delayed past the promised date (or 30 days with none given), invoke the FTC rule
Tell the seller you’re exercising your right under the Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule to cancel for a full refund rather than accept an indefinite delay.
If the seller won’t cooperate, dispute the charge with your payment provider
For credit cards, send a written dispute within 60 days of the statement date showing the charge, per the Fair Credit Billing Act. For debit cards, contact your bank promptly, since delay can reduce your protections under Regulation E.
EU/UK: exercise your 14-day withdrawal right in writing if you simply changed your mind
Use the trader’s cancellation form or send clear written notice within the 14-day period; keep proof of when you sent it, since the deadline is based on when you communicated the withdrawal, not when the trader received it.
Report unresolved patterns to a regulator
In the US, file a complaint with the FTC (ReportFraud.ftc.gov) and your state attorney general’s consumer protection office; in the EU, use the European Consumer Centre (ECC-Net) or your national consumer authority; in the UK, contact Trading Standards via Citizens Advice.
Documents to gather
- Order confirmation, receipt, and any shipping/tracking information
- All written communications with the seller
- Screenshots of the listing and any advertised shipping/return terms
- Your payment statement showing the charge
Timelines and Limitation Periods
Several independent clocks can apply to the same order
These deadlines run in parallel, not in sequence — for example, you can invoke the FTC shipping rule and still separately dispute the charge with your card issuer if the seller doesn’t resolve things quickly.
| Jurisdiction | Limitation Period |
|---|---|
| US — FTC shipping rule refund right | 30 days from order (if no date given), or the advertised date, before delay-consent rules apply |
| US — Fair Credit Billing Act dispute (credit card) | 60 days from the statement date showing the disputed charge |
| US — Regulation E dispute (debit card) | Report as soon as possible — delay can increase your liability verify current tiers |
| EU — Consumer Rights Directive withdrawal | 14 days from delivery (goods) or contract date (services); extended up to 12 months if not properly disclosed |
| UK — Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 withdrawal | 14 days from delivery, mirroring the EU rule |
| UK — Consumer Rights Act 2015 short-term right to reject (faulty goods) | 30 days from purchase/delivery, whichever is later |
Realistic Outcomes and Caveats
A well-documented dispute — order confirmation, seller communications, and a clear timeline — is resolved far more often through the seller directly or a card chargeback than through a regulatory complaint, which tends to be slower and focused on patterns rather than individual redress.
EU/UK shoppers have a meaningfully broader "change of mind" right than US shoppers do; if you’re used to shopping in one region, don’t assume the same rules apply when ordering from a seller based in the other.
This page can help you identify which right applies to your situation, but it cannot guarantee a specific seller, card issuer, or regulator will resolve your case in your favor.
Common Pitfalls
Assuming a general US "3-day cancel" right for online orders
That specific FTC rule covers door-to-door and home-solicitation sales, not ordinary e-commerce — check the seller’s own return policy instead.
Missing the 60-day credit card dispute window
The Fair Credit Billing Act’s protections are tied to a written dispute within 60 days of the statement date — don’t wait past that if a resolution attempt with the seller stalls.
Treating a debit card dispute like a credit card dispute
Debit cards are covered by a different law (EFTA/Regulation E) with different deadlines and liability rules — report problems immediately rather than assuming the same 60-day credit card window applies.
Missing the EU/UK 14-day withdrawal window
This period is considerably shorter than many buyers assume, though it can extend significantly if the trader failed to disclose the right — check both possibilities.
Not keeping proof of when a cancellation notice was sent
For the EU/UK withdrawal right, the deadline is based on when you communicated your decision to withdraw, not when the trader received or acknowledged it — keep dated proof.
Organize Your E-commerce Refund Case
Use the calculator to document your order and organize evidence before disputing the charge or filing a complaint.
Organize Your E-commerce Refund Case
Use the calculator to document your order and organize evidence before disputing the charge or filing a complaint.
This stays in your private workspace until you choose a next step. It does not submit a claim on your behalf on its own.
Official and Legal References
- FTC — Business Guide to the Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule
- eCFR — 16 CFR Part 429 (Cooling-Off Rule for door-to-door sales)
- FTC Consumer Advice — Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges
- EUR-Lex — Directive 2011/83/EU (Consumer Rights Directive)
- legislation.gov.uk — Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013
US vs. EU/UK: No General "Change of Mind" Right in the US
The US gives online shoppers specific protections around shipping delays (FTC rule) and payment disputes (Fair Credit Billing Act / Regulation E), but no general federal right to cancel an ordinary online order just because you changed your mind — that depends entirely on the seller’s own policy. The EU and UK instead give shoppers a broad 14-day withdrawal right for most distance purchases, regardless of the seller’s own return policy, as a matter of law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Real edge cases, answered in plain language
The seller said my order shipped, but tracking shows nothing — what are my rights?
Can I get a refund for a digital purchase (e.g., an e-book or app) in the EU?
Does a chargeback guarantee I keep the item and get my money back?
Organize Your E-commerce Refund Case
Use the calculator to document your order and organize evidence before disputing the charge or filing a complaint.