Paid by card but goods never arrived? How to dispute the charge

If you paid by card and the goods or service never arrived, you have two potential routes: a non-delivery chargeback (debit or credit card, usually within about 120 days of the expected delivery date) and, for credit-card purchases with a cash price over £100 and up to £30,000, a Section 75 claim against the card provider itself. Used properly, non-delivery is one of the most winnable disputes there is.

This guide covers how each route works for non-delivery specifically, what to do when the retailer has collapsed, and how to rebuild a dispute the bank has rejected. For the general comparison of the two routes, see chargeback vs Section 75.

Key takeaways

• Try the retailer first, briefly and in writing - card schemes expect an attempt to resolve, and the paper trail strengthens the dispute.
• The chargeback window is often about 120 days from when delivery was due, not from when you paid - crucial for pre-orders and long lead times.
• Section 75 has no 120-day scheme deadline and survives merchant insolvency: the credit provider is jointly liable for the seller's breach.
• "The merchant says it was delivered" is the start of the argument, not the end.
• If the bank refuses, the Financial Ombudsman Service is free and independent.

First, a quick decision list

• Paid by debit card → chargeback.
• Paid by credit card, item over £100 → chargeback and Section 75 - raise the dispute and ask the provider to consider both.
• Paid by credit card, item £100 or under → chargeback.
• Paid a deposit on a credit card for something over £100 → Section 75 can cover the whole cash price, even if only part was on the card.
• Tricked by a fake shop that never intended to deliver → that is a scam as much as a dispute - the card routes still apply; if you paid by bank transfer instead, see what to do if your bank refuses to refund a scam.

How a non-delivery chargeback works

Chargeback reverses the card payment through scheme rules when the merchant fails to deliver. The practical sequence:

1. Contact the retailer in writing. State the order, the promised delivery, that nothing arrived, and that you want delivery or a refund by a specific reasonable date.
2. If nothing changes, contact your bank and say clearly: "I want to raise a chargeback for goods not received." Name the mechanism.
3. Provide the pack: order confirmation, promised delivery date, payment, your chase messages, the retailer's replies or silence.
4. Watch the deadline. Around 120 days from the expected delivery date under scheme rules - for a pre-order due in May, the clock starts in May, not at January's payment. Do not let a retailer's "it's coming soon" loop run you past it.

The merchant can contest the chargeback with its own evidence, which is why your paper trail matters. If it claims delivery, ask for the proof: a GPS-stamped courier photo of someone else's porch is your evidence, not theirs.

How Section 75 works for non-delivery

Under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, if you bought with eligible credit and the supplier breached the contract - and failing to deliver at all is about as clean a breach as exists - the credit provider is jointly and severally liable. You can claim against the card company directly, which is exactly what the provision is for when the supplier has vanished or collapsed.

Remember the conditions: cash price over £100 and no more than £30,000, and a debtor-creditor-supplier link (buying through some intermediaries and payment processors can complicate this - if the provider raises it, ask it to explain precisely why the chain is broken).

Sources: Consumer Credit Act 1974, Section 75, Financial Ombudsman Service guidance on goods and services bought with credit, and the FCA's guidance on refund routes. Last checked: 04.07.2026.

When the retailer has gone bust

Insolvency does not end either route - it is the classic case for both:

• Chargeback still works: the dispute is with the payment, processed through the scheme, not with the company's administrators.
• Section 75 exists precisely so the credit provider answers when the supplier cannot.
• Registering with the administrators as a creditor is the slowest route and often pays pennies - do it as a backstop, but lead with the card routes.
• Move quickly: administration announcements are the moment to raise disputes, not to wait for news.

Why banks reject non-delivery disputes - and the answers

• "The merchant shows it as delivered." Ask for the actual proof of delivery and challenge it: wrong address in the photo, no signature, a safe-place drop you never authorised, statements from your household.
• "You're out of time." Check the counting. If the clock was run from the payment date rather than the agreed delivery date, that is worth pushing back on with your order confirmation showing the delivery window.
• "It's a quality dispute, not non-delivery." If something arrived but it was not what you ordered, the dispute reason changes - it does not disappear. Be precise about which failure you are claiming.
• "Deal with the merchant." You tried, and the scheme rules do not require you to succeed - only to attempt. Attach the correspondence.

What evidence helps most

• order confirmation with the item, price and promised delivery date or window
• the card statement entry
• every chase message and the retailer's replies, or evidence of silence
• tracking screenshots, courier photos, "we're sorry" emails
• for insolvency: the administration announcement
• the bank's rejection or final response, if you are challenging one

When and how to escalate

If the card provider rejects the dispute or complaint and you disagree, or eight weeks pass, you can go to the Financial Ombudsman Service. The Financial Ombudsman Service is free, independent, and you keep any compensation it awards. You generally have six months from the final response - check the current time limits.

For context, our analysis of published Ombudsman decisions shows why non-delivery disputes are strongest when the route, deadline and evidence line up.

How HeyRefund can help

Non-delivery cases are usually strong on the merits and weak on the file: the order details, the promised date, the chase messages and the deadline arithmetic are scattered across emails and apps. HeyRefund helps you assemble them into a dispute the bank can only assess properly - naming the right route and the right dates.

Disputes and Ombudsman escalation are free. HeyRefund just builds the file with you.