How to get a refund when an online seller won't ship or reply
Unresponsive online sellers often ignore cancellation requests for unshipped items, leaving buyers stranded without their merchandise or money. Automated support channels and unhelpful AI chatbots frequently block direct recourse, trapping customers who paid hundreds of dollars without a working avenue for recovery.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Requesting a chargeback through a credit card company
- 2Waiting until the estimated delivery date passes to open a case for an automatic refund
- 3Escalating the issue to human support representatives
- 4Opening help requests or escalation cases within platform support windows
- 5Messaging uncommunicative sellers directly to demand refunds
- 6opening a case with platform support using automated guide links
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Etsy told me via AI chatbot that I wasn’t eligible for a refund since import fees were my responsibility.”source ↗
“This is the problem I’m having. The expected shipping date is almost 3 weeks from today and the seller hasn’t responded to my request for help.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3Why does return shipping cost more than the item?
- 3How to get a refund from a third-party booking site for a canceled hotel
- 3Why am I getting refund requests for orders from years ago?
- 2Merchant says refund went to a closed card but bank has no record
- 2Customer claiming food or packages weren't delivered despite proof
- 5Why hasn't my online order shipped yet?