A refund request works best when it is easy to approve. That means the person reading it can see what you bought, why you qualify and exactly what you are asking for, without writing back to ask.

1. Read the policy that applies to you

Open the store's returns or refund policy and find the parts that match your situation.

  • The return window, and whether it starts on the order date or the delivery date
  • The condition the item must be in
  • Who pays for return shipping
  • Whether refunds go to the original payment method or to store credit
  • Any steps you must follow, such as requesting a return number before sending anything back

If the item is faulty, not as described or never arrived, you are generally not relying on the store's goodwill policy alone. Payment-provider dispute rights can apply even where the store's policy says "no refunds".

2. Decide what you are asking for

Be specific: a full refund, a refund of one item, a replacement or a refund of shipping costs. Vague requests get vague answers.

3. Write a short, factual message

Include, in this order:

  1. Your order number, order date and the name on the order
  2. What is wrong, in one or two sentences
  3. The part of the store's policy you are relying on, if there is one
  4. What you want and by when
  5. Photos, if the item is damaged or different from what was shown

For example:

"Order [number], placed on [date]. The item arrived on [date] and is [damaged / different from the listing / not what I ordered]; photos are attached. Under your returns policy I am asking for a full refund to my original payment method. Please confirm within 5 working days and tell me how you would like the item returned."

Stay polite. The person answering is rarely the person who caused the problem, and courteous messages are easier to say yes to.

4. Return the item the right way

If the store asks you to send the item back, follow its instructions exactly, use a tracked service and keep the receipt. Photograph the item and the parcel before you send it. Do not send anything back to an address you were not given in writing.

5. Keep a timeline

Write down each date: when you ordered, when the item arrived, when you wrote, when the store replied and when you sent the item back. If you need to escalate, a dated timeline does most of the work for you.

6. If the refund is approved but does not appear

Card refunds can take several working days to show after the store issues them. Ask the store for the date the refund was processed and any reference number, then check with your card issuer or payment provider using that information.

7. If the store refuses or stops answering

Send one follow-up that restates the request and the deadline. If that fails, contact your payment provider.

  • Credit card: dispute the charge with your issuer. The FTC's guidance is that a written dispute should reach the issuer within 60 days of the first statement that showed the charge.
  • Debit card: contact your bank promptly; the rules differ from credit cards.
  • PayPal and similar services: open a dispute through the provider within its time limit.

Explain what you bought, what went wrong and how you tried to resolve it, and attach your messages and photos.

A note on store credit

A store can offer credit instead of money. Whether you have to accept it depends on the store's published policy and on why you are returning the item. If the item was faulty or never arrived, you can say that you are asking for the money back and, if needed, take it to your payment provider.

See also what to do when an order has not arrived and how to check a store before you order.

Sources