Chargebacks - is there a time limit?

[mygrneyesf]

I've been reading some pretty scary threads about buyers initiating chargebacks after the 30-day refund window has closed and then eBay allowing them to get all their money back, not return the item, and charge me.  According to those threads,  the most common claims seem to be that the buyer says the item is not authentic or the buyer does not recognize the charge and so says never authorized it or received goods. (It seems charges to their credit cards only show up as eBay, not as any specific items purchased.)

The posts in these threads don't  mention any time limit and suggest buyers can do this for many months. I thought chargebacks are things a consumer initiates through credit card companies or banks to dispute a charge and are limited to a 60-day dispute window? EBay seller protections, if they're worth anything that is, require you to submit proof of delivery and the item and other information, all of which is only available in your eBay listings for so long until eBay takes it all down.

Isn't there a limit to the amount of time that a buyer can request chargeback? Or do I have to take screenshots of every one of my listings and the delivery confirmation just in case? (Which of course would be ridiculous.) 

[mtgraves7984]

My understanding is that there's a 180-day window with a CC. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong...

[kensgiftshop]

@mygrneyesf 

If the buyer pays with Pay Pal, they have 180 days to file a claim.

With credit cards, it depends on the card, they can go from 6 months and up.

[ittybitnot]

@mygrneyesf 

There are eBay claims and there are "chargebacks" (aka Payment Disputes).  EBay claims and Payment Disputes are two different things.  

For an eBay claim for item not received, the seller must provide proof of delivery.  For an "item not described" claim, the seller has no seller protection but can provide a return shipping label (or money in advance) to hopefully get the item returned.  The buyer will be refunded from the seller's proceeds when the return shows "delivered" no matter what is in the parcel. There is a 30 day (past delivery date) window for allowing eBay claims. 

For a payment dispute (PayPal or credit card chargeback) the seller must again provide proof of delivery for an item not received claim.  Even though you provide the evidence, eBay will make you wait a month or more for the decision of the payment provider.   For "item not as described" disputes, there again is no seller protection, and eBay does not require proof of a return for the buyer to get a refund from the seller's proceeds.  The timeline for Payment Disputes is dictated by the policies of the payment provider.  For example, PayPal allows 180 days.  Depending on what credit card a buyer used it could be two months or over a year. 

[donsdetour]

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@mygrneyesf wrote:

I've been reading some pretty scary threads about buyers initiating chargebacks after the 30-day refund window has closed and then eBay allowing them to get all their money back, not return the item, and charge me.  According to those threads,  the most common claims seem to be that the buyer says the item is not authentic or the buyer does not recognize the charge and so says never authorized it or received goods. (It seems charges to their credit cards only show up as eBay, not as any specific items purchased.)

The posts in these threads don't  mention any time limit and suggest buyers can do this for many months. I thought chargebacks are things a consumer initiates through credit card companies or banks to dispute a charge and are limited to a 60-day dispute window? EBay seller protections, if they're worth anything that is, require you to submit proof of delivery and the item and other information, all of which is only available in your eBay listings for so long until eBay takes it all down.

Isn't there a limit to the amount of time that a buyer can request chargeback? Or do I have to take screenshots of every one of my listings and the delivery confirmation just in case? (Which of course would be ridiculous.) 

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Lat part of your post: take and keep the information is required by manged payments.

Wait until you get to pay a shipper to go through the archive for proof of delivery, as your screen shot will not work, and most recycle the numbers after so long....

As for a charge back: credit cards or unencumbered credit (credit given with out collateral)  it can come back a way lot longer than folks realize... Some one dying, and or just stop paying em....

Taking CC as payment is always been a risk. Now days it is higher risk.

Such is the way of online payments..

[downunder-61]

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@mtgraves7984 wrote:

My understanding is that there's a 180-day window with a CC. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong...

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Actually depends on the financial institution, my bank here in Aus, allows 12 months for CCCB, I pay an insurance % on every purchase over $100 for this protection. May be different there in US

[nobody*s_perfect]

In the US, the financial institution (bank or cc issuer) determines how long protection lasts.  Most often it's 6 months but some are 12 months.

[eleanor*rigby]

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@ittybitnot wrote:

The timeline for Payment Disputes is dictated by the policies of the payment provider.  For example, PayPal allows 180 days.  Depending on what credit card a buyer used it could be two months or over a year. 

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

This . . .

The minimum chargeback time limit, by federal law, is 60 days from the date of the credit-card statement on which that particular transaction appears. 

The various credit card companies (think Visa, Mastercard, Discover) offer different time limits, and different "reason codes" have different time limits, even with the same card company. Individual credit card issuers (think Chase Visa versus Capital One Visa) can provide their customers a longer time to file a dispute, and some allow leeway, depending on the circumstances or customer history. Some credit card companies have no time limit whatsoever for customer disputes.

[bbravo65]

@mtgraves7984 

...you are right...180 days from CC...(my Credit Union)

[monster-deals]

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@mygrneyesf wrote:

I thought chargebacks are things a consumer initiates 

Isn't there a limit to the amount of time that a buyer can request chargeback? 

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Anytime there is a breach or anomaly on a card holders account sometimes the issuer uses a sledgehammer to find invalid transactions. Most of the time the buyer is unaware.

Time frame depends on the company, sometimes it can be 6 months.

[katzrul15]

Most CC are 180 days from date of original transaction - however our business Amex is 12 months and depending on your level with Amex, it can be an endless timeline.  

Amex will credit you as a cardholder immediately - and then they go do their stuff(s).  Have never had them call me back and say "hey", we're going to re-charge you.  Have only had to do it a few times, but well worth using an Amex, especially for business purchases.  

[gregmech26]

I believe it's a year and a half. Some credit cards may go 2 years.

[gregmech26]

I believe it's a year and a half. Some credit cards may go 2 years.

It's called the 540 rule.

Consumers have 540 days from the date the transaction was processed to file a chargeback with the issuing bank if the reason for the chargeback is one of the following: Services not provided. Merchandise not received, or received not as described, or defective merchandise.