Your Chargeback Rights Explained

A chargeback is one of the most powerful consumer-protection tools available — and one of the most misunderstood. If you paid a fraudulent or non-delivering merchant by debit or credit card, you may have a structured right to dispute that payment and get your money back through your bank.

What a chargeback actually is

A chargeback is a forced reversal of a card payment, initiated by your bank (the issuer) under the rules of the card scheme. It exists to protect cardholders when a merchant fails to deliver what was promised or when a transaction was unauthorised.

When you can usually file

• You paid for goods or services that were never delivered.
• What you received was materially “not as described.”
• The charge was unauthorised or fraudulent.
• A merchant ignored a valid cancellation or refund you were entitled to.
• You were billed more than once, or after cancelling a subscription.

Time limits matter

Card schemes impose deadlines — often measured from the transaction date or the date services were due. Acting quickly is essential, because once the window closes your dispute rights may be lost. The sooner you start, the stronger your position.

How to build a winning claim

Chargebacks are decided on evidence. The strongest claims include the original offer or advertisement, your payment receipt, dated proof you tried to resolve the issue with the merchant first, and a clear written explanation of what went wrong. Rogue merchants often fight back with fabricated “proof of delivery,” so anticipating that rebuttal is key.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Waiting too long and missing the dispute window.
• Filing a vague complaint with no documentation.
• Accepting a partial “goodwill” offer from the scammer instead of disputing.
• Letting the merchant’s stalling run out the clock.

Where ALTHEON fits in

We prepare chargeback claims the way card schemes expect to see them: correctly coded, fully evidenced, and ready for the merchant’s likely defence. If your case also involves wire transfers or crypto, we run those recovery routes in parallel so nothing slips through the cracks.