An online store took my money but never sent my order. What now?
How to get your money back when an online order never arrives: the demand to send, chargeback and dispute windows by payment method and where to escalate.
Usually, yes. A store that takes your money must send the goods by the date it promised or within a reasonable time. If it won't refund you, a card chargeback generally has to be raised within 45 to 120 days of paying, depending on your card provider. If your bank refuses, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) can review its decision for free.
Rather not chase this yourself?
Ajust writes to the business, tracks the deadline and escalates if they don't fix it.
Can you get your money back if the order never arrives?
Usually, yes. If a store takes your money, it must send the goods by the date it promised or, if it didn't promise one, within a reasonable time. If it doesn't, you can ask for a refund, and if the store won't pay, your bank or payment provider can often reverse the payment.
The rule is in section 36 of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). It says a business that accepts payment "must supply all the goods or services" within the time it specified or, if it gave no time, "within a reasonable time".
How you get your money back depends on how you paid.
| How you paid | What you can do | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Credit or debit card | Ask your bank for a chargeback, which reverses the card payment because the goods never arrived | 45 to 120 days from the payment, depending on your card provider |
| Afterpay | Raise a dispute with Afterpay, once per order | Afterpay says within 120 days of purchase |
| Zip | Contact the store, then raise a dispute with Zip | Zip says wait at least 15 days after ordering |
| PayPal | Open an Item Not Received claim | PayPal says within 180 days of payment |
| Bank transfer, PayID or BPAY | No chargeback. Call your bank straight away and ask it to stop the payment | Immediately |
A card chargeback generally has to be raised within 45 to 120 days of the payment, depending on your card provider. Consumer Affairs Victoria warns that a request made after your provider's limit can be rejected, so check yours and don't wait.
Ajust has handled over 150 cases about online orders that were paid for and never sent, and secured a confirmed result in 60% of closed cases.
- In these cases, the typical amount at stake is about $100.
- When Ajust secured a confirmed result in one of these cases, it typically took about 8 days.
- In Ajust's cases, a furniture store refunded almost the full amount, a screen installer paid up after a complaint to Queensland Fair Trading and CommBank reversed its own refusal of a chargeback.
If the seller arranged delivery, it's responsible for your order until it reaches you, so a lost order is the seller's to fix.
What should you do first?
Check whether the store is real, then send a written demand with a deadline. If the deadline passes, go to your bank or payment provider before its time limit runs out.
Step 1: Check the store is real
Scamwatch says fake shopping sites copy well-known brands, with web addresses and page designs that look like the real store. Warning signs include no terms and conditions, ABN or privacy policy, and being asked to pay in an unusual way, such as to several PayIDs or accounts. If it looks like a scam, call your bank now, ask it to stop the payment and report the site to Scamwatch.
Step 2: Ask for delivery or a refund in writing
Use a channel that leaves a written record. Ajust's recommended channels:
- Kmart: email to customerenquiry@support.kmart.com.au.
- Myer: email to myer.csc@myer.com.au or Myer Concierge live chat.
- David Jones: email to contactus@davidjones.com.au. Its live chat was unreliable in Ajust's cases.
- Smaller stores: whichever channel gives you a written record, usually email or the contact form.
Subject: Order not received – request for refund – order [order number]
Hello,
On [date] I placed order [order number] on your website for [items] and paid $[amount] by [card / Afterpay / PayPal / bank transfer]. [I was told it would arrive by [date].] I have not received the order, and [my emails of [dates] have not been answered / tracking has not updated since [date]].
Under section 36 of the Australian Consumer Law, a business that accepts payment must supply the goods within the time it specified or, if none was specified, within a reasonable time.
Please either deliver the order by [date, 7 days from today] with tracking details, or refund $[amount] to my original payment method by the same date.
If I do not receive the order or a refund by then, I will ask my [bank / payment provider] to reverse the payment and lodge a complaint with [NSW Fair Trading / Consumer Affairs Victoria / your state agency].
Regards,
[Your name]
[Phone]
Step 3: Ask your bank or payment provider to reverse it
If the deadline passes, raise a chargeback with your bank or a dispute with Afterpay, Zip or PayPal. Westpac, for example, lists "goods never arrived" as a reason and asks for proof of purchase, your order confirmation and evidence that you tried to sort it out with the store. Your demand email is that evidence. If the store turns out to be fake, your bank will treat it as a scam report instead.
What if they refuse?
Go to your bank or payment provider first, because it can reverse the payment without the store's agreement. If the bank says no, AFCA can review its decision. If the store is a real Australian business, you can also go to your state consumer agency or tribunal.
| Where | What it does | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Your bank or payment provider | Reverses the payment through a chargeback or dispute | Card 45 to 120 days, depending on your provider |
| Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) | Free. Reviews how your bank handled it; its decision binds the bank if you accept it within 30 days | Within 2 years of the bank's final response |
| State consumer agency (NSW Fair Trading, Consumer Affairs Victoria, Queensland Office of Fair Trading) | Contacts the store and tries to sort it out | None stated |
| Tribunal (NCAT, VCAT, QCAT) | Can order the store to refund you | NCAT: within 3 years, claims up to $100,000. QCAT: claims up to $25,000. VCAT: generally within 6 years |
AFCA is free, and you have 2 years from your bank's final response to complain. If you go to AFCA before the bank has dealt with it, AFCA will usually send it back to the bank first with a deadline to respond.
If the store doesn't resolve it, it can be escalated to your state's consumer agency, a free service. Ajust handles the escalation for you, including the chargeback dispute and an AFCA complaint if the bank says no.
New scam rules for banks, telcos and digital platforms, called the Scams Prevention Framework, mostly apply from 31 March 2027. AFCA will handle scam complaints under them from that date.
Tell Ajust what happened and we do the heavy lifting for you. Emails, calls, escalations until it's resolved. While you get on with your life.
Get help from Ajust
What doesn't work
- Waiting for a store that has stopped replying. The 45 to 120 day chargeback limit runs from the day you paid, so set a deadline and act when it passes.
- Trusting a site because it looks like a brand you know. Scamwatch says fake stores copy real brands' web addresses and page designs.
- Asking for a chargeback on a bank transfer. Chargebacks only reverse card payments. Consumer Affairs Victoria says money transfers, direct debits and BPAY are not covered.
- Running a PayPal claim and a card chargeback for the same order. PayPal says it won't cover a claim your card provider has already dealt with, so pick one.
- Stopping Afterpay payments while you dispute. Afterpay says missed instalments can still pause your account and add late fees.
Common questions
How can I tell if the online store was a scam?
Scamwatch says fake stores copy well-known brands and often have no terms and conditions, ABN or privacy policy. Being asked to pay in an unusual way, such as to several PayIDs or accounts, is another warning sign. If it looks like a scam, call your bank and report it to Scamwatch.
I paid by bank transfer or PayID. Can I still get it back?
Chargebacks don't cover bank transfers, so call your bank straight away and ask it to stop the payment. Then report the scam to Scamwatch. If you're unhappy with how your bank handles it, you can complain to AFCA. The new scam rules made so far don't include automatic reimbursement.
My bank refused the chargeback. What now?
Ask the bank for its final response in writing, then complain to AFCA within 2 years of that response. AFCA is free. If you accept its decision within 30 days, the bank must follow it, and if you don't, you can still go to court. Send your order, your demand and the bank's refusal.
The store says the courier lost it. Isn't that the courier's problem?
No. The seller that arranged delivery is responsible for your order until it reaches you, so it is the store's job to chase the courier. Ask the store for a refund or a replacement and leave the courier claim to it.
I paid two months ago and they've stopped replying. What now?
Stop waiting for a reply. Send one written demand with a 7-day deadline, then go straight to your bank or payment provider before its time limit runs out. This is the point where most people hand it over: Ajust sends the demand and runs the dispute for you.
Still stuck? Let Ajust take it from here
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