In short
Most retail problems are solved inside the retailer's own return or order-help process, so start there and stay inside each item's return window, which can be much shorter than the store's headline window for appliances, phones and electronics. On marketplaces (Amazon, eBay, Walmart Marketplace, Etsy, Temu) the third-party seller gets the first chance, then the platform's guarantee steps in. If the seller does not ship on time or does not refund, the FTC's Mail Order Rule and your card issuer's billing-error dispute are your leverage. Pay by card inside the platform's checkout, and never pay a "retailer" with gift cards, wire transfers or crypto.
How complaints work in this industry
- Each retailer sets its own return window: for example Apple 14 days from receipt for hardware it sold, Amazon 30 days from delivery for most items, Walmart 90 days for most items (shorter for appliances, phones and electronics), and Temu 90 days from purchase for most items. Apple Sales and Refund Policy, Amazon: returns, Walmart policies, Temu return and refund policy
- On marketplaces, you contact the third-party seller first and the platform steps in later. Amazon's A-to-z Guarantee can be claimed up to 90 days after the maximum estimated delivery date. Amazon A-to-z Guarantee
- eBay steps in under its Money Back Guarantee from 3 business days after you open a request, until 21 business days after it. eBay Money Back Guarantee
- Large online retailers require a written pre-dispute notice before arbitration: Amazon a Notice of Dispute and 60 days of negotiation, eBay a Notice of Dispute and 45 days. Amazon Conditions of Use, eBay User Agreement
- The INFORM Consumers Act requires online marketplaces to give shoppers a clear way to report suspicious activity. In September 2025 the FTC announced a $2 million civil penalty against Temu over these requirements, in a proposed order that needs court approval. FTC press release, September 5, 2025
Your leverage
- FTC Mail Order Rule: a seller must ship within the time it states, or within 30 days if it states none (50 days when you apply for the seller's credit). If it cannot, it must offer you the choice to accept the delay or cancel for a prompt refund. 16 CFR 435.2
- After a cancellation under that rule, the refund is due within seven working days for cash, check or money order payments, and within one billing cycle for credit sales. FTC business guide to the Mail Order Rule
- Card dispute: goods you did not accept or that were not delivered as agreed are a billing error. Your letter must reach the card issuer within 60 days after the first bill with the error was sent (rule
fcba-billing-error). FTC: using credit cards and disputing charges - The FTC says paying by credit card best protects you if something goes wrong, and you can ask the card company to withhold payment while it investigates. FTC: online shopping
- Price drops: Apple refunds the difference if it lowers its price within 14 calendar days of the date you receive the product (sales events excluded), and Walmart stores match an identical in-stock item's lower price on Walmart.com. Apple Sales and Refund Policy, Walmart policies
Traps
- A card chargeback for an eBay purchase can end your Money Back Guarantee coverage; use the guarantee first. eBay Money Back Guarantee
- Payments outside the platform's checkout are not protected: eBay excludes bank transfers, cash, money orders and escrow, and Etsy says Purchase Protection does not apply when you pay off Etsy. eBay Money Back Guarantee, Etsy: phishing scams
- Store credit instead of cash: Walmart refunds non-receipted returns on a gift card, and Temu credit generally cannot be reversed or cashed out. Walmart policies, Temu return and refund policy
- Marketplace fees: Walmart Marketplace sellers may charge restocking fees of up to 20%, and Temu deducts $7.99 plus tax for the second and later returns from one order. Walmart policies, Temu return and refund policy
- Arbitration opt-out windows are short: 30 days after you first accept eBay's User Agreement or first become subject to Temu's terms. eBay User Agreement, Temu Terms of Use
Scams to watch for
- BBB Scam Tracker: online purchase scams were the No. 3 riskiest scam type in 2025 and the largest by volume (28.4% of published reports); 89.3% of people who reported one lost money, with a median loss of $68. BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report 2025
- Most impersonated brands in BBB reports for 2025: PayPal (2,126), Amazon (1,361), Target (723), Warner Brothers Discovery (681), Apple (599), Publishers Clearing House (488), Costco (418) and Walmart (310). BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report 2025
- Fake order, refund and renewal messages: Amazon says it never asks for your password or a one-time code and never asks you to log in through an email link; Best Buy shows fake Geek Squad renewal notices as phishing. Amazon scam trends, Best Buy: protect yourself
- Fake surveys, giveaways and "membership payment failed" messages: Costco keeps a list of current ones and says its unsolicited messages never ask for passwords, card numbers or Social Security numbers. Costco: currently known scams
- Gift card payment demands: the FTC says no real business or government agency will ever tell you to buy a gift card to pay them; if you already paid, contact the gift card company right away and report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. FTC: gift card scams
- Fake storefronts and social media sellers that offer brand-name goods at steep discounts and send you to outside payment methods. SHEIN: common fraud schemes
By the numbers
- ACSI 2026 (interviews through December 2025), 0-100: online retailers 79, general merchandise retailers 79. Online: Amazon 82, Costco 79, eBay 78, Walmart 77, Etsy 77, Best Buy 77, Target 75, Temu 74, Apple Store 73. Stores: Costco 81, Target 78, Walmart 76. ACSI Retail and Consumer Shipping Study 2026