Online shopping has become a daily routine for many people, but sometimes an online store may not fulfill orders as expected. This can be due to various reasons – from logistics problems, lack of product, and even scams. What should you do in such situations? Which steps should you take to recover your money or get the ordered product? Below you will find a detailed guide that will help you solve this problem.
1. Check order status
The first step is to log in to your account on the online store and check the order status. If the store provides a tracking number, it’s worth checking its status with the courier.
2. Contact the store
If the order status is unclear or the product has not been sent on time, you should contact the store. You can:
* Send an email to the provided contact address
* Call the store’s infoline
* Send a query through the contact form on the website
3. Check the terms and conditions and return policy
Every online store should have terms and conditions that include information about order fulfillment, delivery times, and return policies. If the store has exceeded the expected delivery time, you can refer to these regulations in further actions.
4. Take advantage of payment protection
If the store does not respond to your attempts to contact them, it’s worth checking the payment method:
* Credit/debit card – you can use the chargeback procedure and report the problem to your bank
* PayPal – the service offers protection for buyers and allows you to recover funds
* Cash on delivery – if the product was not delivered, the money has not been lost
5. Report the case to consumer protection institutions
If the store still does not fulfill orders and does not return money, you can:
* File a complaint with the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK)
* Contact the European Consumer Centre if the store operates in another EU country
6. Warn other buyers
If the store did not fulfill an order and did not return money, it’s worth warning other buyers by:
* Leaving a review on services that rate stores
* Writing a warning on forums and thematic groups
* Reporting the store to portals collecting blacklists of untrustworthy sellers
