If a business never ships your order, disappears, or sends something nothing like what you paid for, and simply stops responding — you're not necessarily out of luck. If you paid by debit or credit card, you may have access to a chargeback: a dispute process run by the card network (Visa, Mastercard, or others) that sits on top of, and independently of, Australian Consumer Law.
What a chargeback actually is
A chargeback reverses a card transaction. Banks and credit unions that are members of a card scheme are contractually obligated to pursue a chargeback on your behalf where the scheme's rules give you the right to one — it isn't a discretionary favour from your bank.
Time limits — and why there's no single fixed number
Most chargeback claims must be lodged within roughly 120 days of the transaction date (or the expected delivery date, for goods that never arrived), but this isn't universal — some dispute categories have shorter windows (as little as 45 days), and some, like certain travel or future-delivery bookings, can extend much further. Check with your card issuer for the specific timeframe that applies to your situation rather than assuming 120 days always applies.
Valid grounds for a chargeback
You generally need to fit a specific dispute category — goods or services never received, item significantly not as described, or a cancelled service that was never refunded. General dissatisfaction alone usually isn't enough.
Try the merchant first
Card schemes generally expect you to have made a genuine attempt to resolve the issue directly with the merchant before requesting a chargeback — keep a written record of that attempt, since you'll likely need to show it.
Filing the dispute
Log into your bank's app or website, select the transaction, and use the dispute/chargeback option. Attach your order confirmation, the agreed delivery or service terms, and evidence the merchant isn't cooperating or has gone silent.
If the merchant can't prove delivery
If the business can't produce proof — such as a tracked delivery confirmation matching what you actually ordered — the dispute is generally resolved in the cardholder's favour and the funds are returned.
If your bank won't pursue it
Your bank has to review your chargeback request and decide whether it's valid under the card scheme's rules — it isn't optional for them to simply ignore it. If you're unhappy with how your bank or credit union handled your request, AFCA can review whether the bank took appropriate steps, though it can't override the card scheme's own decision on the underlying dispute.