DHGATE EDIT · REFUNDS & DISPUTES
DHgate refund and dispute guide: what your card can do if an order goes wrong
If a DHgate order never arrives or is not what you ordered, start with the seller and the platform’s own dispute process. If that does not resolve it, the way you paid can give you a second route. This guide explains the card protections that official consumer and financial regulators describe in the US, the UK and the EU, as of 10 November 2026, with a source for each one. It is general information, not legal or financial advice.
Start with the seller and the platform
- Contact the seller first. The US Federal Trade Commission advises that if you bought something online and never got it, you should notify the seller as soon as possible. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) likewise suggests reaching out to the company that sold it before going to your card company.
- Use DHgate’s own dispute process. We do not state DHgate’s time limits or refund rules here, because we have not checked its pages. Read its current buyer-protection terms on DHgate and open a dispute within the time they give.
- Keep the platform’s records. Keep your order page, the seller’s messages, tracking details and photos of what arrived. Card companies and ombudsmen ask for evidence, and the platform’s records may be the only proof of what was agreed.
United States: credit card billing disputes
- Goods not delivered count as a billing error. The FTC lists charges for items you didn’t accept or that weren’t delivered as agreed as billing errors you can dispute with your credit card issuer.
- 60 days, in writing. The CFPB says to call the card company and to send a written billing error notice within 60 days after the charge appeared on your statement. The FTC says to use the issuer’s address for billing inquiries, not the one for payments, and to include your name, address, account number and a description of the error. It also says the letter should reach the issuer within 60 days after the first bill with the error was sent, so send it early.
- Issuer deadlines. According to the FTC, the issuer must acknowledge your complaint in writing within 30 days and resolve it within 90 days of receiving it.
- Faulty goods are a separate, narrower right. For a problem with quality rather than delivery, the CFPB lists conditions for refusing to pay the rest of a purchase. They include a price of more than $50 and a purchase made in your home state or within 100 miles of your home address. A purchase from an overseas seller may not meet them, so ask your card issuer which route applies.
- Debit cards are different. The FTC says that if you paid by debit card, the protections are different from credit cards and you may not be able to get a refund for non-delivery. It advises asking your bank whether it offers any voluntary protections.
United Kingdom: Section 75 and chargeback
- Section 75 (credit cards): under the Consumer Credit Act 1974, the Financial Ombudsman Service explains that a lender can be held responsible for a supplier’s breach of contract or misrepresentation where the cash price of an item is more than £100 and not more than £30,000. It does not apply to debit cards or charge cards. The ombudsman notes that it needs a clear agreement between you, the supplier and your lender (in law, a “debtor-creditor-supplier” agreement), and that how you paid and who was involved can affect a claim. Ask your card provider whether a marketplace purchase qualifies.
- Chargeback (debit or credit cards): the ombudsman describes chargeback as a way to challenge and claw back a card payment in certain circumstances. You usually have around 120 days to raise one, although the limit can vary. It is not a legal right: a bank or lender does not have to raise a chargeback, though it can be good practice to do so.
- If your bank says no: make a formal complaint to the bank or card provider first. If it does not send a final response within eight weeks, or you disagree with it, you can take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free.
European Union: limited help with non-EU sellers
- EU rules may not reach the seller. The EU’s Your Europe consumer pages say EU consumer rules cover goods bought in the EU. They add that you should also be covered when a non-EU online trader has specifically targeted EU consumers, but that you may find it difficult to assert your rights with a trader based outside the EU.
- European Consumer Centres: the ECC-Net explains consumer rights and helps settle disputes with sellers in another EU country, Iceland or Norway. Its dispute help covers sellers in those countries. If your centre cannot help, it can tell you who to contact. Contact the centre in your own country.
- Your card: we did not find an official EU-wide rule giving a refund right for a card payment to a non-EU seller. Ask your bank whether it can raise a chargeback and what its time limit is.
What to gather before you dispute
- The order number, date, amount charged and the card statement showing the charge.
- The listing as it was when you ordered: title, options, size and photos.
- All messages with the seller, and the platform’s dispute outcome if there is one.
- Tracking details, delivery confirmation or proof that nothing arrived.
- Photos of what arrived next to the listing photos, with a ruler or tape measure in shot for size problems.
Our sample order checklist covers what to record before you pay, and the QC photo checklist lists the photos worth asking the seller for.
Customs charges and brand-style items
Import VAT, duty and carrier fees are set by your country’s rules and the delivery company, not the seller. Our delivery and customs guide explains the current US, UK and EU rules. If customs seizes a parcel because it infringes a trademark, do not assume you will be refunded. US Customs and Border Protection says it seizes infringing imports and that buyers may be fined. See Is DHgate safe? before ordering brand-style items.
Common questions about DHgate refunds
How do I get a refund from DHgate?
Contact the seller, then use DHgate’s own dispute process within the time its current terms allow. If that fails, ask your card provider whether a billing dispute, Section 75 claim or chargeback applies to your payment.
Can I do a chargeback on a DHgate order?
Possibly. In the UK, chargeback can apply to debit and credit cards, usually within around 120 days, but your bank does not have to raise one. In the US, a credit card charge for goods that were not delivered can be disputed as a billing error within 60 days of the statement.
What if my DHgate order never arrived?
Tell the seller as soon as possible and open a dispute on the platform. Keep the tracking details. If you paid by US credit card, you can dispute an undelivered order with your issuer as a billing error.
Does Section 75 cover DHgate purchases?
Section 75 needs a credit card purchase with a cash price over £100 and up to £30,000, and a clear agreement between you, the supplier and your lender. Ask your card provider whether your purchase qualifies.
Sources
Checked 10 November 2026: FTC pages on disputing credit card charges (May 2022) and on online orders that never arrive (9 November 2021); CFPB answers on disputing a credit card charge (reviewed April 2024) and on refunds for credit card purchases (reviewed May 2024); Financial Ombudsman Service page on goods and services bought on credit; Your Europe page on consumer rights when shopping (checked April 2026); European Commission page on the European Consumer Centres Network; CBP page on counterfeit goods. DHgate’s own refund and dispute pages were not read. Check them directly for current terms.