Your Bag Never Arrived: Can You Dispute the Card?

Often yes. Send a written notice within 60 days of the statement showing the charge.

Published October 26, 2026 · 3 min read · Topic: Orders, Shipping & Returns · Orders & returns

Typical situation

You paid by credit card for a bag, the seller has not replied and the parcel never came. You want to know whether your card issuer can help.

Main answer · berabags Editorial Team · Consumer-rights view

Often yes, if you paid by credit card. Under US rules for credit cards, a charge for goods you did not accept or that were not delivered as agreed is a billing error. You can dispute it by sending a written notice to your card issuer, and the notice must reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement that shows the charge.

What to include in the notice

Your name and account number.
The date and amount of the charge.
A statement that you believe it is an error, and why. For example, that you ordered a bag on a given date and it was never delivered.
Your contact details.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says you do not have to contact the merchant first, although the FTC advises trying to resolve the problem with the seller as well.

What the issuer must do

The CFPB’s summary of the rule says the issuer must acknowledge your notice within 30 days and resolve it within two billing cycles, and no later than 90 days. While the dispute is open you may withhold the disputed amount.

Steps

Gather the order confirmation, messages, tracking and statement.
Write the dispute and send it to the address for billing inquiries shown on your statement. The FTC has a sample letter.
Keep a copy and proof of sending.
Keep paying other parts of the bill on time.

Where this answer stops

This is general information about US credit card billing-error rules. Debit cards, payment apps, bank transfers and cards from other countries have different rules, and an issuer’s decision depends on the facts. This is not legal advice.

Sources and further reading

Three more perspectives

berabags Editorial Team · Purchasing view

Paying by credit card gives you a dispute route that a bank transfer or a payment app may not. If a seller of a bag asks for a method with no recourse, treat that as a reason to stop before you pay.

berabags Editorial Team · Use view

Do not wait. The 60-day clock starts from the first statement that shows the charge, not from the date you gave up hoping. Note the date on your calendar when the statement arrives, and send the dispute in good time.

berabags Editorial Team · Maintenance view

Keep your records tidy: order confirmation, messages with the seller, tracking, and the statement. A clear timeline helps your issuer see what happened, and helps you remember it if weeks pass.

Independent and unofficial. berabags is an independent editorial site. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any bag brand, retailer, airline or agency named on this page. This page contains no affiliate links; if berabags adds any in future they will be labelled. Rules and policies change, so check the linked source before you act. This is general information, not legal, medical or professional advice.