Card chargeback for a delayed China order
Contact your card issuer promptly with the original delivery date, every postponement and each card payment. Ask for written confirmation of eligibility and deadlines before agreeing to wait again. Preserve the full order and correspondence. For help checking factory progress, contact Cambridge China Bridge.
Contact the issuer before another postponement
Government guidance identifies chargeback as asking a credit or debit card issuer to reverse a transaction. Tell the issuer this was a business purchase from a Chinese supplier and ask whether non-arrival could support a chargeback. Ask whether your card, payment route and circumstances qualify; do not budget on receiving a refund.
Contact the issuer through its official channel as soon as delivery is missed. Ask what you should submit now to protect a possible claim while you discuss a recovery plan. Keep the case reference and a dated record of the response.
Preserve the original date and every revision
Keep the order confirmation showing the original promised delivery date. Add each postponement, when the factory communicated it, its explanation and your reply. Distinguish a date you accepted from a proposal you have not accepted. Save original messages and attachments rather than replacing them with a summary.
Identify what each promise means: production finished, goods ready for collection, shipment departure or receipt at your premises. For operational recovery, use our factory delay guide. Send the issuer the complete timeline and ask which date it considers relevant before agreeing to another extension.
List deposit transactions separately
Create a separate entry for each card-funded deposit, additional deposit and balance payment. Include the payment date, amount, currency, merchant name on the statement and transaction reference. Attach the invoice or order showing what that payment bought.
Ask the issuer to assess each transaction separately and confirm its applicable deadline. Do not assume a later balance payment refreshes the position for an earlier deposit. Identify any bank-transfer payments separately and explain any payment intermediary. Our supplier payment guide covers payment structure.
Get the applicable deadlines in writing
Government guidance describes a chargeback window of up to 120 days after the transaction was debited or from when goods or services were due. Treat that as general guidance, not confirmation of the deadline for your business card or repeatedly postponed order.
Ask the issuer to confirm the applicable start date, the effect of agreed revised dates, any overall limit measured from each transaction and the latest date for submitting the claim and supporting documents. Ask whether opening an enquiry is sufficient or whether a formal claim is needed now. Do not assume another factory promise restarts the clock.
Submit a clear file and keep it current
Prepare a short account of what was ordered, paid and promised, what remains undelivered and what resolution you requested from the supplier. Attach the order, payment entries, delivery timeline and correspondence. Include any partial receipt, cancellation request, refund promise or refund received so the issuer can assess the actual outstanding position.
Send the material through the issuer's requested channel and obtain acknowledgement. Follow up promptly if the deadline is unclear or the response omits a deposit transaction. Review the contract and seek advice before cancellation or withholding payment. If the factory stops responding, use our supplier silence guide alongside the card enquiry.
Frequently asked questions
Does a new delivery date restart my chargeback deadline?
Do not assume it does. Send the issuer the original date, each proposed revision and your replies. Ask for written confirmation of the relevant date and any overall transaction limit before agreeing to wait.
Can I claim for a separate card deposit?
Ask the issuer to assess the deposit transaction itself. Supply its statement entry and the order it funded. Request its deadline separately from any later deposit or balance payment.
Should I wait for the factory's next promised date?
Contact the issuer first. Ask whether a formal claim is needed now and what deadline applies if you wait. Keep factory recovery discussions and the card claim timetable running alongside each other.
What evidence should I send for goods not delivered?
Send the order, separate payment records, original delivery promise, all revisions and your correspondence requesting delivery or a refund. Clearly identify goods received and any refund already paid.