A ceramic casserole dish is advertised at a bargain price. Weeks later a thin metal pan arrives, or nothing does and the website has vanished. This guide is organised by what happened, because the right first call depends on the symptom. It covers the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada and Australia and is general information, not legal advice.
Nothing arrives and the shop has gone
Scamwatch lists warning signs of a fake shop: an unbelievably low price, no terms and conditions, ABN or privacy policy, and no contact details. Depending on the payment method and circumstances, Section 75 (UK) or a chargeback may provide a recovery route. In the UK, Citizens Advice says it is the seller’s responsibility to make sure an item is delivered.
A different item arrives
These rights concern purchases from traders. Part 1 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 covers agreements between a trader and a consumer; the CCPC says Irish rights apply only when buying from a business, and the ACCC and Office of Consumer Affairs say most Australian and Canadian rules do not cover private sales.
- UK. Citizens Advice lists goods that are “not what was advertised” among problems carrying legal rights. Section 11 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires goods supplied by description to match it, and sections 19 and 22 give a short-term right to reject, with a 30-day limit.
- Ireland. The CCPC says a fault arising within 30 days allows termination and a full refund, and that the seller must remedy a product that is not as described.
- Australia. The ACCC says any description must be accurate, and a product “very different from the description” is a major problem, giving a choice of refund or replacement.
- Canada. The Office of Consumer Affairs lists “not as advertised” as an online-shopping risk.
- US. The FTC says some marketplaces help with refunds when goods are not exactly as advertised, so policies should be read before buying.
It is a fake or a lookalike
Counterfeits are covered in this site’s guide to counterfeit goods on online marketplaces. Keep the item and packaging, and report the seller.
The advert itself was misleading
For UK paid-for online adverts, the ASA complaint page points to a scam-ad route and says sites under another country’s jurisdiction may be referred abroad. The CCPC says an Irish consumer can complain to the platform about a misleading ad and escalate if it does not respond.
Warning signs worth checking before paying
- Only stock photos or star ratings: the FTC says condition cannot be checked without pictures of the actual item, and some reviews are fake or misleading.
- Details buried in the listing, a price far below every other seller, or no contact details and terms. The Office of Consumer Affairs advises saving or printing the product information before buying.
The first hour, in order
- Stop paying. Scamwatch advises stopping payments if there is doubt; stop off-platform contact with a suspected scammer and never use contact details or links in the advert or shop.
- Save evidence: screenshots of the advert, product page, terms, payment confirmation and messages.
- If fraud or exposed payment details are suspected, contact the bank or card provider immediately to protect the account and ask about recovery options, including a dispute or chargeback, naming the date and amount.
- For an ordinary order dispute with a genuine seller, ask in writing for a refund and follow the platform’s claim process. Before opening a bank dispute, check whether it will close or prevent a platform claim, and keep both sets of deadlines.
- Report the advert or listing on the platform where it appeared.
- Report to the bodies below.
- Protect accounts: ask the bank to replace a card whose details were entered, watch statements for small unfamiliar charges, and give the email account a strong, unique password with two-factor authentication, as Report Fraud advises.
Country by country: deadlines and where to report
United Kingdom. The Citizens Advice card and PayPal refund guide (England) says Section 75 covers a single item above £100 and up to £30,000 bought directly from the trader, chargeback covers debit cards and other cases, and a PayPal dispute must be opened within 180 days. Report fake shops to Report Fraud (Scotland: 101) and trader disputes to the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133. More: Section 75 and chargeback, where to report a scam in the UK.
Ireland. Use the CCPC report-a-business form, which does not handle individual cases, and ECC Ireland for sellers in another EU country, Iceland, Norway or the UK. An Garda Síochána asks online scam victims to report to a local station with copies of the advert and emails.
United States. The FTC separates two card routes. A billing error, which includes charges for things not delivered as agreed, must be disputed in writing, reaching the issuer within 60 days after the first bill with the error was sent. For a quality problem, contact the seller first, then ask the card issuer about chargeback and other rights. A separate right to withhold an outstanding credit-card balance has additional conditions; consult the CFPB guidance. Report to ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the state attorney general; see the FTC guide to disputing card charges and steps by payment method.
Canada. Dispute credit card charges with the card company, then report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reporting page (1-888-495-8501) and the Competition Bureau complaint form.
Australia. The ACCC does not resolve individual disputes and points to the state consumer protection agency for help with a complaint; its ACCC consumer guarantees page warns that overseas sellers can be hard to pursue. Report scams through the Scamwatch report form; IDCARE is on 1800 595 160.
Costly mistakes
Scamwatch warns of people offering to recover lost money. Do not pay recovery fees, ring numbers from the advert or wait out a dispute deadline. For prevention, see online shopping and delivery scams.
The bottom line
The symptom decides the route: a vanished shop is a fraud report and a card dispute, a wrong item is a consumer-rights claim, and a fake or misleading advert is a report to the platform and regulator.
Sources
- Buying and selling scams, Scamwatch (ACCC), undated page read 17 October 2026 (scamwatch.gov.au)
- What to do if you’ve been scammed, Scamwatch (ACCC), undated page read 17 October 2026 (scamwatch.gov.au)
- Report a scam, Scamwatch (ACCC), undated page read 17 October 2026 (scamwatch.gov.au)
- Online shopping fraud, and home page, Report Fraud, undated pages read 17 October 2026 (reportfraud.police.uk)
- How to report fraud and scams in Canada, Competition Bureau Canada, undated page read 17 October 2026 (competition-bureau.canada.ca)
- Non-delivery scams: When nothing comes to those who wait, Competition Bureau Canada, 1 March 2021 (canada.ca)
- If something you ordered hasn’t been delivered, Citizens Advice, undated page read 17 October 2026 (citizensadvice.org.uk)
- Return faulty goods, Citizens Advice, undated page read 17 October 2026 (citizensadvice.org.uk)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 11, 19 and 22, in force as at 16-17 October 2026 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Problems with faulty products and goods, CCPC, undated page read 17 October 2026 (ccpc.ie)
- What to do if you’ve been scammed, CCPC, undated page read 17 October 2026 (ccpc.ie)
- Buying in the EU, CCPC, undated page read 17 October 2026 (ccpc.ie)
- I’ve been caught out by an online scam, An Garda Síochána, undated page read 17 October 2026 (garda.ie)
- Consumer rights and guarantees, ACCC, undated page read 17 October 2026 (accc.gov.au)
- Online shopping, Office of Consumer Affairs (ISED), undated page read 17 October 2026 (ised-isde.canada.ca)
- Buying From an Online Marketplace, FTC, undated page read 17 October 2026 (consumer.ftc.gov)
- How can I get a refund on a product or service I purchased with my credit card?, CFPB, last reviewed 15 May 2024 (consumerfinance.gov)
- Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges, FTC, May 2022, read 17 October 2026 (consumer.ftc.gov)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 1, in force as at 17 October 2026 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Buying second-hand goods, CCPC, undated page read 17 October 2026 (ccpc.ie)
- Getting your money back if you paid by card or PayPal, Citizens Advice (England), undated page read 17 October 2026 (citizensadvice.org.uk)
- Consumer rights, GOV.UK, undated page read 17 October 2026 (gov.uk)
- Contact the Citizens Advice consumer service, undated page read 17 October 2026 (citizensadvice.org.uk)
- The Complaint Roadmap, Office of Consumer Affairs (ISED), undated page read 17 October 2026 (ised-isde.canada.ca)
- Repair, replace, refund, cancel, ACCC, undated page read 17 October 2026 (accc.gov.au)
- Make a complaint, Advertising Standards Authority, undated page read 17 October 2026 (asa.org.uk)
- Contact us or report an issue, ACCC, undated page read 17 October 2026 (accc.gov.au)
- If a business won’t fix a problem, ACCC, undated page read 17 October 2026 (accc.gov.au)