Getting your money back if you paid by card

Making a chargeback request – consider this

• Always try to resolve the issue with the company before contacting the bank.

• Save all documents and emails that can prove you have contacted the company. You need to be able to show the bank that you have complained to the company without success.

When can you make a chargeback request?

You can make a chargeback request when:

• You have regretted the purchase and are entitled to a refund according to the law, but the company is not issuing a refund.

• You paid for a product that has not been delivered.

• Your flight has been cancelled, but you do not get a refund from the airline.

• The company has gone bankrupt, and you have not received what was agreed upon.

Different protection depending on whether you paid with a credit card or a debit card

What rights you have depends on what kind of card you made the purchase with.

If you paid with a credit card

A credit card is a card where, at the end of the month, you receive an invoice for all the purchases you have made with the card.

When you pay by credit card, you have strong protection according to the Consumer Credit Act. The law states that you have the right to make the same demands on the bank as on the company you made the purchase from. If you are entitled to a refund from a company, you can choose to contact the bank instead. However, you cannot demand a refund from both the bank and the company.

If you paid with a debit card (where the money is withdrawn directly)

A debit card is a card where the money is drawn directly from your bank account when you buy something. When you pay with a debit card, you have no right by law to turn to the bank to demand a refund. But many banks offer the possibility to make a card complaint even when you have paid with a debit card. It is the bank's terms and conditions that determines what rights you have. Sometimes it is not uncommon that there are time limits that limit the bank’s possibilities to help you.

Contact the company before you turn to the bank

Always start by trying to get the company to resolve the issue. Contact the company in writing, preferably by email. Explain clearly what the problem is and why you demand a refund. Save all emails and other documentation. You need to be able to show the bank that you have made demands on the company.

How to make a charge back request to your bank

If the company will not help you, you can contact your bank. Do this in writing. Explain the problem clearly and attach documentation that shows what has happened.

Examples of such documentation may be:

• Order confirmation or receipt of the purchase

• Copy of your complaint to the company

• Notification that you want to withdraw from the purchase

• The company’s response to your complaint

If you want guidance

At Konsumenternas.se, you get independent guidance in matters concerning banks and insurance. The guidance is free of charge.

To consumer assistance on the website Konsumenternas.se (information in swedish)