Respond in proportion

Choose a proportionate response

Having worked out what a campaign wanted and how it went about it, you decide what to do, and the right answer is often nothing. An offer that was clearly described and did not suit you needs no response beyond not buying. Keep the stronger steps for cases where something was false, hidden, or obstructed, and match the response to the harm: resolve it with the seller first, escalate to your payment provider if that fails, report it if others are likely to be affected, and tell other buyers what happened.

Whatever you choose, evidence makes it work. Keep the advert or offer page, the terms as they stood when you bought, the order and cancellation confirmations, the dates and amounts of charges, and every message exchanged. Write to the seller and do not rely on phone calls; if you must call, note the time, the name, and what was said.

Getting out and getting money back

Start with the seller. Cancel through the official route, state in writing what went wrong and what you want (a refund of a named amount, by a named date), and give a reasonable deadline. Most disputes end here.

Know which rights apply to you, because they differ by country and by how you bought. In the EU and the UK, most online and doorstep purchases carry a fourteen-day right to withdraw without giving a reason, with exceptions that include perishable goods and some digital content once it has been supplied. In the US there is no general right to return an online purchase; the federal Cooling-Off Rule gives three business days to cancel certain sales made at your home or at a temporary location, and does not cover purchases made online. US law does require online sellers of recurring subscriptions to disclose the terms clearly, obtain your consent, and provide a simple way to stop the charges, and several states add rules of their own.

If the seller will not put right a charge you did not authorise, a charge after cancellation, or goods that never arrived, dispute the charge with your card issuer. In the US, credit card billing errors must generally be disputed in writing within sixty days of the statement, so do not let weeks of promises from customer service run down the clock. Blocking a card or closing a virtual card number stops payments but does not end the contract; cancel properly as well.

Reporting

A report rarely gets your money back by itself, but it is how patterns become visible to regulators, who act on volumes of similar complaints. In the US, report deceptive or unfair practices to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general. Elsewhere, use the national consumer protection authority, and for cross-border purchases within Europe the European Consumer Centres network.

Manipulative interface design can be reported in its own right. The EU Digital Services Act prohibits online platforms from designing their interfaces in ways that deceive or manipulate users, and complaints go to the Digital Services Coordinator in your member state; the same practices in an ordinary online shop fall under consumer law and the consumer authority. Describe what the screen did, attach the screenshot, and give the date.

Telling others honestly

Finally, leave a review on a platform the seller does not control. Make it the kind of review you looked for in the fourth chapter: specific, dated, and fair. Say what was good, what went wrong, what the seller did when you raised it, and what you would tell someone about to sign up. Stick to what you experienced and can show; do not guess at motives or exaggerate, and update the review if the seller puts things right. Tell friends or colleagues who are considering the same offer the one thing you wish you had known. An accurate account from an unpaid stranger is the scarcest thing in the whole campaign, and you are now in a position to supply it.