Keep payment and messages inside the marketplace when its buyer protection depends on doing so; off-platform requests can remove protections and are a common scam signal.
Step by Step
- Use the merchant, marketplace, carrier, bank, or card issuer's official website/app rather than a link in an unexpected email or text.
- Keep payment and messages inside the marketplace when its buyer protection depends on doing so; off-platform requests can remove protections and are a common scam signal.
- Save receipts, order numbers, tracking details, cancellation notices, and relevant communications.
- For unresolved billing or delivery problems, follow the official merchant/payment-provider escalation process and observe any applicable deadlines.
If That Doesn't Work
- Pending authorizations, merchant billing names, refund timing, and dispute rights vary by merchant, financial institution, payment network, and transaction type.
- Never send passwords, one-time verification codes, full card credentials, or remote computer access to someone who contacts you unexpectedly about an order or payment.