International Chargeback & Payment Dispute Policy
Applicable Markets: United Arab Emirates · Hong Kong · Japan · Malaysia · Thailand
Effective Date: July 31, 2026
At Retail Rack, we are committed to ensuring every purchase feels just right. This policy governs how payment disputes and chargebacks are handled for international orders in our supported markets. We ask all customers to contact us directly before initiating a chargeback or dispute with their financial institution — in most cases, we can resolve the issue faster, more directly, and with greater care than the bank dispute process allows.
This International Chargeback & Payment Dispute Policy works alongside our International Refunds & Returns Policy. For questions about damaged items, non-delivery, change-of-mind returns, or refund timelines, please refer to that policy first.
Section 1: What Is a Chargeback?
A chargeback is a reversal of a payment initiated by a cardholder through their bank or card issuer. Chargebacks were designed to protect consumers from unauthorized card use and merchant fraud. While we fully respect this consumer right, chargebacks are not a substitute for Retail Rack's customer service process and carry significant costs — including non-refundable fees and extended resolution timelines — that ultimately affect our ability to serve you and all our customers fairly.
Section 2: Contact Us First — Required Step Before Filing a Dispute
|
Before initiating a chargeback or payment dispute with your bank, credit card issuer, or payment provider, you are required to contact Retail Rack's customer service team and allow us a reasonable opportunity to resolve your concern. Contact: customerservice@retail-rack.com When emailing, please use the following subject line format: Dispute Inquiry – [Order Number] – [Country] Response Time: Within 24–48 business hours (often sooner) Resolution Window: We ask for up to 5 business days to fully investigate and resolve your concern before a dispute is escalated. |
The following concerns are resolved directly and quickly by our team:
- Item arrived damaged or defective — Full refund or replacement arranged within 5–10 business days
- Wrong item received — Full refund or replacement, no return shipping required in most cases
- Order not received / lost in transit — Investigation opened immediately; refund or reship issued upon confirmation
- Order delayed beyond estimated window — We will investigate with the carrier and update you promptly
- Billing error or duplicate charge — Corrected and refunded promptly upon verification
- Pre-shipment cancellation request — Honored within 8 hours of placement if fulfillment has not begun.
Section 3: When Chargebacks Are Legitimate
We recognize there are circumstances where a chargeback may be the appropriate remedy. These include:
- Unauthorized use of your payment method (your card was used without your knowledge or consent), if this occurs, please also contact your card issuer immediately to report fraud and protect your account.
- A confirmed lost or undelivered order that Retail Rack was unable to resolve within the resolution window described in Section 2.
- A billing error that Retail Rack was unable to correct after being directly contacted.
In these situations, Retail Rack will cooperate fully with your financial institution's investigation and will not dispute a claim we determine to be valid and justified.
Section 4: Unauthorized Chargebacks
An unauthorized chargeback occurs when a customer files a dispute for a transaction that was legitimately authorized, fulfilled, and delivered. Examples include:
- Filing a "not received" dispute for an order with confirmed delivery tracking.
- Claiming an item was "not as described" without contacting Retail Rack for resolution.
- Filing a chargeback after a refund or store credit has already been issued.
- Filing an "unauthorized" dispute for a purchase the cardholder or a household member placed.
How Retail Rack Handles Unauthorized Chargebacks
Retail Rack monitors all international transactions and retains the following evidence for every order:
- Order confirmation details (date, time, items, billing and shipping address, destination country).
- IP address and device information at the time of checkout.
- Payment verification and fraud screening data.
- Shipping carrier tracking records, international transit logs, and delivery confirmation.
- All customer communication records related to the order.
When an unauthorized chargeback is filed, Retail Rack will dispute it by submitting a complete evidence package to the card network. Evidence is presented to the issuing bank, and the card network makes a final determination.
Section 5: Chargeback Process & Timeline
What Happens After a Chargeback Is Filed
- Retail Rack is notified of the chargeback by our payment processor.
- We review the order details, fulfillment records, international tracking data, and any prior customer communications.
- If the chargeback is valid (see Section 3), we accept it and the dispute is closed in the customer's favor.
- If the chargeback is unauthorized (see Section 4), we submit a full evidence rebuttal package to the card network within the required response window.
- The card network (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or local network equivalent) reviews evidence from both parties and issues a final ruling.
- The customer is notified of the outcome by their card issuer.
Important: Once a chargeback is filed, the resolution timeline is controlled by the card network and your issuing bank. International disputes typically take 45–120 days to resolve. Contacting Retail Rack directly is always the fastest and most reliable path to resolution.
Additional Bank Processing Times After Resolution (Per Market)
These timelines apply after Retail Rack initiates a refund. They are controlled by your bank and are outside our control:
- United Arab Emirates: +3–5 business days
- Hong Kong: +2–5 business days
- Japan: +3–7 business days
- Malaysia: +3–5 business days
- Thailand: +3–5 business days
Note: Refunds are issued in the original purchase currency. If your payment method has expired, contact support@retail-rack.com before initiating a chargeback.
Section 6: Order-Specific Dispute Guidelines
This section provides guidance on the most common dispute scenarios and how they are handled
"Item Not Received" Disputes
- Contact customerservice@retail-rack.com before filing — we will investigate with the carrier immediately.
- International orders are considered non-delivered after 60 days from the shipping date with no tracking movement or confirmed non-delivery.
- If tracking shows "Delivered" but you did not receive the package, a non-delivery certification from your local carrier or postal authority is required.
- International customs delays do not constitute non-delivery — allow the full 60-day window before escalating.
- Filing a chargeback for a delivered order without contacting us will be treated as an unauthorized dispute per Section 4.
"Item Not as Described" or Defective Item Disputes
- Contact customerservice@retail-rack.com within 7 days of delivery.
- Required evidence: clear photos or videos of the item, packaging, shipping label, and a short video or image demonstrating the defect or discrepancy.
- Note: Damaged packaging alone does not qualify if the product is intact and functioning.
- We will arrange a full refund or replacement — in most cases, no return shipment is required.
- Filing a chargeback without providing this evidence and contacting us first may be disputed with available order records.
Change-of-Mind Disputes
- Change-of-mind is not a valid chargeback reason under card network rules.
- Eligible apparel categories (Apparel, Shoes, Evening Dresses, Party Dresses, Women's Jeans, Men's Business Attire) may qualify for a store credit return — refer to the International Refunds & Returns Policy.
- Store credit returns must be requested within 14 days of delivery and meet all condition requirements: unworn, unwashed, undamaged, odor-free, original packaging and tags intact.
- Items returned in unsatisfactory condition are subject to a 40% restocking fee deducted from the store credit amount or may be returned to the customer at their expense if not eligible for resale.
- Non-eligible categories are not returnable for any reason other than defect or fulfillment error — a chargeback filed for change-of-mind on these items will be treated as unauthorized.
"Duplicate Charge" or "Incorrect Amount" Disputes
- Contact customerservice@retail-rack.com immediately with your order number and charge details.
- Billing errors are reviewed and resolved within 5–10 business days upon verification.
- Check for pending vs. settled transaction timing differences before escalating — international card processing can create temporary duplicate-looking entries.
"Unauthorized Transaction" Disputes
- Contact your card issuer immediately if your payment method was used without your authorization.
- Also notify Retail Rack at customerservice@retail-rack.com so we can flag the order for investigation.
- Retail Rack cooperates fully with card issuers on confirmed fraud investigations.
Section 7: Non-Returnable Categories & Chargeback Limitations
The following product categories are not eligible for change-of-mind returns per our International Refunds & Returns Policy. A chargeback filed on the basis of change-of-mind or dissatisfaction for these categories will be treated as an unauthorized dispute:
Kitchen Essentials · Home Décor · Lighting · Electronics · Jewelry · Watches · Bags & Accessories · Pet Care · Emergency Readiness · Barware · Beauty · Bed & Bath · Bridal · Fitness · Sunglasses · Lingerie · Swimsuits · Gift Cards · Custom · Personalized · Print-on-Demand · Final Sale Items · Clearance Rack Items · Sale · Items marked as finale sale
These categories remain eligible for refund or replacement only in cases of defect, damage, missing parts, or fulfillment error consistent with our International Refunds & Returns Policy.
Additionally, the following are never refundable under any circumstances, including via chargeback:
- Customs duties and import taxes are charged and collected directly by your country's local customs authority or postal service; Retail Rack does not collect, receive, or have any control over these fees. These charges are non-refundable under any circumstances, including via chargeback.
- Original shipping fees are non-refundable under all circumstances, including chargebacks. Shipping is a consumed service, once your order is handed to the carrier these costs cannot be reversed, reclaimed, or disputed through your bank. Because Retail Rack does not receive or control carrier-assessed shipping charges, they are not eligible for refund, reversal, or chargeback.
Section 8: Cancellation Disputes
International orders may be cancelled within 8 hours of placement if fulfillment processing has not begun. After this window, orders may already be in processing or handoff to the fulfillment partner and cancellation cannot be guaranteed.
The following items are non-cancellable under any circumstances:
- Print-on-demand items.
- Custom or personalized items.
- Pre-order items.
If a cancellation is not possible, the standard return and refund process applies upon delivery per our International Refunds & Returns Policy. Filing a chargeback to cancel an order already in fulfillment will be treated as an unauthorized dispute.
Section 9: International Refunds & Returns Policy Cross-Reference
This Chargeback & Payment Dispute Policy does not replace or modify Retail Rack's International Refunds & Returns Policy. For all matters related to:
- Damaged, defective, missing, or incorrect items (7-day reporting window).
- Non-delivery or lost packages (60-day international threshold).
- Change-of-mind store credit returns (14-day window, eligible apparel categories only).
- RMA process and physical return instructions (ship to: Retail Rack – Product Inspection & Processing Center, 2 Pegasus Trail, Sparta, NJ 07871, USA).
- Refund processing timelines (5–10 business days + market-specific bank processing time).
- How refunds are issued (original payment method, original purchase currency).
Please refer to the Retail Rack International Refunds & Returns Policy available at retail-rack.com.
Section 10: Contact & Escalation
We are always your first and fastest resource. Before contacting your bank:
- Email: customerservice@retail-rack.com
- Subject Line: "Dispute Inquiry – Order # [Your Order Number] – [Country]"
- Include: Your full name, order number, description of the issue, and any supporting photos or documentation
- Response Time: Within 24–48 business hours
If you have already filed a chargeback and wish to withdraw it, contact your card issuer directly and notify us at customerservice@retail-rack.com so we can assist with the resolution.
Section 11: Policy Updates
Retail Rack reserves the right to update or modify this policy at any time without prior notice. Changes will be posted with an updated effective date. Continued use of our website constitutes acceptance of the current policy in effect at the time of purchase.
This policy applies to international orders in the markets listed above. Nothing in this policy limits your statutory rights as a consumer under the laws of your country. Retail Rack recommends consulting a qualified legal professional to confirm enforceability in your jurisdiction.
Retail Rack · Elevate Your Lifestyle