iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
If a UK retailer collapses after taking your money, start with the payment method rather than waiting for the insolvency to finish. A qualifying credit-card purchase can be pursued under Section 75; a debit-card, credit-card or prepaid-card payment may be eligible for chargeback; and, if those routes are unavailable or fail, you can register as a creditor with the retailer’s insolvency practitioner.
This guide is UK-focused because the clearest rules and thresholds are UK rules. Section 75 and UK chargeback procedures are not universal: readers elsewhere should use their own country’s card-dispute and insolvency procedures. Act quickly, preserve every document and check the current instructions for the specific insolvency.
1. Confirm what has happened to the retailer
A website that is temporarily offline is not necessarily insolvent. Before choosing a recovery route, establish whether the business is still trading, has entered administration, or is in liquidation. The distinction matters because a live retailer may still be able to deliver or refund, while a liquidated company may no longer have a functioning customer-service team.
Recommended Free Tools
Check the retailer and official notices
- Try the retailer’s website, customer-service email and telephone number. Save screenshots of any closure notice, delivery update or error message.
- Look for an official announcement naming the administrator or liquidator. Insolvency notices normally provide the practitioner’s contact details and instructions for creditors.
- Record the order number, item description, amount, payment date, promised delivery date and the date you discovered the problem.
- Check whether the notice says that orders will be honoured, stores remain open, or refunds are being handled by a particular team. Do not assume that a trading name continuing online means every old order can still be fulfilled.
If the retailer is clearly in liquidation or has disappeared, do not spend weeks attempting contact. MoneyHelper and Citizens Advice explain that you can proceed directly to your card provider when contacting the business is futile. Keep the insolvency announcement even if it is later removed from the website.
#1 Best Overall
2. Contact the retailer when a real trading route remains
Where the business is still operating and customer service is reachable, write to it first. The Financial Conduct Authority says approaching the retailer is usually the quickest practical route to a delivery or refund. A short, precise written request also creates useful evidence if you later make a card claim.
- State the order number, the goods or service, the amount paid and the payment date.
- State the promised delivery date, or explain that the goods have not arrived.
- Ask for either fulfilment within a clear period or a full refund.
- Send the request in a way that creates a record, such as email or a website message that you can save.
- Keep the reply, including any promise that a refund will be processed, and note whether the promised refund actually appears on your account.
Do not delay a card claim while waiting indefinitely for a reply. If the company stops responding, is in liquidation, or has no functioning customer-service route, move to the appropriate payment-provider process. Tell the provider exactly what contact you attempted and when.
3. Compare the available recovery routes
| Route | When it is usually relevant | Nature of the process | Main constraint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section 75 | Qualifying purchase made with a UK credit card | Statutory claim against the credit-card provider under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 | Purchase price must be more than £100 and no more than £30,000; transaction structure can affect eligibility |
| Chargeback | Goods or services not received after payment by debit, credit or prepaid card | Card-scheme process requested through the bank or card provider | MoneyHelper gives a 120-day claim period; the outcome is not guaranteed |
| Creditor claim | The retailer is insolvent and card recovery is unavailable or unsuccessful | Insolvency process handled by the administrator or liquidator | Any payment depends on the case’s assets and creditor ranking |
| Provider complaint and Financial Ombudsman referral | A bank or card provider mishandles your Section 75 or chargeback request | Financial-services complaint process | You must complain to the provider first and meet the Ombudsman’s current eligibility rules |
These routes can overlap in practice. For example, you may ask a credit-card provider to assess Section 75 while also preserving a chargeback option if the statutory route does not fit. Ask the provider how it wants the dispute presented and avoid withdrawing one claim simply because another route is being investigated unless the provider explains the effect.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →4. Use Section 75 for an eligible UK credit-card purchase
Section 75 is the strongest route in this guide because it is a statutory protection rather than a goodwill refund. It applies to a qualifying credit-card purchase costing more than £100 and up to £30,000. MoneyHelper says paying only part of the purchase with the credit card can still qualify, so do not assume that a deposit or partial card payment automatically disqualifies you.
MoneyHelper summarises the core rule as: “If you use your credit card to buy something costing more than £100 and up to £30,000, you’re covered by ‘section 75’ of the Consumer Credit Act.” The wording describes the price band, not an automatic acceptance of every claim. The provider still needs to assess the purchase, the seller relationship and the alleged breach.
How to make the claim
- Contact the card issuer, not just the retailer, and say explicitly that you are making a claim under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
- Describe what you bought, the retailer, the order date, the amount and the promised delivery date.
- Explain the breach, such as non-delivery after the retailer entered liquidation, and state the refund amount you seek.
- Attach the order confirmation, receipt or other proof of purchase, card statement, delivery estimate and your written attempts to resolve the matter.
- Keep a copy of the complete submission and note when the provider received it.
The provider may ask for further information about the seller, the contract and how the payment was processed. Answer accurately and explain any third-party payment arrangement. A credit-card transaction involving a wallet, intermediary or buy-now-pay-later provider can raise different Section 75 questions; this guidance does not establish that every such arrangement is covered.
What Section 75 does not mean
- It does not make every card purchase eligible. The price band and contractual structure matter.
- It does not require you to wait for the insolvency practitioner before contacting the card issuer.
- It is not a promise that the provider will accept the claim without checking the facts.
- It is not a general guarantee for a purchase paid entirely through an unrelated third party. Tell the issuer how the payment flowed rather than assuming the label on your receipt settles eligibility.
If the order contained several items, give the provider an itemised breakdown and identify which goods were never supplied. The relevant amount and contract structure may need to be assessed rather than inferred from a single total on a statement.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
5. Ask for chargeback when Section 75 does not apply
Chargeback is the practical route commonly used for debit-card payments, and it can also be requested for credit-card and prepaid-card payments. It is a card-scheme process administered through your bank or card provider, not the statutory Section 75 right. It can therefore be useful even when the purchase price is outside Section 75’s band or the payment was made by debit card.
Deadline and starting point
MoneyHelper states a 120-day claim period. For a future-dated purchase or event, the period starts when the event should have happened rather than necessarily on the day you paid. A pre-order with a promised later delivery date is therefore not necessarily measured from the payment date. Ask the provider to confirm the deadline that applies to your facts and submit promptly; do not wait for a final insolvency distribution.
How to request it
- Tell the bank or card provider that the goods or service were not received and that you want it to raise a chargeback.
- Give the transaction date, amount, merchant name, order details and expected delivery date.
- Provide evidence that the retailer failed to deliver or became insolvent, along with your communications and any cancellation or refund request.
- Ask the provider to confirm in writing that it has opened the dispute and what additional information or deadline applies.
- Respond promptly if the provider asks you to confirm that no replacement or refund has been received.
Chargeback is not guaranteed. The bank or provider may reject the request, the merchant’s bank may challenge it, or the scheme rules may not fit the transaction. Citizens Advice specifically warns that a provider may not agree to a chargeback, so treat it as a time-limited attempt at recovery rather than an assured refund. A provisional credit, if one is offered, should not be treated as final until the provider confirms the dispute is closed.
6. Do not assume other payment methods have the same protection
Eligibility for a digital wallet, buy-now-pay-later service, bank transfer or another payment platform depends on that provider’s contract and dispute rules. The available guidance does not establish a single deadline or entitlement for every service.
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchPC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11- Check the payment provider’s own dispute or purchase-protection procedure immediately.
- Ask whether it has a non-delivery or merchant-insolvency category and what evidence it requires.
- Check the date by which a dispute must be opened.
- Do not describe a wallet or buy-now-pay-later payment as automatically qualifying for Section 75; the third-party structure can affect the analysis.
- Keep the original transaction reference from the wallet or platform as well as the underlying retailer order number.
If you paid by bank transfer, ask the bank whether any recall or fraud process is relevant, but do not present a transfer recall as equivalent to Section 75 or chargeback. A transfer made voluntarily for a genuine order is not automatically treated as a fraudulent transaction merely because the seller later failed.
7. Assemble an evidence pack before you submit
A complete, chronological file reduces avoidable delays and lets the provider see both the contract and the failed delivery. Put the documents in date order and write a short timeline so that the person reviewing the claim does not have to reconstruct it from scattered messages.
- Order confirmation, invoice, receipt or other proof of purchase.
- Card or account statement showing the payment, including the merchant name and amount.
- Product or service description and the promised delivery date.
- Tracking information, cancellation notice or evidence that delivery never occurred.
- Emails, chat transcripts, contact forms and letters exchanged with the retailer.
- Evidence of the retailer’s administration or liquidation and the insolvency practitioner’s details, if available.
- A copy of your Section 75 or chargeback submission and the date it was sent.
Keep originals and send copies unless the provider specifically asks for an original. Redact unrelated account information, but leave enough of the statement visible to identify the transaction. Save files in a format the provider accepts and keep a record of every reference number, call date and promised response date.
8. Register as a creditor if card recovery is unavailable or fails
Find the appointed administrator or liquidator in the official insolvency notice and follow that case’s creditor-registration instructions. Citizens Advice recommends registering a claim as a creditor when a company stops trading or goes out of business. The practitioner may provide a proof-of-debt form, an online portal or a specific postal address; use the method and deadline stated for that case.
What to include
- Your name and contact details.
- The retailer’s name and the order reference.
- The amount paid and the date of payment.
- A short explanation that the goods or service were not supplied or that a promised refund was not paid.
- Copies of supporting documents requested by the insolvency practitioner.
- Details of any card claim already made, including whether money has been recovered, so the insolvency record is accurate.
Registration records your debt in the insolvency; it does not guarantee that you will receive the full amount, or any payment. The result depends on assets available after administration costs and on the legal priority of creditors. Keep the practitioner’s acknowledgement and update your contact details if they change. If a card provider later pays you, tell the practitioner if the case instructions require an update.
9. Challenge poor handling by a bank or card provider
If the financial firm rejects, delays or mishandles your claim, use its formal complaints process first. Explain what you asked for, when you supplied evidence and why you believe the response is wrong or incomplete. Attach the provider’s decision and identify the specific transaction rather than making a general complaint about the retailer.
The Financial Ombudsman Service can consider some complaints about how a financial firm handled Section 75 or chargeback matters. Eligibility, time limits and the required complaint steps apply, so check the Ombudsman’s current guidance and retain the provider’s final response. The Ombudsman reviews the financial firm’s handling; it is not a replacement for registering as a creditor with the retailer.
Rank #4
10. Common mistakes that cost people time
- Waiting for the insolvency to finish: card-scheme deadlines can run while the insolvency case continues.
- Using the wrong route: Section 75 is for qualifying credit-card purchases; chargeback is a scheme process and is not the same legal right.
- Assuming a partial card payment is worthless: MoneyHelper says partial payment can still qualify for Section 75, so ask the issuer to assess it.
- Failing to prove the promised date: retain the order confirmation and delivery estimate, especially for a future-dated purchase.
- Submitting contradictory accounts: give the provider one clear timeline and explain any refund, replacement or cancellation already offered.
- Assuming creditor registration is a refund: it only puts your claim into the insolvency process.
- Missing a provider’s requested document: monitor email, post and secure messages after opening a dispute.
- Sending only a screenshot of a headline: include the underlying order, payment record and the official insolvency details where available.
11. A practical decision sequence
- Verify the status: determine whether the retailer is trading, in administration or in liquidation, and save the official insolvency details.
- Preserve evidence: collect the order, payment, delivery and communication records before accounts or websites disappear.
- Contact the retailer if practical: request delivery or a refund in writing and keep the response.
- Use the card route: ask for Section 75 on a qualifying UK credit-card purchase; otherwise ask for chargeback and confirm the applicable deadline.
- Register with the insolvency practitioner: do this if payment recovery is unavailable or unsuccessful, following the case-specific form or portal.
- Complain about provider handling: use the bank’s complaints process and then consider the Financial Ombudsman Service if eligible.
At each stage, write down what happened and when. A clear timeline helps distinguish a retailer’s failure to deliver from a later card-provider decision and prevents a missed follow-up from becoming another delay.
12. If you are outside the UK
The thresholds and procedures above are UK-specific. Other countries may have different card-dispute rights, insolvency priorities and deadlines. The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau confirms that a US credit-card customer may have a dispute route for a product or service problem, but the material here does not establish a country-by-country comparison of eligibility or time limits. Contact your card issuer promptly and follow the rules that apply where your card account and purchase are governed.
Authoritative guidance to check
For current instructions, consult MoneyHelper’s guidance on Section 75 and chargeback, the GOV.UK response on consumer prepayments and retailer insolvency, Citizens Advice’s guidance on companies that stop trading, the Financial Conduct Authority’s refund guidance, and the Financial Ombudsman Service information on Section 75 and chargeback. Insolvency notices and the appointed practitioner’s instructions control the creditor-registration process for the individual case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a refund if I paid by debit card?
You can ask your bank or card provider to raise a chargeback for goods or services not received. Chargeback is a card-scheme process, not a statutory Section 75 right, and the bank may reject it. MoneyHelper gives a 120-day period, with the starting point for a future purchase linked to when the goods or event should have occurred.
What is the Section 75 price limit?
For a qualifying UK credit-card purchase, the purchase price must be more than £100 and no more than £30,000. MoneyHelper also says paying only part of the purchase by credit card can still qualify. The provider must still assess the transaction structure and the alleged breach.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsDo I have to contact a retailer that has gone into liquidation?
No. If the retailer has disappeared, is clearly in liquidation or has no functioning customer-service route, MoneyHelper says you can proceed directly to your card provider. If a genuine trading route remains, contacting the retailer in writing is usually the quickest practical step.
Best Value
Is chargeback guaranteed?
No. It depends on card-scheme rules and the provider’s assessment. The merchant’s bank may challenge the claim, and Citizens Advice warns that a bank or card provider may not agree to chargeback.
What if my Section 75 or chargeback claim is mishandled?
Complain to the card provider first, explaining the evidence you supplied and why the decision or delay is disputed. The Financial Ombudsman Service can consider some complaints about financial-firm handling, subject to its current eligibility and time-limit rules.
Will registering as a creditor guarantee my money back?
No. Registration records your debt in the insolvency. Any distribution depends on the case’s available assets and creditor ranking, so a full repayment, partial repayment or no payment is possible.
Does Section 75 cover PayPal, wallets or buy-now-pay-later payments?
Do not assume it does. A third-party wallet or buy-now-pay-later arrangement can affect the contractual structure. Check the provider’s dispute terms and explain the payment path to the card issuer.
The Bottom Line
Check the retailer’s insolvency status, preserve your order and payment evidence, and act before a card deadline expires. Use Section 75 for an eligible UK credit-card purchase, request chargeback for a debit, credit or prepaid card where appropriate, and register with the insolvency practitioner if card recovery is unavailable or fails. Neither chargeback nor creditor registration guarantees a full refund.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
