Visa / Mastercard Chargeback Rules That Got Me $2,500 Back Without Fighting the Merchant

You do not need to fight the merchant. You can go directly to Visa or Mastercard through your bank. Here is what I did when a merchant refused a $2,500 refund. I called my credit card company (Chase) and said: "I need to initiate a chargeback under Visa's / Mastercard's chargeback rules for non-receipt of merchandise." The bank asked for documentation. I provided: order confirmation, tracking showing delivery to wrong address, proof I contacted the merchant, and the merchant's refusal. The bank credited my account within 24 hours (temporary credit). They investigated for 60 days. The merchant did not respond to Visa's inquiry. The credit became permanent. Visa's chargeback rules are tilted toward consumers. The merchant has to prove they delivered correctly. If they cannot, you win. The key is knowing the specific chargeback reason code. There are different codes for different situations. "Non-receipt of merchandise" is a strong code. "Not as described" is another strong one.