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March 12, 2026
Question

fraudulent chargeback

  • March 12, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 1 view

Our company provided [PII removed] with branding, packaging design, and e-commerce development services totaling approximately $15,000. The work was completed, delivered, and approved by the client, and we have documentation, including emails, project files, and even physical packaging prototypes produced from our designs.

 

After receiving the deliverables, the client filed several chargebacks through American Express, claiming the services were never received. Despite all the evidence we submitted, AMEX ruled in favor of the client and reversed the payments, leaving our small business with no ability to appeal.

 

I asked Intuit to help me gather insight into why Amex ruled in favor despite the tangible proof that service and files were delivered to the client ( we have their packaging produced in our hands) .  They said. no. Sue the client is the only alternative i left. 

 

This experience raises serious concerns about chargeback abuse and the lack of protection for small businesses providing creative services. I spoke with the Intuit Customer Service, which told me "you've got to be careful when you do business with and don't accept credit card payment. It makes you very vulnerable".

 

What is your experience? 

1 reply

BigRedConsulting
Level 15
April 23, 2026

Unfortunately this is a hard reality of accepting credit cards.  

 

When there is a chargeback, in most cases the customer will win. The "fight" is between you and your customer, and - by design - there really isn't much that a merchant service can do about it. They're just the middle man.

 

This is a side effect of the original deal the credit card companies made with government regulators back in the 1960's. In exchange for them being able to charge companies 3% or more to process charges (which is highway robbery), they promised very generous policies for refunds to card holders. Essentially they made it  the company's job to prove that charges were legitimate and that the customer received what they paid for - basically to prove a negative. And even so (as you have discovered) if the card holder sticks to their story they usually win.

 

In my experience, I've done a lot of work to prove the customer is wrong, and yet if they just say "nope that's all wrong", they will still win. Over the years we've had perhaps 40 - 50 chargebacks, and I think they were all "blue sky" except for two, which did seem to be actual fraud like a stolen credit card.

 

-------------------------------------

 

The up-side for you as a consumer is that if your card is ever compromised and fraudulent charges appear, all you have to do is call you CC company and say, "that's not mine!", and they'll issue a full refund to you, and then try to pull the money back from whoever got it. Even if they fail to do that, you'll get your money. And in that case, the credit card company (not your merchant service) has to eat it.

 

Similarly, if you buy something that you find out is garbage, or arrives broken, or is otherwise unsuitable, and the vendor refuses to refund your money, you can call and describe your case and - if reasonable - most of the time you'll get your money back and they'll get a chargeback.