How to get a credit card chargeback when purchases go wrong

You buy something and it doesn't get delivered. Or, it does turn up but it's not what you ordered.

You've cancelled a recurring payment but you still get charged. You bought tickets for a flight or a show but it gets cancelled.

Sound familiar? Fair Go’s email inbox and Facebook page are full of these sort of issues. But there's something you can do to get your money back – and lots of consumers don’t even know about it.

If you paid with a credit card, or online with a debit card you can ask your bank for a chargeback.

That's where the money you paid to a merchant – that’s a retailer or seller – is reversed out of its account and put back into yours.

Chargebacks are especially useful with overseas purchases when it's hard to get things put right because they’re not governed by New Zealand consumer laws.

If you've made efforts to sort the issue yourself but haven't had any luck, you need to get in touch with your bank.

You'll need proof of your purchase and evidence of your attempts to fix the problem.

Different banks have different ways of doing chargebacks, but generally you'll have around two to three months to request one.

If you think you're eligible, get in touch with your bank ASAP.