Refund Demand Letter to Merchant (Free Template + 30-Day Demand)

[Your Full Name]
[Mailing Address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Phone] [Email]

[Date]

[Merchant Legal Name — not just the DBA]
[Registered agent or corporate address]
[City, State ZIP]

Sent via certified mail, return receipt requested
(Copy also emailed to [merchant customer service / legal] for the record.)

Re: Demand for Refund — Order #[Order Number]

Dear Customer Service / Legal Department:

I am writing to demand a full refund of $[Amount] for the transaction described below, pursuant to my rights under [State] consumer-protection law and applicable federal law.

Purchase facts:
  • Date of purchase: [Date]
  • Order number / invoice number: [Number]
  • Item or service: [Description]
  • Amount paid: $[Amount]
  • Payment method: [Credit card / debit card / bank transfer / etc. — relevant because credit card unlocks FCBA dispute separately]
  • Channel: [Website / mobile app / phone / mail / in-store]
  • Promised delivery / completion: [Date]

What went wrong:
  [Pick one or more, with specific facts. Don't be vague.]
  [ ] Item never shipped or never arrived (last tracking activity: [Date]).
  [ ] Item arrived damaged or defective. [Describe.]
  [ ] Item materially not as described. [Describe the gap between what was advertised and what arrived.]
  [ ] I returned the item within your stated return window and have not received a refund. [Return shipment tracking #, date received by you.]
  [ ] Service was not performed as agreed. [Describe.]

Prior attempts to resolve:
  • [Date — channel (email/chat/phone) — name of rep if known — outcome]
  • [Date — channel — outcome]
  • [Date — channel — outcome]

Legal basis for the demand:

  1. [If mail/Internet/phone order and shipping deadline missed] Under the FTC Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule, 16 C.F.R. § 435.2, you were required to ship by the time stated in your offer or, if no time was stated, within 30 days. You did not. Under § 435.2(b), I have the right to cancel and receive a prompt refund. Under § 435.1, "prompt refund" means within 7 working days by a means at least as fast and reliable as first-class mail, or within one billing cycle if paid by credit card.

  2. [If the item is a consumer product with a written warranty] Under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2310, I am entitled to enforce the warranty obligations and to recover costs and reasonable attorney's fees if I am required to file suit.

  3. Under the implied warranty of merchantability codified at UCC § 2-314 (adopted in [State]), the goods you sold were required to be fit for their ordinary purpose. They were not.

  4. Under [State] consumer-protection law (e.g., Mass. G.L. c. 93A § 2 + § 9; Cal. Civ. Code § 1750 et seq. (CLRA) + Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200 (UCL); Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 17.46 (DTPA); N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law § 349; Fla. Stat. § 501.204 (FDUTPA); 815 ILCS 505/2 (ICFA)), your refusal to refund constitutes an unfair or deceptive act or practice.

This letter is being sent at least [30 days — required in MA, CA CLRA; or 60 days — required in TX DTPA] before any civil action I may bring, consistent with the pre-suit notice requirements of [Mass. G.L. c. 93A § 9; Cal. Civ. Code § 1782; Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 17.505].

Demand:

  I demand a full refund of $[Amount] to my original payment method within [30] days of your receipt of this letter, plus a written confirmation that the refund has been issued and the transaction is closed.

If you do not provide a full refund within this period, I reserve the right to pursue all available remedies, including:
  • Suit for actual damages, statutory multiple damages, and reasonable attorney's fees under [State] consumer-protection statute. (In Massachusetts under Ch. 93A § 9: double or treble damages if the violation is willful or the response inadequate, plus mandatory attorney's fees for a prevailing consumer.)
  • Chargeback dispute under the Fair Credit Billing Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1666, with my credit card issuer.
  • Complaints to my state Attorney General's consumer protection division, the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and the Better Business Bureau.

Please send the refund or your written response to the address above.

Sincerely,

[Your Signature]
[Your Printed Name]

Enclosures: [order confirmation; receipts; correspondence with merchant; return shipment tracking; photos of damaged item if applicable]