How to apply for a refund

A refund is the return of money you already paid. When funds are still in escrow, a refund is immediate. When they have been released to the supplier, it requires their agreement or a dispute decision.

Before the supplier ships

1. Open the order at /orders and select Request cancellation.
2. Give a reason. The supplier has 48 hours to respond.
3. If they accept, the refund is issued automatically to the original payment method.
4. If they do not respond, or they refuse without cause, select Escalate to dispute.

After goods are received

Use the dispute route rather than a plain refund request:

1. Open the order and select Open dispute within the protection window shown on the page.
2. Choose the reason: not received, damaged, materially different from the specification, or quantity short.
3. Upload evidence — photos, the specification you agreed, the carrier's delivery record.
4. The supplier responds within three business days.
5. If unresolved, platform staff review the evidence and decide. Funds in escrow are released to whichever side the decision favours.

See *How to open a dispute* for how to present evidence well.

Timing by payment method

• Card — 3 to 5 business days after approval, sometimes up to 10 depending on your bank.
• PayPal — 3 to 5 business days.
• Google Pay — 3 to 5 business days, back to the underlying card.
• AliPay / WeChat Pay — usually within 24 hours.
• Bank transfer — 5 to 10 business days, and intermediary bank charges are not refundable.

Partial refunds

Common when part of a shipment is faulty or a quantity is short. The supplier can issue a partial refund directly from the order page, which does not require a dispute, or the platform can award one as part of a dispute decision.

Why it goes back to the card

Regulations in most jurisdictions require refunds to the original payment instrument — this prevents money laundering through the platform and protects you if a seller later disputes the transaction. We cannot send a refund to a different card or account.

Related

• *How to open a dispute*
• *How buyer protection works*