Visa · Consumer Disputes
Reason code 13.3: Not as Described or Defective Merchandise/Services
The cardholder claims the goods or services received were materially different from what was described, arrived damaged or defective, or that services were not performed as agreed. Visa expects the cardholder to have attempted to resolve the issue with the merchant or to have returned the merchandise before the dispute qualifies. The battleground is the gap between your product listing and what showed up.
Issuer filing window
typically 120 days from the transaction processing date or the date the goods were received, not to exceed 540 days from processing
Merchant response window
typically 20-30 days to respond, depending on the acquirer
Why 13.3 chargebacks happen
- The product arrived broken or stopped working shortly after delivery.
- Listing photos or copy oversold the item, and the delivered quality did not match expectations set by the marketing.
- The wrong variant, size, or model shipped.
- A service engagement delivered less than the scope the customer believed was agreed.
- Long-transit dropshipped goods arrived damaged, and the customer blamed the merchant rather than the carrier.
How to fight a 13.3 chargeback
- Provide the product listing as it appeared at purchase, showing the description, specifications, and photos matched what shipped.
- Document that the cardholder never attempted a return or resolution, since Visa requires a merchant contact or return attempt before this dispute is valid.
- Submit quality-control or fulfillment records showing the correct item in good condition left your warehouse, plus packaging evidence where available.
- Present the customer's own communications if they contradict the dispute claim, such as an initial complaint about a different issue.
- For services, provide the signed scope, deliverables, and acceptance correspondence.
- Note whether the goods were returned; if the customer still has and uses the merchandise, argue the claim fails Visa's conditions.
How to prevent 13.3 chargebacks
- Write product descriptions to the actual product, not the aspiration, and photograph the real item you ship.
- Add quality control at the fulfillment stage, particularly for supplier-direct and dropshipped inventory you never physically inspect.
- Make returns and replacements easy and fast so unhappy customers resolve through you rather than their bank.
- Set delivery-condition standards with suppliers and carriers, and pack fragile goods to survive the journey.
- Publish sizing, compatibility, and materials details prominently to kill expectation gaps before purchase.
- Follow up post-delivery to surface problems while a replacement can still preempt a dispute.
Frequently asked questions
- Does the customer have to return the product before filing a 13.3?
- Visa's conditions require the cardholder to have attempted resolution with the merchant, and for merchandise disputes generally to have returned the goods or attempted to. Issuers do not always enforce this rigorously at filing, so raise it in representment when the customer kept and continues to use the item. Your evidence of no return and no support contact directly attacks the dispute's validity.
- How do I fight subjective quality complaints, like a supplement that did not work?
- Anchor the case to what was objectively described and delivered: the listing, label, and specifications the customer saw, proof the delivered product matched them, and any disclaimers presented at purchase. Subjective dissatisfaction with a truthfully described product is weaker dispute ground than a factual mismatch. Where your marketing made outcome promises, expect the issuer to side with the cardholder, which is an argument for cleaning up the claims.
- What if the item was damaged in shipping?
- The cardholder's dispute is still against you, not the carrier, so your representment should include your packaging and QC evidence while you pursue the carrier claim separately. Practically, offering an immediate replacement or refund on documented shipping damage is cheaper than losing the dispute plus the fee. Then recover from the carrier or adjust packaging standards for the lane.
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