Separate the factual questions
Was payment taken, were the promised files available, and did the package match the description? These observations matter even when the store displays a no-return notice. Do not use a generic policy sentence to avoid investigating a missing or incorrect file. Keep the actual order and product version in view.
Find the appropriate rules
The checkout provider, payment processor and applicable consumer rules may each matter. Their requirements can differ by product and location. Consult the current merchant guidance and qualified advice where necessary. We do not provide a universal no-refund template or infer a buyer’s rights from the digital nature of the product.
Avoid duplicate financial actions
A second charge, partial refund or order cancellation should follow a deliberate authorised decision, not be used as a troubleshooting experiment. Keep attempted and confirmed actions separate. If the outcome of a financial action is uncertain, reconcile it before doing it again.
Keep support constructive
Explain the problem you identified, the proposed remedy and what the buyer should expect next. Preserve a minimal private record. A corrected download and a financial remedy are different outcomes; verify whichever is actually promised. Never publish a customer’s payment details to demonstrate that a dispute was handled.
An original working example
A neutral incident note can read: product and version, purchase location, promised contents, observed problem, proposed remedy and confirmed outcome. Keep the financial action field separate and leave it blank until an authorised action actually occurs. This prevents “we will investigate” from becoming a false record of a refund, or an attempted cancellation from being labelled complete. For difficult cases, preserve the relevant evidence and obtain appropriate provider or professional guidance. Do not copy a universal legal answer from a competitor’s FAQ. The practical aim is to understand and address the specific failure while respecting the applicable rules and the buyer’s legitimate concerns.
Sources used for this page
These records support the facts and comparisons above. Merchant-controlled records are labelled so you can separate product claims from independent evidence.
- Customer did not receive email — Merchant documentation · help.payhip.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-27
- Etsy digital downloads — Merchant documentation · help.etsy.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-27