Chargeback - Product Not Received - Banks side with customers far too much

[Snowleopard18]

Hi,

I recently received a chargeback from a customer claiming "product not received."

I have had chargebacks prior (have had a Shopify store for 5 years now) and understand how they work however what I really want to understand is how to win them for these types of claims because it seems no matter what evidence I provide the banks - they always side with the customer.

I sometimes wonder if some banks/banks staff even review it properly to be honest because it seems very biased leans towards the customers favor 99% of the time. For example, this order from the customer who claimed "product not received" was just an impatience customer, who didn't read that international delivery takes 4 weeks. It arrived within 30 transit days which is what is specified on our website that it takes 35 transit days for Intl. deliveries (especially in the pandemic). All our other customers seem to understand this yet this customer was just one of those who expected it right away/faster anyway. The item was delivered 1 day after they opened their chargeback claim.

I provided the banks with:

- USPS.com tracking html link + screenshots showing successful delivery to the customer's address

- Global 3rd party shipping tracking html link + screenshots showing entire journey successful delivery to the customer's address

- Email correspondence with the customer showing email address and electronic time stamps (using same email address they'd used to checkout with) where the customer admitted to receiving the item.

- The customer emailed me (3 days after opening chargeback claim) saying they received it but was the wrong size - however the size they claimed they had ordered but not received, wasn't what they had actually ordered either at checkout in their order, so this was also a mistake on their end. So I told the customer this, sent them a copy of the order confirmation showing the size they'd ordered and asked the customer to please send a photo of the item they received so we could just verify the size they received to help them and they just ignored all emails from that point. (likely because of the chargeback realised they'd admitted they'd received it)

- Emails to customer reassuring them it was almost there and would arrive soon with tracking details and links etc for them prior to them opening the chargeback. Reminding them takes 4 weeks etc. But they opened chargeback anyway a few days later.

- Order receipts showing customer placed their order and was sent relevant order notifications via email + sms such as order confirmation showing delivery times etc. (please also note delivery times of 4 weeks is posted on every product page, shipping page, prior to checkout in shipping section tab also and on both order confirmation/shipping emails and shipping + sms - it is everywhere - the customer was just impatient, which is fine I get that but I shouldn't lose this case for their impatience).

As well as fraud analysis from two separate software - Shopify + one 3rd party software service I pay for, showing no suspected fraud/pass.

- The banks still sided with the customer for claim "product not received". I just do not understand it. 1. because USPS.com tracking shows it was delivered to them + 2. the customer admits in emails they received the product immediately invalidating their claim.

And so I lost over $200+ AUD ($145.15 USD). This was a relatively high value item which impacted my small business and my living income (I live off my small business so this really effects me personally like other merchants I'm sure).

Normally I just take these on the chin and chalk it up to "doing business" - but I'm getting really tired of this bias towards customers by banks, and some customers learn they can get away with it so try it out more and more - which becomes a real issue for us as small business when banks favor the customers. As no loss or impact to them, they receive their chargeback fee in the process regardless who wins - and likely prefer to keep their customer happy.

So I want to know how I may have won this case with the banks? What more could I possibly do in future to prove the customer's claim isn't valid? Only thing I can think of is signature on delivery which is difficult as I'm drop-shipping. Would this make the banks actually side with merchant than customer? Or they'd just overlook it like the other evidence provided?

Also at the very least the customer, by law I read for 'late deliveries' is mean't to post the item back to the merchant if they win the chargeback and receive the item. However this never happens either? I contacted Shopify to ask how I contact the bank who reviewed this case as I would like the product returned at least, however they couldn't/wouldn't tell me who to contact?

I also had a similar one in the past where the customer claimed "subscription not cancelled" because they'd accidentally placed the order twice. They'd email me 7 days later, after the product had already shipped out, so I reassured them they could just return it for a full refund that's no problem at all. But they opened a chargeback saying "subscription not cancelled" instead - so I explained to the banks we do not even sell subscription based products, plus again a run down and evidence of emails, dates of contact and order confirmations etc.

And again the customer won this bogus claim despite I don't even sell those types of subscription based products and was their error, so the customer received a free high value item and I wore the impact of the fees and product costs etc/transaction fees/profit losses.

So I really think the banks just favor the customers or it's luck of the draw who you get reviewing it on the day. Which it shouldn't be. I've won some of the fraud ones, however it's in the banks interest/their customer's interest to stop those more so than the other types of chargeback claims so makes sense why I even win those. So I'm kind of hoping merchants start collectively not accepting this and fighting back against the banks more or doing something because it's really not fair or right, is like modern day electronic shop lifting, and this review system hasn't changed in years where they favor customers over merchants. And the banks win either way.

So, how do we protect our small businesses from these "product not received" claims? Or take these cases further with the banks who review them?

Thanks

[codingisforyou]

So, this has happened 2x now. I sent a very difficult hand made product.  They received it and it was logged as received.  Then they sided with customer.  I'm pretty much done with shopify if they can do this.  I lost the item, the shipping, 94 dollars Plus they charged me a $15.00 fee. 

Yup I'm done with them.