Hi all. We have been issued with a chargeback. The order in question was placed by a customer that we have been regularly dealing with for 8 years. We have contacted the customer who had absolutely no knowledge of said chargeback and didn’t even know what a chargeback was. We asked him to contact his bank, which he did (reluctantly, because it takes time and, as far as he was concerned, it had nothing to do with him). The bank also said they had no knowledge of the chargeback. Where do we go with this?? I’ve tried to contact Shopify but I can’t get past the bots on this one - they just say “submit your evidence” etc. Is this some sort of scam?
Topic summary
A merchant received a chargeback for an order from a long-standing customer of 8 years. Both the customer and their bank claim no knowledge of initiating the chargeback, leaving the merchant confused about its origin.
Possible explanations suggested:
- Fraudulent activity where someone gained access to the customer’s card information
- Bank or system errors creating incorrect chargeback records
- “Friendly fraud” scenarios, potentially triggered unknowingly by the cardholder or family member
Recommended actions:
- Gather comprehensive evidence (order confirmations, shipping/tracking details, customer communications)
- Submit all proof through Shopify’s dispute system, despite the confusing circumstances
- Attempt to reach Shopify support directly via phone or chat to explain the unusual situation
- Review the order for any signs of compromised payment information
Current status: The discussion remains open with no resolution yet. The merchant is seeking guidance on navigating this unusual chargeback where neither party claims responsibility.
Hi,
It sounds like you’re dealing with a “friendly fraud” / unknown chargeback situation. Even with a long-term customer, chargebacks can sometimes be triggered by the bank, a third-party, or even fraudsters.
Here’s what you can do:
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Collect Evidence:
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Order confirmation emails
Shipping/tracking info -
Customer communication showing they received/acknowledged the order
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Submit Evidence via Shopify:
- Even if the customer is confused, Shopify requires you to submit proof to dispute the chargeback.
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Contact Shopify Support Directly:
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Try phone support or chat outside normal ticketing, sometimes bots cannot handle complex chargeback disputes.
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Clearly explain the customer confirms they didn’t initiate a chargeback and provide evidence.
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Check for Fraud:
- Review the order for signs of compromised payment info.
Unfortunately, there’s no guaranteed way to prevent this type of chargeback, but submitting solid evidence is the main path to potentially win the dispute.
Hi Tipo. Thanks for your response. So if neither the customer nor the bank initiated the chargeback, who else could have? And what would they achieve?
1 Like
Hi,
In situations like this, it’s usually fraudulent or “friendly fraud” activity. Even if neither the customer nor the bank initiated it directly, sometimes:
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A fraudster gains access to the customer’s card info and triggers a chargeback.
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Occasionally, bank/system errors can create a chargeback record incorrectly.
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“Friendly fraud” can also occur if a cardholder disputes a charge without realizing it (sometimes through automated bank alerts or a family member).
What they “achieve” depends — for fraudsters, it’s usually an attempt to get the money back while keeping the goods. For errors, it’s just a system mistake that needs correcting through evidence submission.
The important thing is to submit all your proof through Shopify — that’s the main way to reverse an unwarranted chargeback.