Personal & Consumer · free generator
Refund Request Letter
Fill in your details, review the refund request letter, and edit the wording before you send. Copy the finished text or download a Word file for free.
[Date]
Customer Service Department
[Company name]
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing to request a full refund of [Amount paid] for order [Order or invoice number]. My reason for requesting a refund from [Company name] is: [What went wrong (one sentence)].
I am requesting a refund of [Amount paid] to my original form of payment. Please review the problem described above and explain the resolution available under your return policy, any applicable warranty, and applicable consumer law.
Please explain any return instructions and documents you need to review this request.
Please send a written response within 14 days. I am also reviewing any available payment-dispute and consumer-complaint options, subject to their applicable deadlines. I would prefer to resolve this directly with [Company name], and I trust this letter makes that possible.
Sincerely,
[Your full name]
Field notes
Three tips before you send
- Email it and send a copy by certified mail with return receipt for anything over a couple hundred dollars. The dated delivery record is what turns 'we never got it' into a losing argument.
- Keep the item, the box, and all packaging until the money lands. Photograph the defect now - companies deny claims by arguing the product came back incomplete or damaged in return shipping.
- Contact your card issuer promptly to confirm the deadline and process for your dispute. The 14-day response requested in this letter does not extend another deadline. For billing errors covered by federal credit-card rules, written notice generally must reach the issuer within 60 days after it sends the first statement showing the error.
Straight answers
Questions people ask
The company has a no-refund policy - am I out of luck?
Usually not for defective goods. A no-refund policy governs change-of-mind returns, but in most states it can't override the implied warranty of merchantability - the rule that products must work for their ordinary purpose. If the item is genuinely defective or not as described, you generally still have a claim regardless of the posted policy. Change-of-mind returns are different: there, the store's policy typically does control.
How long do I have to dispute the charge with my card?
Ask your card issuer promptly because deadlines depend on the payment method and dispute type. For billing errors covered by federal credit-card rules, written notice generally must reach the issuer within 60 days after it sends the first statement showing the error. Product-quality disputes can follow different rules. Keep your merchant correspondence and avoid missing another deadline while waiting for a response.
What records should I keep in case this escalates?
Keep the order confirmation, the receipt or card statement showing the charge, photos or video of the defect, any chat transcripts or emails with support, and a copy of this letter with proof of when you sent it. That file is everything a card issuer, a state consumer protection office, or a small claims judge will ask for - and having it usually means you never need it.
Keep going
Related letters
Complaint Letter for Poor Service →
Names the incident, asks for a specific remedy, and puts a response deadline on record.
Demand Letter for Payment →
The last letter before small claims - amount, deadline, and consequence, in writing.
Subscription Cancellation Letter →
Revokes billing authorization in writing and demands confirmation - dispute-ready.
Contract Cancellation Letter →
Invokes your contract's exit clause, stops auto-drafts, demands confirmation in 14 days.
When to use this letter
The sound bar died in week two, the 'premium detail' left scratches, or the box arrived broken - and customer service keeps routing you back to the same chatbot. A written refund request changes the dynamic. It puts the facts, the amount, and a 14-day deadline on a dated record the company has to take seriously - and it's exactly the good-faith attempt your card issuer wants to see if you end up disputing the charge. This letter states what you bought, what went wrong, and what you're owed - without heat and without begging. Fill in the blanks below - company, order number, amount, and the problem in one sentence - and you'll have it ready to email or mail in about a minute.
What to include with a refund request
- Order or receipt number and purchase date.
- A factual description of the problem and the remedy you request.
- Copies of relevant receipts, photographs or correspondence.
- Your preferred contact method and a record of when you sent the request.