Not as described chargebacks: proving the listing was honest

What the bank was told

The cardholder told their bank the item arrived damaged, wrong, or meaningfully different from what your listing promised. Unlike a fraud code, nobody is claiming the purchase was unauthorized. The fight is over whether what shipped matched what was sold.

These disputes often come from buyer's remorse. Your best evidence is an accurate product listing and a clear return policy that the customer bypassed. If your product description was genuinely misleading, accepting the dispute and improving listings prevents future losses.

How the bank actually decides it

The analyst compares two records: what your listing promised at the moment of purchase, and what credible evidence exists of what actually shipped.

The second thing they weigh is whether the customer gave you a chance to fix it. A cardholder who never attempted a return or sent a support message before disputing reads differently from one who tried and was refused, and card network rules generally expect that attempt.

The evidence that decides it

Product listing screenshots showing accurate description at time of purchase
Photos or videos of the item as shipped
Your return/refund policy shown at checkout
Any customer communication about the product before the dispute
Proof customer did not attempt to return before disputing
Third-party reviews or lab reports confirming product quality

Your first hour after it lands

Capture the product listing as it stood at purchase

Screenshot the live page now. If the listing has changed since the order date, an archived copy of the version the customer saw is the honest and stronger artifact.

Gather proof of what shipped

Product photos, QC or packing records, the weight on the shipping label. Anything that documents condition and contents at handoff.

Search support and returns for this customer

A dispute with zero prior contact is a fact worth stating plainly in your response, next to your visible return policy.

Reread your own listing like a skeptic

If the description genuinely oversold, accepting this dispute and fixing the listing is cheaper than fighting it and eating the next five.

One response only

A dispute response locks the moment it is submitted, yours orShopify’s automatic one, with no edits after. Whatever goes in first is your whole case, which is why the first hour matters more than the last day.

Preventing the next one

Photograph high-value items before they ship
Keep product descriptions literal: adjectives sell, specifics defend
Make the return path obvious, so unhappy customers file returns instead of disputes
Answer 'this arrived broken' messages the same day, with a fix

Questions merchants actually ask

The customer never tried to return it. Does that help me?

Yes. Card network rules generally expect the cardholder to attempt a resolution with the merchant first. No return attempt, shown next to your clearly displayed return policy, is a real argument. It does not win alone, but it shifts how the case reads.

They claim damage but provided no photos

Say so in the response. You are allowed to note that the claim arrived without evidence, alongside your own record of the item's condition when it shipped.

My listing honestly was a bit optimistic

Then this dispute is feedback wearing a fee. Accept it, rewrite the listing to be literal, and this code largely stops showing up.

What does Backstop do with these?

It assembles the order record and your refund policy into the evidence pack, shows this code's guidance next to the live dispute, and keeps you ahead of the deadline with email warnings at 7, 3, and 1 day.

Where Backstop fits

Backstop puts the order record, your refund policy, and this code's evidence checklist on one screen next to the live dispute, so assembling the listing-versus-shipment story takes minutes instead of an evening. Deadline emails at 7, 3, and 1 day make sure the response actually goes in.

Product Unacceptable / Not as Described disputes, handled plainly