Every figure below comes from the platform's own published policy or help pages, checked October 21, 2026. "Window" means the time you have to start the platform's own process — your card chargeback clock (~120 days on Visa/Mastercard) runs separately, underneath all of them.
| Platform | Dispute window | Clock starts | First step | Then what |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vinted | 2 calendar days | Delivery (or "seems lost") notice | Tap "I have an issue" in the seller conversation | Payment stays frozen in escrow; agree with seller or escalate to Vinted |
| Depop | 30 days (not as described: from transaction; Depop Payments claims: from purchase). Non-delivery: raise from day 5 | Transaction / purchase date | Raise an issue in the app with photos | Seller has 48 hours; silence escalates automatically (non-delivery: auto-refund) |
| Etsy | Case after seller message + 48 hours; case window 30 days from the estimated delivery date; refunds processable within 180 days of the transaction | Estimated delivery date | "Help with order" message to the seller | Open a case; Purchase Protection = full refund on qualifying orders |
| Shein | 30 days from delivery (US; varies by country/seller — order page governs) | Delivery date | My Orders → Return Item | Refund to SHEIN Wallet or original payment after return is checked |
| Temu | 90 days after purchase; return parcel sent within 14 days of the request | Purchase date | Your Orders → Return/Refund | Refund to Temu credit or original payment method |
| AliExpress | While the protection countdown runs + 15 days after the order completes | Shipment / order completion | Open Dispute on the order page | Seller has 5 days; then escalate to AliExpress for a decision |
These platforms hold your money between buyer and seller — and release it on a schedule. That is why their windows are the shortest and the least forgiving. Vinted's 2 calendar days (its Terms & Conditions call it the Refund Request Period) is the most-missed deadline in online shopping: report, and the transaction suspends with the money held; stay silent, and the sale "automatically completes." Depop builds in a seller grace period instead — non-delivery issues open at day 5, the seller gets 48 hours, and silence works in the buyer's favour (automatic escalation; for non-delivery, an automatic refund). AliExpress gives the longest escrow leash: the countdown on your order page plus a 15-day tail after completion — but one dispute per order, and two self-inflicted traps (confirming receipt early; closing a dispute early) detailed in our AliExpress dispute vs chargeback guide.
Temu and Shein sell more like retailers, and their windows look like return policies. Temu is the most generous on paper — support up to 90 days after purchase under Purchase Protection — but its clock starts at purchase (not delivery), and an approved return must physically ship within 14 days of the request. Shein's US window is 30 days from delivery for most items; the catch is variance — third-party-seller items and other countries run different numbers, and non-returnable categories (lingerie, jewellery, cosmetics, final sale) push you into the customer-service route instead of the returns flow. In both cases, your order page shows the window that actually governs your item. When Temu's process fails outright, see the Temu chargeback path.
Etsy is the process platform: you cannot open a case cold. The sequence in Etsy Help is fixed — Help with order message to the seller, 48 hours, then a case once the estimated delivery date has passed, with the case window running 30 days from that estimated date (your order page shows your exact dates). In exchange for the choreography, qualifying orders carry Purchase Protection: a full refund if the item doesn't arrive, arrives damaged, or isn't as described — and Etsy can process refunds within 180 days of the transaction. One structural warning: filing a card chargeback closes the Etsy route entirely (only one method of credit can be issued), so Etsy first, bank last — unless your card clock is about to expire.
Generate your own sequence — platform ladder, evidence list, escalation point — in the Marketplace Dispute Navigator, and your exact card date in the deadline calculator.
Vinted: 2 calendar days from the delivery (or "seems lost") notice, per its Terms & Conditions. Miss it and the sale completes automatically — there is no late-case mechanism. Depop is next-tightest in practice for non-delivery (raise from day 5; Depop Payments claims within 30 days of purchase).
Often yes — the card window is separate and usually longer. But it kept running while the platform window lapsed, so check your remaining time immediately; and the chargeback still needs a valid family (non-delivery, not as described). A platform enforcing its return rules on an as-described item is not, by itself, a chargeback ground.
Business model. Retail-style platforms (Temu, Shein) compete on generous returns. Escrow marketplaces (Vinted, Depop, AliExpress) hold buyer money only briefly by design — sellers expect release on delivery, so objection windows are short. Etsy sits between: independent sellers, platform-run cases, Purchase Protection on qualifying orders.
Sources (verified October 21, 2026): Vinted Terms & Conditions — Buyer Protection (2-calendar-day Refund Request Period; escrow suspension; automatic completion); Depop Help Centre — Resolution Centre and item-not-received guidance (30 days, day-5 start, 48-hour seller window, US 10-day auto-cancel); Etsy Help — "How to Open a Case" and Purchase Protection programme (seller message + 48 hours; 30 days from estimated delivery date; 180-day refund processing limit); SHEIN USA Return Policy (30 days from delivery; per-item windows in order history); Temu Purchase Protection + Return and Refund Policy (90 days from purchase; 14-day return shipment); AliExpress Buyer Protection terms (countdown + 15 days after completion; 5-day seller response). Policies vary by country and seller and change over time; your order page is the authority for your purchase.
