Company Ignoring Your Refund Request? (UK)
Being ignored feels like a dead end and is actually one of the more useful positions to be in: an unanswered written request, dated, is far better evidence than a phone call nobody can prove happened.
The short answer
There is no law requiring a company to reply to an email. What matters is the underlying obligation, and being ignored after a clear written request is evidence that a reasonable time has passed without resolution. Most escalation routes — ADR schemes, ombudsmen and card providers — expect to see you approached the company first, which is why the written record is the thing to get right.
Contents
Make the record unambiguous
Before escalating, make sure what you sent would read to a stranger as a clear request. Vague dissatisfaction is easy to ignore and hard to escalate; a specific ask with a date is neither.
What a strong follow-up contains
- State what you bought, when, for how much, and the order reference
- State the remedy you want in one sentence, near the top
- Give a specific deadline rather than "as soon as possible"
- Reference your earlier message by date so the silence is visible
- Use email or the account message centre — something that timestamps itself
Where silence can be escalated to
Which route fits depends on the sector and how you paid. More than one may be open at the same time, and using one does not normally stop you using another.
Routes that do not need the company's cooperation
- An ADR or ombudsman scheme, if the trader belongs to one — normally free to you
- Your card provider, through Section 75 or chargeback depending on the payment
- Trading Standards, via the Citizens Advice consumer service, for reporting a trader
- Small claims, within the limitation period, as a last step
When it is too early to escalate
If you wrote three days ago and gave no deadline, you do not yet have something an ombudsman will act on. Give a stated, reasonable deadline and let it pass. That single step converts "they are ignoring me" into a documented failure to respond, which is what the next stage actually needs.
Second request after silence
Edit this template with your facts, dates, and requested outcome before sending.
Subject: Second request — refund for [item/service], order [reference] Dear [Company], I wrote to you on [date] about [briefly what happened] and asked for [the remedy]. I have not received a reply. For clarity: I bought [item/service] on [date] for [amount], order reference [reference]. [One or two factual sentences about what went wrong.] I am asking again for [the remedy]. Please confirm in writing within 14 days. If I do not receive a response I intend to [escalate to the relevant ADR or ombudsman scheme / contact my card provider], and this correspondence will form part of that. Kind regards, [Your Name]
Common mistakes to avoid
- Escalating before there is any written request on record
- Sending several angry messages rather than one clear one with a deadline
- Only phoning, so nothing can be shown to a third party
- Letting a card chargeback window pass while waiting for a reply
- Not saying what remedy you actually want
- Assuming nothing can be done because the company simply will not engage
Next steps
- 1Gather the order details, amounts and dates in one place
- 2Send one clear follow-up restating the request with a deadline
- 3Check whether the trader belongs to an ADR or ombudsman scheme
- 4Check your card route and its time limit in parallel
- 5Keep everything — the unanswered messages are the evidence
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