When Kenneth Rogers orders a modem through AliExpress, he receives nothing but a $370 bill. How can he get his money back?

Q: I tried buying a cable modem-router from AliExpress using PayPal, which charged my Citi Mastercard. After submitting payment, I never received an order confirmation, and the website showed no record of the transaction. PayPal charged me $370 anyway.

I contacted AliExpress immediately via chat. They provided a case ID but no resolution or follow-up. When I disputed the charge with Citi, they closed the case, claiming they couldn’t force a refund without merchant approval. PayPal also refused to investigate because I’d filed a dispute through Citi. AliExpress ignored multiple follow-ups, and I’m stuck paying for a nonexistent order. What can I do? -- Kenneth Rogers, Prescott Valley, Ariz.

A: AliExpress, Citi and PayPal failed you -- big time! 

Let’s start with what should have happened. When an order doesn’t generate a confirmation, the merchant must either provide proof of shipment or issue a prompt refund. Under the Federal Trade Commission’s Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule, companies have 30 days to ship items or notify customers of delays. If they can’t deliver, they must refund you. AliExpress clearly violated this by charging you without acknowledging the order or providing a timeline for resolution.

Citi’s response was equally concerning. Under Regulation Z, which governs credit card disputes, issuers are required to investigate billing errors and temporarily credit your account while reviewing a claim. Citi’s dismissal of your case -- citing a lack of a “credit slip” from AliExpress -- ignores its duty to advocate for you. 

PayPal also dropped the ball: its Purchase Protection Program should cover unauthorized or unfulfilled transactions, but it deferred to Citi instead of opening its own investigation.

You did everything right by starting a paper trail with AliExpress and escalating to your credit card issuer. Could you have done more? Maybe. Careful consumers always take a screenshot of their confirmations, and that might have helped you. And you might have also paid the company directly through your credit card instead of a third party like PayPal. That just added to the confusion in your case.

I contacted AliExpress on your behalf. A few days later, you received a notification from PayPal that a $370 refund had been issued. It did not explain what had gone wrong. As far as I can tell, there was some confusion among the company, your credit card and PayPal. And even though you never received a modem, it seems the companies could not find your refund either.

The takeaway? Persistence pays -- but no one should need a consumer advocate to fix a straightforward billing error. Hold companies accountable by knowing your rights, documenting everything, and escalating early.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (https://elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at https://elliottadvocacy.org/help/