Payment disputes and chargebacks: how we handle them

If something's wrong with a charge, email support@eflexsim.com before you file a dispute with your bank. A direct refund takes 1-2 business days; a chargeback takes 30-90. More importantly: when a dispute is opened against a charge, your Eflexsim account is deactivated automatically and you can no longer sign in. That happens on the first dispute, whatever the reason, because it's an automated response to money being pulled back. If your card was genuinely used by someone else, tell us and we'll refund it — you don't need the chargeback to get your money.

Below: what to do instead, what happens when a dispute is filed, and the difference between an inquiry and a real dispute.

Email us first — the honest reason

We're not asking you to skip your bank out of self-interest. Three concrete reasons:

It's faster. We refund valid cases within 1-2 business days. A chargeback runs 30-90 days.

You keep your account. Filing a dispute deactivates it — see below. Emailing us doesn't.

It usually works. Unactivated eSIM inside 14 days is a straightforward refund and we don't ask why. See refund policy.

Email support@eflexsim.com with your order number. We reply within 4 hours during business hours.

What happens when a dispute is filed

Once your bank raises a dispute where money is actually pulled back:

Your account is deactivated and sign-in is blocked. This is automatic, on the first dispute, regardless of whether the dispute is fair. It's a system response to a reversed payment, not a judgement about you.

Your eSIM is not switched off. A plan already installed and running on your phone keeps working. We record what a dispute affects, but we can't remotely disable a plan you're already using.

We're notified and we review it. Every dispute is looked at by a person.

The card network decides, typically in 30-90 days. Your bank usually gives you a provisional credit while it's open; if the dispute is rejected, that credit is taken back.

If your account was deactivated by a dispute and you want it back, email support@eflexsim.com. That's a conversation, not an automatic reversal.

An inquiry is not a dispute

Banks sometimes raise an inquiry (also called a retrieval) — a question about a charge where no money moves. Inquiries don't deactivate anything. They're just a request for information, and they sometimes go away without becoming a dispute. If yours escalates into a real dispute later, the consequences above start then.

When a dispute is the right tool

Some situations genuinely warrant it:

• You didn't authorise the charge at all and can't reach us.
• Your card was stolen and this was one of several fraudulent charges. Report it to your issuer and replace the card — that part matters regardless of what we do.
• You contacted us and got no reply within a reasonable time.
• We refused a refund you believe you're owed.

Even in the first two, emailing us in parallel is worth it: we can refund an unauthorised charge directly, which is faster than the dispute and doesn't cost you your account.

How we respond

Unauthorised charges. We don't contest them. If it wasn't you, the money should come back.

Something genuinely went wrong and we didn't fix it. We don't contest those either.

The plan worked as sold and you changed your mind after using it. We provide the record — when it activated, how much data went through it, when it was delivered — and let the card network decide. Networks usually side with the merchant when the service was delivered.

You'd already been refunded. We show the refund. These normally close without further action.

If you don't recognise a charge

Before assuming fraud:

Someone else may have used the card — a partner or family member with access to it, or a card saved in a shared phone wallet.

It may be an older purchase you've forgotten. eSIMs are often bought weeks before a trip.

Or the card really was compromised somewhere unrelated to us.

Either way:

1. Email support@eflexsim.com with the date, the amount and the last four digits of the card — never the full number.
2. We find the order and tell you what it was and which email address bought it.
3. If it wasn't you, we refund it.
4. Separately, tell your card issuer and replace the card. If it was fraud, there are probably other charges.

For refunds, see refund policy. For payment security, see is it safe to pay on Eflexsim. For failed payments, see what to do if your payment failed at checkout.