The seller has deleted their account and the listing is gone. Does that end things?

No, but it makes evidence more urgent. Screenshots, messages and payment records you already saved are what matters now — a deleted listing does not erase your bank's or card provider's records of the transaction, and your claim to them does not depend on the listing still existing.

I paid a stranger directly by bank transfer for something advertised on a marketplace app, outside the app's own checkout. Does that change anything?

It changes your protection significantly. Paying directly by transfer, rather than through a platform's built-in payment system, generally removes you from that platform's buyer protection scheme, and puts you into the Authorised Push Payment fraud process instead of chargeback. It's a common trick — a seller asking you to skip the app fees and pay by transfer is a recognised warning sign worth remembering for next time.

I already left neutral or positive feedback assuming it was just delayed. Does that hurt my case?

It's unlikely to be fatal on its own, but it is worth being upfront about if you're asked. Focus your case on the objective facts — the payment, the promised delivery date, and what has or hasn't arrived — rather than on what you believed at the time, which can reasonably change as new information comes in.

The item arrived, but it isn't what was described. Is this the same process?

It's related but not identical. ‘Not as described’ claims generally run through the same card, platform or Consumer Rights Act routes, but the evidence you need shifts toward comparing the listing description and photos against what actually arrived, rather than proving non-delivery.

How long do I actually have to act?

It depends on the route. Chargeback is generally usable within 120 days of the expected delivery date. Section 75 claims and ordinary breach of contract claims fall under the six-year limitation period in the Limitation Act 1980. APP fraud reports should go to your bank as soon as you realise, and any Financial Ombudsman Service escalation generally needs to happen within 6 months of your bank's final decision. Acting sooner, rather than at the deadline, keeps your evidence fresher and your options wider.

Can I get in trouble for pursuing a claim if it turns out the seller was genuine and just slow?

No — pursuing a chargeback, a Section 75 claim, or a small claims case in good faith, based on the facts as you understood them at the time, is not something you can be penalised for. If it turns out to be a delay rather than fraud, your bank or the court will simply assess the claim on those facts.

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I Paid for Something on a Marketplace and It Never Arrived. Can I Get My Money Back?

How you paid decides your route when an online marketplace order never arrives: Section 75 for credit cards over £100, chargeback for deb…