How do PayPal and major card networks handle chargebacks for dietary supplement scams, and what are their exact filing deadlines?

1. How consumers typically initiate disputes in supplement‑scam cases

Victims can open a dispute either through their card issuer (triggering the network’s chargeback process) or through PayPal’s Resolution Center if PayPal was used; PayPal also distinguishes internal disputes/claims from card chargebacks and will mediate before—or alongside—the card network’s processes ^{[3] [4] [5]}.

2. Exact filing deadlines — the card networks’ baseline

Across multiple industry guides and network summaries, the common baseline for card‑network chargeback filing is about 120 days from transaction or discovery for many reason codes, though exceptions and code‑specific starts exist and issuers sometimes apply slightly different clocks (for example, merchant response windows vary by acquirer and bank) ^{[1] [6] [7]}.

3. Exact filing deadlines — PayPal’s messier picture

PayPal’s public materials say card disputes “usually” must be filed within about 120 days in some contexts but PayPal’s platform also maintains separate dispute filing timeframes and in practice has been reported to allow up to 180 days to escalate depending on how the payment was made and whether PayPal’s in‑platform claim was invoked first; industry summaries flag PayPal’s 180‑day allowance while PayPal’s own help pages emphasize case‑by‑case timing and 120‑day norms ^{[2] [1] [4]}.

4. Practical mechanics and deadlines sellers must meet

When a chargeback or PayPal claim arrives, merchants must provide evidence on the network’s schedule or they lose by default; networks generally give merchants a short response window (industry guides cite ~45 days but note some acquirers like Chase use 39 days for merchant responses) and missing those deadlines results in automatic merchant loss ^{[1] [6]}. PayPal’s Resolution Center likewise asks sellers to submit proof (shipping, communications, delivery confirmation) within the requested timeframe and may freeze the disputed amount while the case is open ^{[5] [3] [8]}.

5. How supplement‑scam specifics change the game — evidence and protection tools

Dietary supplement scams often involve subscription traps, unverifiable claims, or “item not as described” complaints, so issuers look for cancellation attempts, confirmation emails, tracking and proof of delivery; card issuers can issue chargebacks and block future payments when merchants are uncooperative ^[9]. PayPal offers opt‑in Chargeback Protection for eligible merchants and will waive fees or not debit disputed amounts up to a loss cap if merchants submit required information in time ^[10].

6. Conflicting signals, merchant risk, and limits of available reporting

Sources converge on the 120‑day network norm but diverge on PayPal’s maximum window (industry writeups note up to 180 days while PayPal documentation emphasizes 120 days and case‑by‑case rules), creating uncertainty for merchants and consumers trying to calendar exact cutoffs; reporting here does not provide a single, definitive PayPal statutory deadline that applies in all circumstances, and readers should check the issuer’s or PayPal’s current policy pages for a given transaction ^{[1] [2] [4]}.

7. Bottom line for scam victims and merchants

For victims of dietary supplement scams, filing with the card issuer within roughly 120 days is the standard play while opening a PayPal dispute early can add a parallel route that may extend timelines or resolve faster; for merchants, the imperative is strict internal deadlines—gather tracking, communications and cancellation proof immediately—because network merchant response windows (and PayPal’s requested submission timelines) are short and failure to meet them typically means an automatic loss ^{[1] [5] [3] [6]}.