Ordering something online and getting an email that the product is on its way is an exciting feeling.
But what if you never receive what you ordered? Or are expecting a refund for a returned product? What if you changed your mind and now you want to cancel the order?
Because we have no access to sites and stores using our open-source software, nor oversee the payments process, we at WooCommerce.com are unable to take action against a seller who fails to fulfill an order. But you can!
Below we first explain what happened and then give suggestions for next steps.
What is Built with WooCommerce or Powered by WooCommerce #
“Built with WooCommerce” appears in the footer of order emails sent by WooCommerce stores (see #1 in the screenshot below).
“Powered by WooCommerce” appears in the footer of order emails sent from older WooCommerce stores.
“Built with WooCommerce” also appears in the footer of some online stores.
Based on these references, it’s common to assume that WooCommerce is the company to contact. However, WooCommerce is actually the free open-source software that the site owner is using to run the online store.
The WooCommerce team doesn’t manage the store, the payments, or the fulfillment of orders. That’s up to the site owner.
How to find the name of shop/site owner #
On the order confirmation email, “My Awesome Shop” is the name of the shop using WooCommerce software to sell products (#2 in the screenshot above).
The URL or site address of the website is “https://myawesomeshop.local”(#3 in the screenshot above).
What you can do #
We compiled suggestions on action you can take to get your products delivered or get a refund.
Contact the store owner #
The order confirmation in your inbox is sent from an email address listed as the administrator/owner of the website. Use it to reply directly to the store owner.
If you don’t get a response, visit the store’s site (#3 in the screenshot above) and contact the store owner directly through the site.
Most sites have a contact page, a help option or social media accounts.
Contact your bank or credit card company #
Report the seller and the site to your bank or credit card company and dispute the charge (from the example, that would be “My Awesome Shop” at “https://myawesomeshop.local”).
Your bank or credit card company will typically have a page called, “How to Dispute a Charge” or similar. A fraud investigation may be opened, if necessary.
Contact the hosting/domain company #
Try contacting the hosting company and/or domain registrar for the site. WooCommerce software needs to be used with a hosting company to work.
This solution has a better chance of success if the previous two steps were followed, establishing a clear record of attempts to solve on your own and adding to your case that these companies might help.
- Hosting company: The place that has the site’s data on their servers. To find the hosting provider, go to WhoisHostingthis.com and enter the site address.
- Domain registrar: The company where the URL (site address) is registered. To find the domain registrar, go to WhoIs.com and enter the site address. Sometimes this also shows an email address for reporting abuse.
WooCommerce or WooCommerce.com is the name of the shop #
This can mean one of two things:
- It is a legitimate purchase made on WooCommerce.com. In that case, all products in the order should be found on WooCommerce.com, such as software, plugins, and themes for your website. You can log in to your WooCommerce.com account, and manage orders there.
- The store owner might be using our name WooCommerce or WooCommerce.com without permission. In this case, contact us to report a potential trademark violation.
We’re disappointed that you had a negative experience with a store powered by WooCommerce. We do hope that you’re able to get this resolved to your satisfaction.
Questions and support #
Do you still have questions and need assistance?
This documentation is about the free, core WooCommerce plugin, for which support is provided in our community forums on WordPress.org. By searching this forum, you’ll often find that your question has been asked and answered before.
If you haven’t created a WordPress.org account to use the forums, here’s how.
- If you’re looking to extend the core functionality shown here, we recommend reviewing available extensions in the WooCommerce Marketplace.
- Need ongoing advanced support or a customization built for WooCommerce? Hire a Woo Agency Partner.
- Are you a developer building your own WooCommerce integration or extension? Check our Developer Resources.
