Below you can build a free demand letter yourself. Before you send anything, find out whether your claim is worth sending at all: tell my AI Legal Analyst what happened, and it maps your claim, your deadlines, and your leverage, reviewed against how I actually run these disputes.
Sergei Tokmakov, California attorney, CA Bar #279869, licensed since 2011.
Friendly fraud, serial chargebacks, and "product not received" stories after confirmed delivery drain cash flow. Use this guide to document, confront, and recover funds from customers who weaponize cardholder protections.
| Source | Scope | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Truth in Lending Act (Reg. Z) | Credit card billing error procedures | Defines consumer dispute rights and issuer timelines; merchants must respect but can rebut false claims. |
| Electronic Fund Transfer Act (Reg. E) | Debit and prepaid dispute rights | Applies to cards tied to bank accounts; sets investigation timeline for issuers. |
| Card network rules | Visa/Mastercard reason codes and evidence standards | Control representment deadlines, compelling evidence categories, and ratio thresholds. |
| Merchant contracts | Processor agreements, ToS with customer | Give you rights to re-bill, pursue breach claims, and collect fees if disputes are abusive. |
You fought the chargeback, supplied evidence, but the issuer still sided with the cardholder. A demand letter reframes the dispute as contract breach or fraud.
Customers, agencies, or influencers run serial disputes after consuming your service. Demand letters establish a written record before escalating to suit or collections.
Custom builds, coaching packages, or six-month retainers justify legal action when a cardholder attempts a refund bypass.
Buyer abuses both Etsy/Amazon and bank dispute processes. Document the double-dip and seek reimbursement.
| Item | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Reason code notice | Shows what the customer told the issuer. Quote contradictions. |
| Representment packet | Reuse exhibits as attachments to the demand letter. |
| Processor fees statement | Supports request for reimbursement of chargeback and penalty fees. |
| Chargeback history report | Establishes pattern if multiple transactions from same customer. |
Customer wires or reprocesses payment via alternate method. Offer to waive late fees if payment posts within a set window.
Mutual release covering transaction, confidentiality, liquidation of inventory, or removal from membership.
Send to commercial collections or pursue small claims for amounts below your state's limit.
Invoke forum in contract (often your home jurisdiction) and seek damages plus interest.
I represent e-commerce founders, subscription services, and agencies facing abusive chargebacks. Engagements cover evidence reviews, negotiation, settlement drafting, and litigation when the amount justifies suit.
Email owner@terms.law or book a scheduler session below.
Generate a professional demand letter, CA court complaint, or arbitration demand
You now have a letter I have never read. A form builder cannot know whether the platform's own terms give you an out, who the right corporate target is, or what number belongs in the demand. If real money is at stake, the attorney demand engagement starts at $2,500. After a conflict check, I screen the claim, draft the demand on my letterhead, prepare the supporting chronology and damages figure, send it by certified mail and email, and review the first substantive response. Price is based on scope, not the dollar amount of the claim. Multi-party, unusually complex, or accelerated matters are quoted above the $2,500 minimum after review.
I accept demand matters only after a conflict check and written engagement; the minimum scope covers one attorney-drafted demand on my letterhead, supporting chronology and damages figure, certified-mail and email delivery, and review of the first substantive response.
Request this packageNot sure yet? Send your question, a short factual summary, and the key documents; you get a written attorney response identifying the main legal issues, risks, leverage points, and practical next steps. Not a full redline, demand letter, memo, or filing unless separately agreed.
Request the consultationFees are minimums or starting fees, subject to conflict, jurisdiction, merits, and written scope review. Multi-round negotiation is the separately scoped Pre-Litigation Negotiation Phase, starting at $3,000, and is not included in the demand engagement. Filing assistance or litigation representation requires a separate written scope; court appearances are not included in this service.
Informational only, not legal advice; no attorney-client relationship until a conflict check and written scope confirmation. Generated letters are unreviewed starting drafts. Sergei Tokmakov, licensed in California, CA Bar #279869 · owner@terms.law