First featured in Computing.co.uk
Gavin Cunningham – Forensic Accounting Specialist
The fraudulent loophole which enables consumers to get hold of online goods for free is unlikely to be closed without new legislation, state leading lawyers.
Lawyers have admitted that there is no easy fix to the chargeback loophole in online retail which enables consumers to fraudulently purchase goods, then claim their money back.
Computing first reported on the issue in January 2018, when a concerned retailer warned that his business was being defrauded of significant sums due to the loophole.
The loophole involves consumers buying goods online, then claiming non-delivery in writing to their payment provider. In this instance, retailers are legally obliged to refund the purchase, with no recourse or appeal available.
Chargeback loophole is on the rise
This type of online fraud, involving an individual customer, is hard to quantify but anecdotal evidence suggests it is becoming more common. It is the modern equivalent of shop lifting except now the goods are delivered to the fraudster’s door.
Online retailers are losing out financially due to a ‘loophole’ linked to consumer credit act protections, which dictate the practices of credit card companies. This loophole effectively means their hands are tied and there is little they can do to tackle the problem. The fact that this type of fraud is conducted by individuals and involves relatively small sums also makes it difficult to deal with.
No change for retailers without changes to the law.
Legislative changes may be needed to close the loophole; forcing credit companies to adapt their practices.
It is also possible that retailers, credit card companies and insurers could start to share existing locational information that can pinpoint the prevalence of fraudulent claims and other fraudulent activity, but it remains unclear how this might be used until an automated system is devised that shares such information in real time.
“The system was designed to protect the consumer, and when used in good faith can be very beneficial. However, fraudsters have learnt to exploit these weaknesses in the chargeback process, using it as a method to illegally obtain free goods.
“The fact that the process was designed to protect the consumer makes it very difficult to find a solution. As a system which favours the consumer, retailers are assumed guilty until proven innocent, shifting the onus onto them to prove the buyer has acted unfaithfully. More often than not this leaves retailers incurring extensive losses.”
Martin Noble – Commercial partner at Shakespeare Martineau
What can retailers do?
Whilst there is no easy fix to this widespread issue, retailers must make it as easy as possible for a customer to contact them about issues with orders. Problems often arise when it becomes difficult for a customer to make their complaint and after a while they may give up and go directly to the bank.
Another solution for retailers is to police unscrupulous behaviour by monitoring customer purchase patterns. If chargeback fraud becomes more widespread, retailers must become smarter when it comes to order processing and the delivery of items.
With the volume of online deliveries skyrocketing, the chargeback loophole has the potential to greatly impact retailers. There is certainly no easy fix, and it may be that retailers simply end up passing these rising costs on to consumers through increased retail prices. Ultimately a rebalancing of these consumer rights and/or a technological solution may be the answer, but that seems some way off at present.
Posted in Blog, Retail