How to File a Chargeback for Undelivered Services with Nodal Officer Escalation

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Root Cause Diagnosis

A chargeback for undelivered services fails or stalls when the dispute lacks the evidence the card network’s “services not received” rules require, or when it is filed or escalated outside the permitted windows. Card issuers cannot reverse a settled merchant payment unilaterally. They must submit the dispute to the network (Visa, Mastercard, RuPay/NPCI), where the acquirer and merchant can contest it. Unresolved disputes then follow the RBI’s escalation ladder: issuer customer care, Nodal Officer, Principal Nodal Officer, then the RBI Ombudsman.

Quick Fix

  1. Ask the merchant in writing for a refund or delivery date, and keep the reply or the lack of one.
  2. Raise a dispute in the issuer app under Cards → Transactions → [Transaction] → Dispute / Raise a Query. The label varies by bank. Choose Services not received, or phone customer care if the app has no option.
  3. Record the dispute reference number and ask for it by email.
  4. Cancel any recurring mandate with the merchant, so no further debits occur while the dispute runs.

Step-by-Step Resolution

1. Check eligibility and deadlines. Network rules typically allow about 120 days from the date the service was due or the last promised date. There is also an outer limit from the transaction date, which varies by network and issuer. Ask the issuer for the exact cutoff in writing. Do not wait for the merchant’s resolution if the window is closing.

2. Assemble the evidence pack. Keep a single dated folder with:

  • Booking confirmation, invoice and card statement line item.
  • Terms of service that state the promised delivery date or scope.
  • All communications with the merchant (emails, chat exports, ticket numbers), including your refund or cancellation request.
  • Proof the service was not delivered, such as a missed appointment record or an expired access link.
  • A short timeline written in order.
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3. File the dispute with the issuer. Quote the network reason that fits. These are examples, and the issuer assigns the final code:

Visa:        13.1  Merchandise/Services Not Received
Mastercard:  4855  Goods or Services Not Provided
RuPay:       dispute category assigned through the NPCI dispute process

Submit the evidence pack. Ask whether the issuer will give a temporary credit while the dispute is open, since practice differs by bank.

4. Send a written complaint if the dispute is not resolved. Email the issuer’s grievance address with the dispute reference. This formal written complaint is what starts the escalation clock and satisfies the Ombudsman’s pre-filing requirement. Use this template:

Subject: Complaint – Chargeback Dispute Ref [REF NO.] – Card ending [XXXX]

Card ending: [XXXX]
Transaction: [Date], ₹[Amount], Merchant: [Name]
Dispute raised on: [Date], Reference: [REF NO.]

The merchant failed to deliver [service description] due on [date].
Refund requested from merchant on [date]; no resolution received.

Request: reversal of ₹[Amount] under network reason "services not received".
Evidence attached: [list files].
Please confirm the dispute is lodged with the card network and give a
status update within the timeline prescribed by RBI and the network.

5. Escalate to the Nodal Officer. If there is no resolution after the timeline prescribed under RBI, NPCI or card-network guidelines, or after 30 days, escalate. Find the details under the bank’s Grievance Redressal / Contact Us page, and email the Nodal Officer with the same evidence and complaint number. Under the Ombudsman scheme, the Principal Nodal Officer is the Regulated Entity’s designated grievance officer. If the Nodal Officer does not resolve it, escalate to the Principal Nodal Officer.

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6. File with the RBI Ombudsman. The Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026 took effect on 1 July 2026 and replaced the 2021 scheme. You may file if the Regulated Entity does not respond within the prescribed time or within 30 days. Before that, you must first file the complaint with the entity itself. Complaints can be filed through the CMS portal at cms.rbi.org.in, by emailing crpc@rbi.org.in, or by post. The scheme requires escalation within 90 days of the issuer’s reply or the lapse of the response period. Verify the exact trigger in the scheme text. Attach your bank correspondence, the dispute reference, the evidence pack and the Nodal Officer reply (if any).

7. Run a parallel consumer track if needed. For a service-deficiency claim against the merchant itself, a consumer complaint (for example through e-Daakhil) is a separate remedy. It does not replace the chargeback.

Why This Fails for Some Users

  • Window missed: Disputes filed after the network cutoff are rejected, even if the service was never delivered.
  • Partial delivery: If the merchant shows the service was partly rendered, the dispute may be reclassified as a quality or “not as described” dispute. The evidence required is different.
  • Future-dated services: Where a booking is for a date that has not arrived (event tickets, travel), the dispute generally cannot be filed until the delivery date has passed, unless the merchant has cancelled.
  • Non-card payments: UPI, net banking and wallet payments do not go through card chargebacks. They use their own dispute mechanisms, so card-chargeback steps do not apply.
  • Merchant rebuttal: The merchant can submit proof of delivery, a refund or the terms of service. Without a strong evidence pack, the dispute is closed in the merchant’s favour.
  • No written complaint to the bank: Escalation to the Ombudsman is rejected when the complaint was never made to the issuer first, or when the 30-day or response-period condition is unmet.
  • Wrong target: The Ombudsman examines deficiency in the bank’s or regulated entity’s service. A dispute with the merchant alone, with no issuer failure, falls outside its remit.
  • Cross-border merchants: Overseas acquirers may respond slowly or under different rules, and currency conversion can complicate the reversal amount.
  • Delayed filing after Ombudsman reply: Missing the filing window after the bank’s reply removes the escalation path.
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Sources: RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026 and bank salient-features documents; network reason codes are shown as typical examples and should be confirmed with the issuer.

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