Not upheld: Card / payment disputes complaint against Santander UK Plc

Decision detail

Summary

Mr S purchased trainers for £1,060 using a Santander debit card from supplier N in November 2025 but claimed the parcel arrived empty. He requested Santander raise a chargeback claim under the 'Goods or Services Not Provided' code. Santander progressed the claim but declined it after N provided CCTV footage showing trainers being packed, weight information, and delivery confirmation. Mr S argued N's evidence did not establish the trainers remained in the parcel throughout transit. The ombudsman found Santander acted fairly in concluding there was insufficient prospect of success to continue the chargeback, as Mr S provided no evidence of tampering and Santander was entitled to rely on N's evidence when assessing the claim under Mastercard rules.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman considered whether Santander acted fairly in assessing the chargeback claim based on available evidence. While acknowledging that N's evidence did not conclusively establish what happened to the parcel during transit, the ombudsman found that Santander was entitled to rely on N's evidence (CCTV, weight information, delivery confirmation) and reasonably concluded there was insufficient prospect of success to continue the chargeback to arbitration. The ombudsman noted that neither Santander nor the Service could determine with certainty what happened after the parcel left N's possession, and that Mr S provided no evidence of tampering or interference during transit.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website