Unexpected card charges after buying from a viral ad
You bought something from a TikTok Shop, Temu, Instagram or Facebook ad — and now there are charges you don't recognise. Here's the UK playbook, in order.
1. Contact your bank — today
Call the number on the back of your card or use the app's chat. Say the words "unauthorised transaction". Ask them to freeze or reissue the card so further charges fail. Under the Payment Services Regulations 2017, banks must refund unauthorised transactions promptly — usually by the end of the next business day — unless they have real grounds to dispute it.
2. Work out how they got the card
Paid inside the platform's own checkout (TikTok Shop, Temu)? The seller never saw your card number — recurring charges there are usually a hidden subscription or a platform billing issue, so check your platform account's payment settings and cancel anything recurring.
The ad took you to a separate website to pay? That site has your full card details. Treat the card as compromised: have it reissued, and check for a "VIP membership" or "free trial" buried in the checkout — a classic source of repeat billing.
3. Use the formal protections
- Chargeback — works for debit and credit cards; raise it through your bank, ideally within 120 days of the charge.
- Section 75 (credit cards, purchases over £100) — the card issuer is jointly liable with the seller.
- Financial Ombudsman Service — free; use it if your bank refuses a refund you believe the regulations entitle you to.
4. Report it
- Action Fraud (actionfraud.police.uk) — the UK's reporting centre for fraud; a report there creates a crime reference your bank may ask for.
- The platform — report the seller in-app; platforms do remove sellers with charge complaints.
- Here — find the product below and add your review with the "unauthorised card activity" box ticked. Aggregated reports are what warn the next buyer.
FAQ
My bank says the charge was authorised because I bought something from that seller before. Is that right?
Not necessarily. Under the Payment Services Regulations 2017, a payment is only authorised if you consented to that specific transaction. A previous purchase does not amount to consent for later charges. Ask the bank to treat it as an unauthorised transaction claim and escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service if they refuse.
The charge is from a name I don't recognise — is it definitely fraud?
Not always. Sellers often bill under a different trading name, and subscriptions can be hidden in checkout terms. Check order confirmation emails and any small print for a 'membership' or 'VIP club'. If nothing explains it, treat it as unauthorised and contact your bank.
I paid by debit card — do I have any protection?
Yes. Chargeback applies to debit cards (it's a card-scheme process, not law). For unauthorised transactions, the Payment Services Regulations require your bank to refund you promptly — usually by the end of the next business day — unless it has grounds to suspect you authorised it or were grossly negligent.
I paid by credit card and the item cost over £100 — anything extra?
Yes. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act makes the card issuer jointly liable with the seller for breach of contract or misrepresentation on purchases of £100.01–£30,000 — even if only part was paid by credit card.
General information, not legal or financial advice. Rules described are UK-specific.