Online transactions fraud, filling out a police report is not allowed?

[taxless]

Ok so I sell online and I was told from some of the credit card card companies if you receive a chargeback to go fill out a police report. I go down to the police station piss off one lady she just hangs up the phone on me I call back and call back then another annoyed police officer says you can't fill out a police report its considered civil. Then I tell him what I was told. To fill out a police. Now over the years ebay paypal other credit card terminal services tell me to fill out a police report when someone does a charge back. But the police tell me I can't they won't even give me the paper work. And they tell me I have to get lawyer. Any suggestions ideas? Law codes that may help. Items are shipped out of ohio but they go to other states etc.. and some in the state of ohio.

 

[CdwJava]

A charge back is almost certainly going to be a civil issue. Why they are telling you to report this to the police is a mystery to me. For this to be a crime, the state would have to prove intent to defraud you at the time they made the purchase. Absent a clear confession, this simply is not possible. And if in another state, well, it's not going to be pursued even if the admission was made.

Even if the police did take a report, they are almost certainly NOT going to investigate this. The report would go into a file somewhere and be done.

So, you can call and ask for a report, but no law requires them to take one.

 

[LdiJ]

Ok so I sell online and I was told from some of the credit card card companies if you receive a chargeback to go fill out a police report. I go down to the police station piss off one lady she just hangs up the phone on me I call back and call back then another annoyed police officer says you can't fill out a police report its considered civil. Then I tell him what I was told. To fill out a police. Now over the years ebay paypal other credit card terminal services tell me to fill out a police report when someone does a charge back. But the police tell me I can't they won't even give me the paper work. And they tell me I have to get lawyer. Any suggestions ideas? Law codes that may help. Items are shipped out of ohio but they go to other states etc.. and some in the state of ohio.

Chargebacks happen for multiple reasons...and most of the time they have nothing to do with anything criminal, therefore absolutely no reason to involve the police. Most chargebacks are going to be because the consumer either did not receive the product, received the product damaged, received something different from what they expected, or because you did not promptly issue a refund on a returned product, or did not facilitate a return.

Of course there are going to be the rare consumers who cheat using chargebacks, but honestly that is basically the cost of doing online business.

The only time it might be appropriate to get the police involved is if its a high ticket item, what the consumer is doing is clearly fraudulent, and the credit card processors are not helping you. However you also have to help yourself by providing the processors the necessary information to prove that you are in the right.