I paid a Chinese supplier and they stopped answering. What can I do? in detail
If you suspect fraud, contact your bank immediately and ask what recall or tracing options remain. Open any platform or card dispute before its deadline. Keep all records, check who you actually contracted with, and work out whether this is a delay, a contract dispute or fraud: each one has a different next step.
- Applies to
- Buyers who paid a deposit or full amount and have had no reply, no tracking or no goods.
Dear friend,
Welcome! This letter sets out what you need to know, plainly and in order.
Do now
- Bank: if fraud is possible, call your bank immediately. The FBI stresses acting fast after a fraudulent transfer (
FBI IC3).
- Platform or card: if you paid through a marketplace or by card, open a dispute before the deadline.
- Save evidence: contract, invoice, chats, emails with headers, payment receipt, the supplier's website and listing (dated screenshots).
- Report fraud if you have evidence of it: US
Report Fraud; elsewhere your national fraud police.
Delay, dispute or fraud?
Look up the company on China's official register using the credit code on its licence (see related page):
| What you find | What it means |
|---|---|
| A registered company, status shown as normal | Only that a legal entity exists. It does not prove the person you dealt with works for it, that the order is real, or that they can deliver. |
| Abnormal-operation listing, cancelled, or a name that does not match the payee | Pause any further payment. Find out why, and assess separately: contract breach, someone using the company's identity, or fraud. A register entry is not a police or court finding. |
| No result | Do not pay more until the registration can be checked another way. Typing errors, the Chinese name, captchas or access limits can all cause "no result"; it is not proof of a forged licence on its own. |
Also ask: did someone change the bank account before you paid? If yes, see the related page; your real supplier may never have received the money.
Whether you can cancel or claim damages, and after how long, depends on your contract and the law that applies to it.
What usually does not work
- Paying again "to release the goods" or for fees you cannot check independently.
- Unsolicited "recovery" offers or anyone guaranteeing to get your money back.
Still uncertain
- How a foreign buyer can file a complaint with Chinese authorities about a company is not confirmed yet; we are collecting the official channels.
Sources for this letter
Wishing you good business,
The mouwise team
Checked 2026-10-27
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