Firearms Chargeback Prevention 101

When it comes to chargebacks, the firearms industry has plenty of ammunition. Chargebacks occur frequently in the firearms industry for various reasons. Let’s look at firearms chargebacks and explain why we believe we can help you reduce your chargeback ratio in this industry.

While chargebacks are a pain to deal with and can be highly time-consuming, we believe we can significantly help you stamp out fraud.

With over two decades of high risk payment processing and chargeback management, we understand what it takes to lower your chargeback ratio quickly and effectively.

Key Takeaways

    • Preventing firearms chargebacks is a must for firearms dealers

    • Applying for chargeback management is quick and painless

What Are Firearms Chargebacks?

Firearms chargebacks are chargebacks that occur in the firearms industry. Due to the nature of the industry and the “buy before you try” online business model, avoiding chargebacks can be tricky.

A chargeback occurs when a dissatisfied customer files a dispute with their bank instead of going directly to the merchant. During the chargeback cycle, there are many things merchants can do to prevent the chargeback from occurring.

Firearms Chargeback Prevention

We recommend the following checklist to stamp out fraud in the firearms industry.

Here are some common steps firearms merchants should take to mitigate chargebacks.

    1. Use robust fraud prevention tools: Implementing fraud prevention tools such as 3DS2 authentication, RDR, and chargeback alerts.

    1. Use a merchant descriptor: Make your company more recognizable using an accurate merchant descriptor.

    1. Partner with CB-ALERT: At CB-ALERT, we specialize in helping firearms merchants stamp out fraudsters before it even begins.

    1. Communicate transaction details: Make sure your customers understand exactly what they purchase, including the price and associated fees and whether or not it’s recurring.

    1. Provide excellent customer service: 24/7 customer service is required for most Shopify businesses. Customer’s expect assistance at the time of their problem, and if they don’t have it, they will go directly to their bank.

    1. Issue a refund: In almost every case, a refund will cost you less than a chargeback. Refunds also give you a better chance of bringing the customer back.

    1. Use clear and concise billing descriptors: Make sure that the descriptor on your customer’s credit card statement is clear and easy to understand so they are less likely to initiate a chargeback due to confusion.

    1. Accurate records: Maintain detailed records of all transactions, including customer contact information, order details, and any communication with the customer. This can be helpful in the event of a chargeback dispute. Having proof of any customer purchases can strengthen your case in the dispute.

    1. Monitor chargebacks: Use chargeback alert systems to monitor for chargebacks and address them promptly. This can help to prevent chargebacks from becoming a more significant problem.

    1. Scrutinize Irregular Orders: If you notice an order come in from another country that you typically don’t see or if the amount is far more significant than usual, look into it to ensure it’s accurate.

Why Do Chargebacks In The Firearms Industry Occur?

Firearms chargebacks occur for different reasons because of the nature of the industry. Let’s take a look at the main reasons they occur below:

    • Customer dissatisfaction

    • You can’t always try before you buy when purchasing online

    • Expensive price tag

    • Friendly fraud

    • Product was unrecognized

    • Lousy customer support

Dissatisfied

Dissatisfaction frequently happens in this industry. For example, if your product descriptions oversell the product, you can increase your chance of a chargeback. This is typically done when gun shops use phrases such as “guaranteed.”

Can’t Try Before You Buy

While online shopping is convenient, specific industries need help with chargebacks as customers end up dissatisfied with the products.

The downside to not being able to try specific guns out for buyers is that they can often feel misled by a product, and they might think that it isn’t as good as they expected.

Expensive Price Tags

When items are costly, customers will become frustrated quickly. Unfortunately, most guns/ammunitions come with a hefty price tag, and they are purchased by passionate hobbyists who expect a certain level of quality.

Friendly Fraud

Even when customers are satisfied, they may still push their luck and partake in friendly fraud. This is usually done to get a free product or service, and it can sometimes be challenging to prove a case against the consumer. Fortunately, we are experts at determining this type of fraud and can significantly improve your win ratio against friendly fraud.

Unrecognized 

Customers who don’t recognize the company name on their bank statement may call their bank and assume it was fraudulent. Having proper descriptors is a must for a successful company.

Customer Service Lacking

The good thing about lousy customer service is that it can be fixed quickly. But unfortunately, hiring additional employees or outsourcing customer service is a must for gun shops that rely on online sales. 

Due to the high-ticket pricing, customers can become frustrated quickly when something goes wrong, and when you don’t have customer service available at all times, you run the risk of the customer calling their bank.

Snipe Your Chargebacks And Apply With CB-ALERT Today

Applying with CB-ALERT for your firearms chargebacks is a breeze. Please provide us with the following information:

    • 3-6 months processing history of statements

    • Voided check

    • Principal’s driver’s license

    • Proof of operating address

    • Company EIN document

    • Chargeback ratio

    • A functional and compliant website with login credentials

If you have worked with another chargeback management company in the past, please share this, as this can help us get you set up faster.

Why Set Your Sites On CB-ALERT For Your Firearms Chargebacks

Firearms businesses can be challenging to operate. On top of the unwanted fees and risk of account closure, chargebacks are a significant timesuck that can leave business owners to spend all their time shooting down chargebacks rather than growing their business.

If you’re tired of dealing with chargebacks or had your account frozen/terminated, look at what sets CB-ALERT apart from other chargeback prevention companies.

    • 24/7 customer service

    • Transparent pricing

    • Gateway/CRM agnostic approach

Customer Service And Hiring A Chargeback Management Team Is The Best Approach To Reducing Your Chargebacks

Firearms chargebacks can be significantly halted with the help of a chargeback management team such as CB-ALERT and a customer service team.

Online businesses cannot survive without effective customer service. At CB-ALERT, we can help you make simple changes to your website and guide you as to what you need to accomplish from customer service, as well as analyze why chargebacks occur and set you up with a solution that prevents a large number of chargebacks in the firearms industry.

Please fill out the application below to find out what we can do for your business today.

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