I have never heard of Portable Patio Essentials, and am concerned about making a purchase. Are they trustworthy?

I placed an order with Portable Patio Essentials, but have not received my item. What should I do?

I have an issue with my order from Portable Patio Essentials, but they are not getting back to me. What can I do?

The most common issues for buyers are undelivered orders and incorrect or damage items delivered. In both cases, it is the responsibility of the merchant to assist in resolving the issue. As such, the first step in such situations should always be to reach out to the merchant for direct assistance, as this is the quickest and most efficient way to get a replacement order or refund processed.

In some cases, unfortunately, the merchant may not respond to your inquiries. Sometimes, the seller may completely "disappear" - you may see that their online store no longer exists. If this happens - stay calm, as there is a good chance you can recover your money through what is called the dispute process.

The first thing you'll need to do is locate your credit card or PayPal statement to identify exactly what dollar amount you were charged, and on what date the charge occured. This is the first bit of information you will need to provide your credit card company or PayPal in order to begin the dispute process.

Once you have located the charge amount and date, you will want to reach out directly to the credit card company or PayPal (whichever you used to make the purchase) to let them know that you would like to file a dispute. Many credit card companies and PayPal will allow you to start this process directly online, but you can also call the number on the back of your credit card to speak with a representative directly.

You will be asked several questions about the situation, such as the reason for your dispute. Most representatives are extremely understanding and friendly, so do not hesitate to start this process as soon as possible!

In our experience, the dispute process generally takes 1-2 months to fully resolve. During this time, however, you will not be financially responsible for the charge. Our only piece of advice is not to over-use the dispute process. Credit card companies and PayPal will keep track of the number of disputes you file. If you file too many disputes, they may begin to identify you as a customer who purchases from unreliable merchants, or as a worst-case scenario, may believe you to be fraudulently reporting undelivered orders.